Douce Brise Apiary - Les Avants
L'Air de la ruche
The Air of the Hive
This is one of the most recently discovered apiary treasures in our region. The air circulating in the heart of the colonies, thanks to the wingbeats of the bees (and sometimes also the males), creates a truly balanced microclimate rich in essential oils, propolis essence, pheromones, and other volatile substances. It is also laden with traces of pollen, which is non-allergenic in this case and has beneficial effects on the respiratory tract, thanks to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The observed benefits include, among others, easier breathing, deep relaxation, better sleep, increased concentration, and a reduction in allergies.
In particular, the Air of the Hive contains a brood-produced pheromone rich in methyl palmitate, which has been shown to affect the expression of a gene linked to asthma and allergies.
This practice of "breathing the air from the hive" has long been practiced empirically in Ukraine, for its beneficial effects against respiratory problems such as asthma, pollen allergies, and headaches. Recently, the practice has spread to Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, the United States... and, more recently, Switzerland.
The type of apiary we care for also offers the advantage that the hives are placed indoors, in a cabin-style apiary, with exits for the bees on the facade. This way, the interior of the apiary, where the air from the hives is naturally present, can be breathed in safely. A device with a grid allows you to open one of the hives and breathe in the bees' air, without any risk. It's as if you were part of the colony...
Hive air is now the subject of scientific studies that are observing its benefits and are beginning to understand its active ingredient. Gradually, apiaries are beginning to offer sessions to people suffering from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory or inflammatory problems, as well as to people simply wishing to enjoy a soothing and de-stressing moment, and the benefits of bee air. This practice complements medical monitoring, which remains essential. It gradually reduces the need for drug treatments once beneficial effects are observed and attacks decrease in frequency and intensity.
If you'd like to read more, I address here a question I've been asking myself for nearly 20 years: "But why would bee products, and especially the air in the hive, have an influence on our health?"
Precautions...
However, it's important to remain humble! When talking about the immune system, it's helpful to keep in mind that it's a complex system, whose many mechanisms are not yet fully understood, especially when considered as a whole. Conditions like asthma are autoimmune inflammations. That is, they are caused by an overreaction of the body's immune defenses. These reactions are sometimes strong and unpredictable.
Here, with the air from the hive, the goal is twofold: to rebalance the immune system by gently exposing it to natural substances with which the immune system is relearning to cooperate. And to act directly on the inflammation, thanks to certain pheromones present in the hive, such as methyl palmitate, in order to bring about calming and rapid improvement in respiratory function.
Rebalancing the immune system takes time. The practice of Hive Air is complementary to medical monitoring, which remains important to avoid long-term deterioration of the respiratory system. The goal is to bring a complementary gentle approach, which can help gradually reduce the use of synthetic molecules and improve comfort of life. And interactions with lifestyle (diet, activity, smoking, etc.), are also to be taken into consideration. The goal is therefore not to play the sorcerer's apprentice but to proceed cautiously and gently and to remain attentive to the effects. Let's keep in mind that we are all different and that each organism has its own history and genetics.
Concretely...
Our apiary, being a cabin-style one, is particularly well-suited for quiet, safe sessions.
We offer sessions of about twenty minutes, during which you breathe the bees' air through a screen. It's a moment of pure relaxation, accompanied by the murmur of the hive.
Those who have already experienced it report immediate effects, with improved breathing and a reduction in allergen reactions in general. For lasting effects, it is recommended to do about ten sessions, with an average of two per week, lasting about twenty minutes each. At the end of each session, you are offered a spoonful of bee bread, for a reinforced effect on the microbiota and immune system. Bee bread is offered as a supplement throughout the treatment.
You can, of course, try it out before committing to a full series. In this sense, we suggest you do a first series of 3 sessions, each spaced 3-4 days apart, and you can then decide if you want to continue and do the 10 sessions in total. The 3 sessions are billed for a total of 120.-. The complete series of 10 sessions is 350.- (the first 3 sessions will then be deducted). Discount for couples and families: -10%.
Are you interested?
You can send us a non-obligation email, specifying your first and last name, address, and the time period that would suit you.
Please note that the apiary is suitable for Hive Air sessions between April and September. The rest of the year, the bees prepare for or spend the winter in complete tranquility.
Contact: doucebrise@doucebrise.ch
To learn more about the Hive Air:
Website of the Swiss Apitherapy Association, section “The Air of the Hive” (in French):
https://www.apitherapie-fr.ch/l-apithérapie/l-air-de-la-ruche/
« Air Bee and BEE », an example of an apiary, in Belgium, organized around the Air of the hive (in French):
« Le Miel et l'Eau » (Honey and Water) is another example in France of an apiary-wellness center, offering cures with the air of the hive. Its founder is also the author of the book cited immediately below:
Littérature:
« apiTHÉRAPIE, quand les abeilles soignent l’asthme et les allergies », from Patrice Percie du Sert and Marie-Odile Cayeux-Poirrier. In French.
A very detailed book about hive air, its benefits, and how it works. You can easily find it, or you can ask us; we have a few copies available..