Diaphragmatic breathing, also called deep breathing or belly breathing, is a way of breathing slowly and fully into the abdomen rather than the chest. When we’re stressed, our breathing often changes: it becomes shallower and faster, and this plays a part in keeping us feeling wound up, because it reduces the time the body has to rest and repair. Practising diaphragmatic breathing regularly gives the body a chance to settle, and it can also be a useful way to calm yourself in the moment when you’re feeling stressed.
What is the diaphragm?
The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle that sits underneath your lungs, separating your chest from your abdomen. When you breathe in, it contracts and flattens, drawing air deep into your lungs and making room by pushing your abdomen, and your lower ribs, gently outward. When you breathe out, it relaxes back into its dome shape. Breathing this way, using the diaphragm fully, is a more efficient and calming way to breathe than shallow breathing high in the chest.
Like any skill, it takes a little practice. The instructions below will talk you through it, and you can follow along with the audio whenever it’s helpful.
How to practice
Find a safe, quiet space where you won’t be disturbed.
Sit or lie down, and make yourself comfortable. If you’re sitting, place your feet flat on the floor with your legs uncrossed. If you’re lying down, let your feet flop outward.
Close your eyes, or let your gaze soften, and turn your attention inward.
Take a few normal breaths, not big breaths, just your usual volume, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice any tension in your shoulders, neck, stomach or chest, and allow it to relax. Let your breath slow, and take a few moments to settle.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your lower abdomen.
Fully exhale, letting your lungs empty, then let your breath settle into its own natural rhythm. Without trying to change anything, simply notice which hand is moving: are you breathing mainly into your chest, with the upper hand moving, or into your abdomen, with the lower hand moving?
Now bring your focus to breathing using your diaphragm. It can help to imagine your lower abdomen like a balloon. As you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the abdomen deflates, so the lower hand moves inward. As you inhale, the diaphragm pulls out and downward, the abdomen inflates and your lower ribs widen slightly too, so the lower hand moves outward. Your chest and upper ribcage stay relaxed, so the upper hand stays still, or only moves a little.
When you’re ready: exhale, and feel the lower hand move inward. Inhale, and feel the lower hand move outward, your lower ribs widening a little as you do. Continue breathing this way, slowly and deeply, for around five minutes.
When you’re ready, open your eyes, look around, and shift your focus back outward.
Dr Walton 