Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is the natural breathing method of all mammals in a relaxed state. Due to modern living and other bad habits, most humans have now adopted a shallow thoracic breathing pattern. It is therefore good for nearly everyone to relearn how to breath correctly in the way nature and evolution intended.

Transcript

Hello my name is Sean Ramson and welcome to this short lecture on diaphragmatic breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing,

Also known as abdominal breathing and belly breathing,

Has gained much popularity in recent years.

This popularity has come about due to its benefits,

Its ease of study and also as a form of meditation in its own right.

Various forms of Taoist meditation and Zen Buddhism actually use diaphragmatic breathing as their foundational meditation technique.

Let's now discuss the history of diaphragmatic breathing in terms of its early ideas and uses long before the modern world came about.

One of the earliest mentions of diaphragmatic breathing comes from the Chinese in a text called the Tai Xi Jing,

Also called the embryo breathing classic which was first written in the Tang dynasty.

The key point of this text is that breathing is initiated from an embryo or specific spot in the lower abdomen which is also called the Dan Tian.

In China this method of breathing has become known as expectorate and receive,

Tu Na.

These odd words have been chosen as they describe breathing that starts and ends with the abdomen and not the nose.

This means that when this technique is done,

One focuses on sucking the air in and pushing the air out from the abdomen and not the nostrils.

As breathing obviously does not come from the abdomen as it comes from the lungs,

The main point here is that breathing should be quiet,

Deep and not specifically obvious from the nose.

If the breathing is loud and strong and you can hear it whistling through the nose,

The breathing will remain high in the chest by which there is less of a contraction and expansion of the diaphragm or less of a deep breath.

As most babies and toddlers are still naturally breathing deep,

The movement of the abdomen can be very obvious.

Giving us an example of what diaphragmatic breathing is and what it looks like.

In the chapter 10 of the Dao De Jing by Lao Tse,

He says,

In concentrating your breathing to attain softness,

Can you be like an infant?

This line therefore hints towards some very very early ideas and possible techniques that were used in China in regards to diaphragmatic breathing.

Buddhism has also sometimes mentioned diaphragmatic breathing,

Though not in something that one actually does as a technique,

But something that automatically happens in deep meditation.

A famous Buddhist once said,

A practitioner with sufficient skill does not breathe externally.

That external breathing has stopped,

But the internal breathing functions.

With internal breathing there is no exhalation through the nose or mouth,

But all pores in the body are breathing.

A person who is breathing internally appears to be dead,

But actually he has not died.

He does not breathe externally,

But the internal breathing has come alive.

Yoga on the other hand has not had a primary focus on abdominal breathing.

When BKS Iyengar was asked about abdominal breathing,

His abrupt response was to say,

Do you get any textbooks on yoga where breathing is done by the abdomen or is it actually done by the lungs?

He goes on further to say that the lungs are meant to breathe,

The abdomen is not meant to breathe.

It has been mentioned though by his senior students that abdominal breathing is not actually bad.

Iyengar's reasoning for using different techniques is in moving the ribs to open the diaphragm as a better way of controlling breathing.

There is an idea of an embryo in yoga too.

Krishan Machara said,

There is a ball of flesh like a bird's egg above the lingasthana or genitals and below the navel.

This is called the khandhasthana.

There are 72,

000 nadis surrounding this.

These nadis radiate and spread out in all four directions of the body.

Among these,

Ten nadis are very important.

It is quite obvious here that we are coming across probably the first and original idea of what would become the dantian in China.

Modern science has also much to say about diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing.

It is said that deep breathing is breathing that is done by contracting and expanding the diaphragm.

Air enters the lungs,

The chest does not rise and the belly expands during this type of breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing is also known scientifically as bupineur which is a natural and relaxed form of breathing in all mammals.

Bupineur occurs in mammals when they are in a state of relaxation i.

E.

When there is no clear and present danger in the environment.

This is a very key point here because it means that when the human body is in a state of pure relaxation,

You will notice by yourself that you are breathing with your belly and your abdomen and not breathing high in the chest.

According to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center,

Diaphragmatic breathing allows one to take normal breaths while maximizing the amount of oxygen that goes into the bloodstream.

It is a way of interrupting the flight or fight response and triggering the body's normal relaxation repose.

Deep breathing exercises are sometimes used as a form of relaxation that when practiced regularly may lead to the relief or prevention of symptoms commonly associated with stress which may include high blood pressure,

Headaches,

Stomach conditions,

Depression,

Anxiety and others.

Due to the lung expansion being lower or inferior on the body as opposed to high up or superior,

It is referred to as deep and the higher lung expansion of the rib cage breathing is referred to as shallow.

The use of diaphragmatic breathing is commonly practiced especially in those with COPD to improve a variety of factors such as pulmonary function,

Cardio-respiratory fitness,

Respiratory muscle length and respiratory muscle strength.

Specifically diaphragmatic breathing exercise is essential to asthmatics since breathing in these patients is of the thoracic type in association with decreased chest expansion,

A shortened diaphragm,

Intercostals and accessory muscles from prolonged spasm causing stenosis of the major airways leading to an abnormal respiratory pattern.

Diaphragmatic breathing is also widely considered essential for best possible singing performance.

