Diaphragmatic Breathing

Execution

1. Empty the lungs first, letting the ribcage drop and the shoulders soften.
2. Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds, sending the air down into the belly and out to the sides of the ribs.
3. The hand on your belly should rise clearly while the hand on your chest barely moves.
4. Breathe out through the mouth for 6 seconds as if blowing through a straw.
5. Repeat for 2-3 minutes, or 10 breaths if you are using this to bring the heart rate down after a session.
6. If you feel light-headed, go back to normal breathing and stay still for a while.

Quick cues

• Belly rises, chest stays still.
• Make the exhale longer than the inhale.
• Blow out like through a straw.
• Belly like a slowly filling balloon.
• Send the air into your side ribs.

Common faults

• Fault: Lifting the shoulders and chest on every breath in

  Fix: Use the hand on your chest as a marker and breathe in more gently until it stops moving.

• Fault: Taking huge fast breaths and getting dizzy

  Fix: Halve the depth, stretch the exhale out and rest one beat between breaths.

• Fault: Pushing the belly out with the abs rather than with air

  Fix: Let the belly go completely soft and let the air expand it, with the side ribs widening too.

• Fault: Practicing slumped in a chair, which blocks the diaphragm

  Fix: Lie on your back with bent knees, or sit tall against a backrest with both feet flat.