Diaphragmatic Breathing

By Jarrod Borne

 

Most actions of the body are either voluntary or involuntary. When an action is performed with the involvement of thoughts, it is voluntary. For example, raising your arm in the air is a voluntary action. Your brain consciously tells your arm to move and then it moves. Involuntary actions take place without the consciousness or willingness of an individual. An example of an involuntary action would be your heartbeat. You don’t have to pay any attention to your heart and it will continue to beat nevertheless. 

 

Breathing is one of the most unique actions of the human body because it is both voluntary and involuntary. In the same way that we can consciously control the action of raising and lowering our arms, we can consciously control the process of breathing. For example, we can choose to breathe faster, slower, deeper, or more shallow. And at the same time, if we focus our attention on something else and forget about our breathing, our body will take over the process and breathe for us. 

 

Conscious (voluntary) breathing practices have many benefits. Research has shown that breathing practices have the potential to improve cognition, reduce psychological stress, and reduce the negative physical effects of stress as well as other things. There are many breathing practices, but one well studied breathing practice is called diaphragmatic breathing.

 

Diaphragmatic breathing is easy to learn. However, it helps to understand what the diaphragm is and how it facilitates the breathing process. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that forms the floor of the chest cavity and the ceiling of the abdominal cavity. When we breathe, the diaphragm contracts and pulls down, creating more space in the chest cavity and allowing the lungs to fill with air. 

 

Over time, for many reasons, people form poor breathing habits. Most people breathe in a shallow way, without fully contracting the diaphragm. Instead, they use the muscles in the chest and neck. Shallow breathing into the upper chest can lead to problems such as anxiety and chronic pain. Fortunately, relearning diaphragmatic breathing is easy. It just takes a little practice. Here is a basic procedure for diaphragmatic breathing:

 

1. Sit in a comfortable position or lie flat on a comfortable flat surface.
2. Relax your neck and shoulders.
3. Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. 
4. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Imagine the air is going into your abdomen. You should feel your belly expand while your chest remains relatively still. Make sure your shoulders and neck remain relaxed during this inhalation.  
5. Purse your lips and exhale slowly. Feel your belly shrink. 
6. Repeat 10-20 times and as often as you like. 

 

The more you practice, the more effective this breathing technique will become. Over time, you will find that you can take slower and deeper breaths while remaining completely relaxed in your shoulders and neck. Your conscious breathing will become less forceful and you will enjoy the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing.

 

Sources:

 

1. Jewell, Tim. “What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?” Healthline. 2018. https://www.healthline.com/health/diaphragmatic-breathing. Accessed July 5, 2021. 
2. Ma, Xiao et al. “The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 8 874. 6 Jun. 2017, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070
3. “Remedial Class.” How to calm down before a job interview, date, or test. https://remedialclass.weebly.com/home/how-to-calm-down-before-a-job-interview-date-or-test