Breathing: a simple act that’s done thousands of times throughout the day – yet, most of us aren’t doing it correctly. Rather than deep refreshing breaths, everything from the stresses of daily life to the social convention of holding in our stomach to have a slimmer waistline cause us to adopt shallower “chest breathing”.
You can notice chest breathing most when anxious: the breath comes in and out rapidly, while the shoulders move up and down accordingly. In deep belly, or diaphragmatic, breathing, the shoulders stay still while the abdomen moves in and out.
Deep belly breathing promotes relaxation; reduces muscle tension, pulse rate and blood pressure; and provides a general sense of alert well-being. It’s called diaphragmatic breathing due to the involvement of the diaphragm: a dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs, separating the lungs from the abdominal cavity. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts (tightens) to move downwards and draw breath in; and on exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and moves back upwards, pushing the breath out. This kind of breathing encourages full oxygen exchange (bringing life-giving oxygen in while expelling carbon dioxide) throughout the body.
Diaphragmatic breathing is often encouraged as a stress-management technique, but it’s also an important exercise for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In COPD, air can become trapped in the lungs, causing the diaphragm to remain downwards and function less efficiently. Regular practice of diaphragmatic breathing can help strengthen the diaphragm muscle, thereby requiring less effort and energy to breathe for those suffering from COPD.
Start slowly
It’s recommended to ease into deep abdominal breathing exercises slowly at first, without straining the diaphragm, in order to optimize comfort.
Seat yourself comfortably in your chair; relax your head, neck and shoulders; and loosen any tight-fitting clothing. Then, with both feet grounded (uncrossed and flat on the floor), place your hands on your knees for a moment. Let yourself relax. If you prefer to lie down, then lie on your back with knees bent (to take pressure off the low back) and add a pillow under your head and knees if you prefer.
Practice practice practice
Place one hand on your upper chest (over the sternum) and the other on your abdomen (over the umbilicus or naval). Breathe in through only your nose since it cleans, warms and moisturizes the air. When breathing out, do so through pursed lips and while tightening your abdominal muscles. Look at your hands: the hand on your abdomen should be moving out as you inhale, and back inwards to its original position as you exhale. The hand on your chest should not be moving as you take breaths.
There should be no pause in breathing – just one smooth motion. Use slow, steady and full breaths. Your breathing rate may range between three to seven breaths per minute (from the standard 12 – 20 breaths per minute).
Working towards a goal
Eventually, you may notice that you can achieve diaphragmatic breathing without the use of your hands to guide you. You can now add in visualization practices, of a familiar place or somewhere you would like to be. For example:
Imagine that you are at the beach. It is midmorning; the sun is shining and warm, but not hot. Feel the warmth of the sun on your head…on your shoulders…on your arms. The sky is clear and you are standing on the beach and looking at the ocean. The ocean is calm. Begin diaphragmatic breathing. As you inhale the ocean air, notice the energizing sensations.As you exhale, feel the tension in your body flow out, leaving you calm and relaxed.
When do I use diaphragmatic breathing?
Anytime and as often as you like! Diaphragmatic breathing exercises can be used whenever you find yourself breathing shallower, feeling more anxious, and want to bring yourself back into balance. When first learning how to deep belly breathe, put aside five to 10 minutes to practice (several times a day, if possible). Once you get the hang of it, you can fit in diaphragmatic breathing throughout your day. It’s a wonderful way to get a little stress-relief and the energy to keep going.
*Naturopathic Mom Tip* This is a wonderful exercise to start from a young age. Children can get stressed too! Deep belly breathing has helped calm our big guy during many a tantrum or teary outburst. Added bonus: it will calm you as well when you do the breathing together.
Sources
Fried, R. (1990). Chapter 10: How to integrate breathing and nutrition to control stress and psychosomatic disorders”. The Breath Connection: How to Reduce Psychosomatic and Stress-Related Disorders with Easy-To-Do Breathing Exercises (pp. 235-246). New York: Plenum Press.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/lung-health-and-disease/learning-diaphragmatic-breathing
