Abdominal breathing exercises can help strengthen the muscles of the diaphragm and, overall, lead you to improve the way you breathe. In addition, they promote relaxation, as for 5-10 minutes you will have to stay focused only on the air that enters and leaves the body. You can practice abdominal breathing sitting or lying down.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Practice Supine Abdominal Breathing
Step 1. Observe how you breathe normally
Before doing abdominal breathing, pay attention to how you usually breathe. Abdominal breathing should work by changing the normal rhythm of your breaths and the amount of air being blown in to help you relax.
- Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Try to slowly focus on the air entering and leaving your body, blocking all external stimuli, such as noises and smells. If you can, do this in a closed room, away from any kind of distraction.
- Do you breathe with the chest or with the abdomen? Do your breaths seem slow, fast, or too shallow? See if there is anything that seems strange to you. By doing some abdominal breathing exercises from time to time, you can learn to correct the way you breathe normally.
Step 2. Lie on your back and relax your body
Find a flat surface to lie on. You should lie flat on your back, keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet flat on the floor. If you need extra support, place a pillow under your legs to keep your knees elevated.
Step 3. Put your hands in the right position
Once stretched out, you need to position your hands so that you can control your breathing. Then, put one on the upper chest and the other just below the rib cage. Relax both of them, allowing your elbows to stay in contact with the surface beneath your body (floor, bed, or sofa).
Step 4. Inhale slowly through the nose
Once you have assumed the correct position, you can begin the breathing exercises. You should let the air into the abdomen so that the hand on the stomach moves upward, while the one on the chest remains as still as possible. You don't have to count, but try to inhale until you can't take in any more air.
Step 5. Slowly exhale through your mouth or nose
Contract your stomach muscles as you exhale. You have to expel the air through the stomach during the exhalation phase. Keep your lips parted as you let your breath out. Again, counting is useless. Just exhale until you have no more air to kick out.
- As an alternative to exhaling with parted lips, you could try the Ujjayi breathing technique. Keep your lips closed and exhale through your nose. As you exhale, contract the muscles behind your throat to push the air out.
- Exalt the breath, repeat the exercise. Keep breathing like this for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 6. Repeat the exercise throughout the week
Abdominal breathing has various benefits: it strengthens the diaphragm, slows the breathing rate, decreases the need for oxygen and overall helps you breathe more efficiently. Perform the above exercise 3-4 times a day for 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the duration.
Breathing deeply for 1-2 minutes on a day when you may be too busy can help you relax and focus
Step 7. Try abdominal breathing in the Savasana position
This position is well suited to abdominal breathing as you do not need to follow your breaths with your hands. Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat or soft surface. Spread your legs slightly and place your hands at your sides, palms facing up. Inhale using your diaphragm, counting to five, and then exhale for another five seconds. Be aware of your breathing while maintaining the pose. Mentally explore every part of your body for points of tension and consciously relax them when you spot any.
Step 8. Try different breathing patterns
Once you are familiar with abdominal breathing, practice with different patterns, degrees, and depths of breath. Different types of abdominal breathing can slow down a stressful nervous system or perhaps stimulate anti-inflammatory reactions in your immune system. Some techniques include:
- Breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in. For example, if you count to five when you inhale, you can count to ten when you exhale. This serves to slow the heartbeat and signal the nervous system to enter a state of relaxation.
- Practice the technique called "Breath of Fire", a form of rapid abdominal breathing. This technique involves breathing hard and fast, inhaling and exhaling through the nose two or three times per second. Do not try it on your own until you have learned how to perform the exercise under the guidance of an experienced yoga practitioner.
Part 2 of 2: Practice Sitting Abdominal Breathing
Step 1. Sit down
At first you will probably find it less difficult to practice abdominal breathing while lying down. However, as you get better, it will be more effective to do it while sitting. If you can do the deep breathing exercises in a sitting position, you can take advantage of this technique even when you are away from home. So, you should learn it, so you will have the opportunity to put it into practice during breaks at work.
Sit in a comfortable, stable chair. Keep your knees bent and your shoulders and neck relaxed
Step 2. Put your hands in the right position
You need to position your hands correctly as in the first exercise. Then, put one on your chest and the other on your lower stomach. Once again they will help you understand if you are breathing correctly.
Step 3. Inhale and exhale
Once you are seated with your hands in the right position, you can begin to breathe. Introduce and expel the air by focusing on the position of your hands as you go.
- Inhale through the nose, making sure that the hand placed on the lower abdomen is raised, while the other on the chest remains almost stationary. Inhale to the point where you can't take in any more air.
- Contract your stomach muscles to expel air, keeping your lips parted.
- Continue this exercise for about 5-10 minutes.
