Hello,
I'm Rebecca Watterson from Happy Is.
Welcome to this short video about abdominal breathing.
In this video,
We will learn what abdominal breathing is,
The benefits of practicing abdominal breathing in our daily lives,
And how to practice abdominal breathing easily.
Breathing is one of the most important elements of our living being.
Breathing happens naturally and without effort on our part.
In fact,
We rarely think about our breathing,
Yet it happens anyway.
It shifts and changes during the day and also as we experience different emotions.
This breathing is involuntary.
For example,
Often when we are afraid,
We will hold our breath,
Or if we are feeling despair,
We might sigh heavily.
Our breathing might become laboured or more heavy when we feel tired,
And our breathing is deeply affected by stress and anxiety.
However,
We can elicit some control over our breathing whenever we decide.
Parts of it can become voluntary,
And this can allow us to become aware of our breath and use our breathing to calm ourselves quickly when we are feeling anxious or stressed.
Abdominal breathing is the foundational breath for almost all meditation or relaxation practices.
It is also known as belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.
This is how babies breathe,
And it is also how we breathe when we are asleep,
When our bodies are completely relaxed and at peace.
The diaphragm separates our chest and abdomen.
Whenever we inhale,
Our diaphragm muscle tightens and moves down,
Enabling air to fill our lungs.
This pushes our abdominal organs downwards.
When we exhale,
Our diaphragm relaxes and moves up as air is released from our lungs.
The diaphragm is a crucial element in our core,
Interacting with organs such as our heart and lungs as we breathe.
Abdominal breathing massages these abdominal organs and can ease an anxiety or panic attack very quickly.
Breathing in this way for three minutes each day is proven to have long lasting benefits.
This breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and promotes a state of calm by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Drawing our attention to and focusing on our breathing supports us in feeling connected to our bodies as we are taking our attention and awareness away from our worries and stresses.
This breathing creates relaxation.
One of the most important benefits of abdominal breathing is reducing stress.
It can help you relax,
Meaning the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body will reduce.
This breathing can reduce your heart rate and blood pressure.
It will slow your breathing and allow your muscles to relax.
Abdominal breathing also improves your core muscle stability and development.
It is a very powerful practice,
Both physically and mentally with many benefits.
Practicing abdominal breathing is very simple.
Here is how to do it.
Sit in a comfortable position or lie flat on the floor,
Your bed or even your sofa.
You could also lie down outside on the ground.
You can also stand for this practice with your feet comfortably spread apart and flat on the ground.
Loosen and relax your shoulders.
Put one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach.
Take in a deep breath in through your nose and exhale that breath through your mouth.
As you inhale,
Ensure your diaphragm is moving down.
You should feel the air moving in from your nose right down into your abdomen,
Causing your stomach,
Not your chest to expand.
Purse your lips as you exhale slowly through your mouth.
You may hear a wishing sound as you exhale.
Repeat this breath again,
Making sure that your stomach is moving outwards while your chest stays still.
You should feel your hand on your stomach moving outwards as you inhale.
Repeat this breath another six times at your own pace.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
