Why do it?
Abdominal breathing relaxes the nervous system, reducing stress and
tension, calming the mind. It massages and tones the internal organs -
particularly
the digestive organs. This style of breathing is efficient,
so it requires less effort for
the heart and lungs to oxygenate the
body, so they can rest more.
Deep breathing is the foundation of health!
How to learn it:
Lie flat resting on your back, arms by your sides, palms facing
up. Begin to
draw your awareness to your breath - slow and deep. Become aware
of your
abdomen area, feeling it softly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale.
Notice your breath moving throughout your body, nourishing your body. Keep your
mouth closed, and draw the air into the body through the nostrils. Bring one
hand
onto your belly. As you inhale, your belly should rise, filling
with air like a balloon
technically, the belly does not fill with air - it is
the movement of your diaphragm up
and out, drawing air into the lungs, which
causes the belly to rise, but visualization is
a powerful technique - so
think of it as the belly filling with air as you inhale. As you
exhale, feel
the breath leaving the body, abdomen sinking down, hollowing the belly.
Inhale, breath fills the belly, lifting your hands as you breathe, exhale, the
belly falls,
a soft gentle hollow in the abdomen. Relax your face - release
the inner corners of
your eyes. Soften and relax the throat. Allow the
chest to open, head forward,
shoulders relaxing back – letting go of all
tension. Feel your stomach and
abdomen soften, and relax the internal
organs. Just breathe, deeply into the
abdomen, all the way down into
your pelvis. Find the rhythm of breath that is
fluid, smooth, and
relaxing for your body.
What is happening?
The lungs have no muscle of
their own. Lungs are like two
loose empty sacks - they cannot draw air in on
their own. The movement of the
diaphragm draws air into and out of the body. The
diaphragm is a large muscle that
separates the rib cage and its organs from
the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm
works like a bellows. As the
diaphragm moves down from the base of the ribs, air
is drawn through the
nostrils, through the trachea and bronchial tubes, and into the
many small
sacs linking the lungs. As air is drawn into the lungs, they fill and expand,
expanding the rib cage, lifting the surface of the abdomen up. A more
controlled and
conscious movement of the diaphragm draws air deeper into the
lungs, allowing the
alveoli (small sacs lining the inner surface of the lungs)
to extract oxygen from the air
and pass it into the blood stream. The
alveoli exchange carbon dioxide and other
waste gases, passing them back
into the lungs to be exhaled by the body. Then,
the diaphragm contract
upward, and with the help of the intercostals muscles
between your ribs
pinching the rib cage closed as the diaphragm moves up, the
waste gases are
pushed out of the lungs.
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Basic Guidelines
1.
Practice in FRESH air - no
smoke, chemicals, or other
harmful elements in your environment. Air will be
pulled
deeper into your lungs, and it needs to be clean and fresh.
2.
Breathe through the nostrils
only in this exercise, learn
about and practice different breathing techniques.
3.
The fluidity of your breath is
the priority - if your breath
begins to be choppy or uneven, stop what you
are doing and
allow your breath to return to its own, natural rhythm.
4.
If you begin to feel faint,
dizzy, flushed, or light-headed,
stop what you are doing, and allow your breath
to return to its
own natural rhythm. This is a result of the increased
oxygen
levels in the body, which your body may not be accustomed to.
5.
Be careful if you have any
heart condition, asthma,
bronchitis, high or low blood pressure, or any
physical condition
that requires you to be under medical supervision.
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