4:4 Belly Breathing Practice - (Supine)

Belly breathing is the first step in a student's breathing practice. Many of us are chest breathers and unaware of how to fully utilize our diaphragm when breathing. Practicing on our backs in a supine position is great for beginners and helps to foster this mind-body awareness and correct use of the diaphragm. This combined with a balancing 4:4 breathing count can help regulate our nervous system, improve digestion, stress, and even our sleep.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to another guided meditation.

My name is Chris.

Today we will practice diaphragmatic breathing or most commonly known as belly breathing.

If you take your fingers and poke just under your lower ribs you'll be able to locate where the diaphragm is located.

The diaphragm is one of our breathing muscles and it's quite unusual since it contracts down and relaxes up.

Many of us are unaware of how to fully utilize our diaphragm when breathing.

We tend to overuse our accessory muscles such as our intercostals,

Our chest,

And our shoulder muscles.

Overusing these accessory muscles when breathing can cause unwanted stress and anxiety in the body.

So to reduce our stress and anxiety and to become better belly awareness breathers it's nice to practice lying down on your back in a supine position while combined with a balanced breath.

By lying down and placing a hand on the belly we can train the body to become more aware of that mind-body connection which we call proprioception.

This combined with a balanced 4-4 breathing count can help regulate your nervous system and mood.

This means if you're feeling too stimulated it can help calm you and if you're feeling too down it can help pick you up.

So let's practice this now.

So come to lie down on your back and bring one hand to your belly and maybe the other hand on your chest.

With each inhale you'll feel the belly rise gently lifting the hand with it.

And with each exhale the belly softens and the hand floats down with it.

We'll practice all together but let's first exhale completely.

We'll bring belly down to spine.

And we'll start our breath here by inhaling for 1 2 3 4.

Exhale for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises for 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Again inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale feel the belly rise for 1 2 3 4.

Exhale let it fall for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Two more.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Inhale belly rises 1 2 3 4.

Exhale belly falls for 4 3 2 1.

Release the hands.

Come back to normal breathing pattern.

And then just notice how the body and the mind feels.

Thank you and Namaste.