Diaphragmatic breathing also allows wind instrumentalists to maximize intake of the air,

Minimizing the number of breaths required for progressing players.

The adoption of a deep breathing pattern typically occurs during physical exercise in order to facilitate greater oxygen absorption.

During this process the diaphragm more consistently adopts a lower position in the core.

In addition to its primary role in breathing,

The diaphragm also plays a secondary role in strengthening the posture of the core.

This is especially evident during deep breathing where it is generally lower position increases intra-abdominal pressure,

Also known as IAP,

Which serves to strengthen the lumbar spine.

The key to the real core stabilization is to maintain the increased IAP while going through normal breathing cycles.

The diaphragm then performs its breathing function at a lower position to facilitate a higher IAP.

Maybe this is why we automatically hold our breath when we lift something heavy.

Therefore,

If a person's diaphragm position is lower in general through deep breathing,

This then assists the strengthening of their core during that period.

This can be an aid in strength training and other forms of athletic endeavor.

For this reason,

Taking a deeper breath or adopting a deeper breathing pattern is typically recommended when lifting heavy weights.

In many forms of ancient exercise such as yoga and martial arts,

Students were instructed to pull or tilt their tailbone forward.

This action engages the TVA muscle,

Also known as the transverse abdominus muscle,

Which increases the intra-abdominal pressure and thereby stabilizes the core.

Without a stable spine,

One aided by proper contraction of the TVA muscle,

The nervous system fails to recruit the muscles in the extremities efficiently,

And functional movements cannot be performed.

One though needs to be wary and careful of the TVA contraction when doing diaphragmatic breathing,

As this muscle,

Also known as the corset muscle,

Can inhibit movement of the abdomen and therefore diaphragm,

Disrupting the positive effects of diaphragmatic breathing.

We can now look at the two techniques used to do diaphragmatic breathing.

The first technique is by Harvard Medical School,

The second is Zen Buddhism.

So Harvard Medical School says that all of us are born with the knowledge of how to fully engage the diaphragm to take deep,

Refreshing breaths.

As we get older,

However,

We get out of the habit.

Everything from the stresses of everyday life to the practice of sucking in the stomach for a trimmer waistline encourages us to gradually shift to shallower,

Less satisfying chest breathing.

Re-learning how to breathe from the diaphragm is beneficial for everyone.

Diaphragmatic breathing,

Also called abdominal breathing or belly breathing,

Encourages full oxygen exchange,

That is,

The beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide.

Not surprisingly,

This type of breathing slows the heart rate and can also lower or stabilize blood pressure.

Diaphragmatic breathing is especially important for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,

COPD.

In COPD,

Air can become trapped in the lungs,

Which keeps the diaphragm pressed down.

This causes it to weaken and work less efficiently.

Diaphragmatic breathing can help people with COPD strengthen the diaphragm,

Which in turn helps them use less effort and energy to breathe.

So here's how you do it.

Step one,

Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed with your knees bent.

You can use a pillow under your head and your knees for support if that's more comfortable.

Step two,

Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly just below your rib cage.

Step three,

Breathe in slowly through the nose,

Letting the air in deeply towards your lower belly.

The hand on your chest should remain still while the one on your belly should rise.

Step four,

Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale through the pursed lips.

The hand on your belly should move down to its original position.

They further go on to say you can also practice this sitting in a chair with your knees bent and your shoulders,

Head and neck relaxed.

They recommend a practice for five to ten minutes a day,

Several times a day if possible.

The Zen Buddhist technique for diaphragmatic breathing comes from Mahayana Buddhism and the Japanese Rinzai Zen meditation.

Shodo Harada Roshi describes in detail the meditation technique used in his Zen school.

This method primarily comes from the Zen master Haikun.

Shodo Harada Roshi explains eight primary steps to this meditation.

Step one,

Those wishing to enter deep samadhi should use a thick cushion,

Sit in full lotus and wear loose clothes.

Step two,

Push out your lower abdomen or dantian as far as possible and rest your right hand on your left hand and touch the thumbs together making a circle.

Step three,

Straighten your backbone and stretch it up to the sky.

Step four,

Tuck your chin in and poke the top of your head up to the sky.

Step five,

Release all tension from neck and arms until you become like a dangling skeleton in the classroom.

Step six,

In this relaxed condition quietly inhale while focusing your concentration on the inhale from the dantian.

Shodo Harada Roshi explains that the dantian is located 1.

5 inches below the navel and is a source of a human's energy and if you work this place you can make your chi fully developed.

Step seven,

Focus on your lower abdomen as if you were steadily blowing your breath from this place and pulling your belly in,

Quietly exhale.

Exhale for as long as you can until the belly becomes flat.

The following inhalation is natural and without thinking whereby your belly fills up with air in front of you.

Step eight,

You should continue to do this and if need be you can count with the breaths in and out.

I hope this short lecture on diaphragmatic breathing helps you further to develop your meditation practice and is useful to you in your daily life.

Reviews

Great explanation. Thank you.

So good to listen to all this. Many thanks

Wonderful!
I really appreciate your talks, the information has helped me understand the big picture, from Buddhist teachings to somatic body healing.
Thank you.

Interesting 👌thank you

Interesting and informative, I intend to work on this 🙏