The Buteyko Breathing Belt - Anyone Here Tried It?

[Trambak]

I just made an order for one of those. It's from that Patrick McKeown guy and the Buteyko Clinic International.


It seems like a simple and practical way for regularly (and automatically) practicing buteyko breathing in daily life. You can use it like during meditation or while taking a walk, or during sleep et c. Patrick suggests 10-20 min 2-3 times a day, plus during sleep if it suites you.

Why don't I just breath in a paper bag for a few minutes, or use the regular buteyko exercises (or one of those buteyko "pacifier"-style things? When I tried any of that, anxiety immediately rises with a sense of suffocation after a few seconds. I didn't know why this would be. I'm a nose breather, breathing from the diaphragm and while my control pause is only 18-20 seconds that is not terrible, at least as a starting point, is it? (Of course, 40 s. is the real baseline starting point for good health, while 60 s. is the ideal state of perfect health in the Buteyko world. If I understand correctly?)

But then I found the following YouTube video by Patrick, where, among other stuff, he talks about CO2 hypersensitivity in some of his clients and how the exercises has to by modified accordingly.


Anyway, this Buteyko Belt seems to be promising. When it's delivered and I have tried it, I will report on it. I'm just curious about other peoples experiences. Both with the belt and with CO2 hypersensitivity.

 

[postman]

How did it go?

 

[Trambak]

How did it go?

Well, I kind of overused it the first days... I had it on not only during sleep, but also while talking walks, et c (like while doing buteyko paces). The direct effect when putting it on was subtle, but some sensation of queasiness in the solar plexus soon was too disturbing for me (or perhaps mild nausea is a better word here).

I stayed away from it for week, then restarted it just using it at night during sleep. The queasiness or nausea is still there, but it is milder and not so disturbing. Is it doing me any good? Used it for a month now, and taking the long perspective, I will keep using it for a few more months before giving a verdict.

My hope is that it with time will help me overcome the hypersensitivity to CO2 I seem to have.

(Other peoples experience with it would be welcome!)

 

[tara]

I haven't yet watched the videos you linked, so not sure exactly what the belt is like ad how he proposes using it.
I used a regular belt around the chest a few times. It was very effective for helping me re-establish abdominal breathing habits. I used it a couple of time through the night, and a couple of other times for shorter periods while engaged in activities at home during the day.

Might be good to do it again.