Diaphragmatic Breathing
Most people with chronic pain breathe shallowly into the chest, which keeps the nervous system in a stress state and prevents the deep core from engaging properly. Learning to breathe with the diaphragm resets the entire postural system and is the foundation of all other corrective work.
How to do it
- 1
Lie on your back or sit tall in a chair with your hands resting on your lap.
- 2
Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly, just below the navel.
- 3
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, your belly should rise while your chest stays relatively still.
- 4
Exhale through pursed lips for 6 counts, feeling your belly fall and your ribs narrow.
- 5
Repeat for 5 to 10 minutes. The chest hand should barely move.
Benefits
- Reactivates the diaphragm and the deep core pressure system
- Calms the nervous system and reduces chronic pain sensitivity
- Improves thoracic expansion and rib cage mobility as a side effect
Common mistakes
- Letting the chest rise and the belly stay still, that is chest breathing, not diaphragmatic
- Forcing the breath too aggressively, it should feel effortless
- Breathing too quickly and hyperventilating
Target areas
Good for
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