Alternatives To Bag Breathing?

[TeaRex14]

Bag breathing seems like a huge chore for me, never really find the time to sit down and have a good 10 to 15 minute bag breathing session. When I have on the few occasions, I've always been disappointed with the results. I have a soda stream machine that comes with co2 tanks, technically it's suppose to be used to make carbonated water. Could you possibly blow some co2 (from the tank) into a bag or balloon and breath it in? It would seem like a more concentrated dose of co2, rather then re-breathing through a bag.

 

[tara]

If you want something you can do without equipment, you can learn/practice various reduced/calmed etc breathing techniques or exercises to retain CO2. I liked 'Shut your Mouth' by McKeown, and info based on Buteyko Method, eg on normalbreathing.com, or some of the yoga-style approaches.
Or one of those altitude masks (I haven't tried one).
There are threads describing what some people have tried.

 

[smith]

wearing a surgical mask

 

[TeaRex14]

Thanks, I'll look into Buteyko and surgical masks.

 

[cyclops]

Surgical masks don't seem to work the same because you can kind of breathe air through them.

 

[TeaRex14]

Probably not the cheapest route to take, but I'm wondering how much CO2 tanks cost. I can't possibly think of a more efficient way then to just breathe in some CO2 right from a tank, diluted with some oxygen of course.

 

[TeaRex14]

Thought I would give a brief update. I decided to get larger sized brown paper bags, the ones that are big enough to put groceries in and whatnot. Instead of just breathing into the bag I put the bag over my entire head and breathed normally for a few minutes. Anecdotally, I think this gave me better results then the normal way. I got warm feeling and breathed much easier.

 

[ecstatichamster]

sounds great. I like that idea.

 

[smith]

Thought I would give a brief update. I decided to get larger sized brown paper bags, the ones that are big enough to put groceries in and whatnot. Instead of just breathing into the bag I put the bag over my entire head and breathed normally for a few minutes. Anecdotally, I think this gave me better results then the normal way. I got warm feeling and breathed much easier.

airtight seal or just placed it over?

 

[Wolf]

Surgical mask. I use it while driving to school. Take care to breath calmly and not force your breath and make sure it's tight fitting. Takes 20 min before the effects set in vs the few minutes a paper bag takes.

 

[ddjd]

Hold your breath for 1.5 minutes

 

[TeaRex14]

airtight seal or just placed it over?

I just place the bag over my head, then tilt my head upwards as if I'm looking up into the sky. The back of my head presses against one side of the bag, while my chin presses against the other side, creating a pseudo seal so to speak. There's enough of a "seal" that when I breathe in the bag starts to crumble inward.

 

[TeaRex14]

sounds great. I like that idea.

It's pretty good, definitely the easiest way I've done it thus far. Doing it this way is also the only time that bag breathing has actually made me warmer (presumably from the CO2 increase). After doing it, I also breathe much more normally. Historically I've always been sort of a heavy breather.

Hold your breath for 1.5 minutes

I might experiment with the breathing less method sometime. People swear by it, but seems intense for me, lol. I don't want it to stress me out, kind of defeat the purpose in a way.

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Sodium Bicarbonate can increase CO2 levels, as can simply going to higher elevations.

Also, reduce anxiety and try not to hyperventilate.

 

[TeaRex14]

Sodium Bicarbonate can increase CO2 levels, as can simply going to higher elevations.

Also, reduce anxiety and try not to hyperventilate.

How much baking soda do you typically take to achieve this? Isn't the alkalizing effects of sodium bicarbonate a problem?

 

[Kyle Bigman]

I typically take a teaspoon, or half a teaspoon. Haven’t noticed any problems with alkalinization. I do typically take with lemon juice or orange juice though, which are acidic.

 

[MetabolicTrash]

Is there any way to know if it is a C02 issue or a nasal one?

I've always had a narrow/pinched, deviated septum, which is why I used to solely mouth breath until I was like 25 years old or so. I still can't rely solely on nasal breathing all of the time, but it improved a bit (or I got used to breathing poorer).

One caveat is that while I can breathe somewhat through my nose compared to years back, I feel sometimes that it is a stress to do so since it feels so inefficient (but it also isn't entirely efficient via mouth or nose or both combined anyways).

I don't know, but maybe the issue with me is I can't breathe properly in any case possibly...

Is this something attributed to C02 or nose/throat or both?

Just feels like I can't ever steadily breathe enough in or out, but I guess I just adapted to it since what else could you do, right?

But I notice what I eat sometimes can make it worse...

I've tried buteyko and while it felt like it worked somewhat right away/soon, after a while my pulse dropped down to under 60 and felt a bit "off" so I stopped seriously doing it and just fell back to usual breathing habits (inefficiently).

Maybe C02 can help with the feeling of getting enough air in/out?

Although I sometimes think bad breathing could also be posture-related too, which is why I want a back brace or such.

I guess the only way to know is to try all of the above.... (improving nasal/throat airflow/airways and C02 alike).

Anyone know to what extent this can be done at home? Like improving nasal/airway narrowness in general/etc.? Must be some way without surgery to test this and compare with C02!

I just can't manage the cost burden of seeing ENTs and doctors and etc. as of now.

 

[Apple]

If you want something you can do without equipment, you can learn/practice various reduced/calmed etc breathing techniques or exercises to retain CO2. I liked 'Shut your Mouth' by McKeown, and info based on Buteyko Method, eg on normalbreathing.com, or some of the yoga-style approaches.
Or one of those altitude masks (I haven't tried one).
There are threads describing what some people have tried.

wearing a surgical mask

Thanks, I'll look into Buteyko and surgical masks.

Surgical masks don't seem to work the same because you can kind of breathe air through them.

Surgical mask. I use it while driving to school. Take care to breath calmly and not force your breath and make sure it's tight fitting. Takes 20 min before the effects set in vs the few minutes a paper bag takes.

So what do you think guys now about wearing surgical mask during pandemic... Does it equal to ray peat bag breathing?

 

[lilsticky]

high altitude

 

[andrew81]

So what do you think guys now about wearing surgical mask during pandemic... Does it equal to ray peat bag breathing?

wearing a surgical mask

surgical masks have microplastic fibres and phthalates which are endocrine disruptors , dont wear them carelessly