The Breath: Improve Digestion & Gut Health

Did you know that the breathing process, specifically the movement of the diaphragm plays an essential role in how well your digestion functions? Having a strong & supple diaphragm is essential for healthy digestion. In this belly breathing practice, I invite you to try things a little differently, by lying on your back & using a small weight (like a book or a small bag of flour) to place on your belly, in order to act as a small resistant trainer for your diaphragm as you breathe. This practice is taken from day 5 of my course here on Insight Timer 'The Breath - Your Inner Pharmacy'

Transcript

In this practice,

We're going to look a little bit deeper at belly breathing.

And we're going to use a gentle resistance against the belly to promote a deeper experience.

I invite you to find something you can place on your belly as you lie down,

Preferably a book,

Nothing too heavy in the beginning.

It could also be a small bag of flour or sugar,

Something that will stay on your belly as you breathe.

So you might need to pause the recording if necessary to find something and then come back.

So lying down on your back,

Knees bent,

Feet on the floor,

And place your book or small bag of flour or sugar on the soft part of your belly,

Just above your pubic bone.

Begin to breathe in deeply and slowly,

But not forcefully,

And make a conscious effort to breathe into the space where the weight on your belly is.

Make sure your shoulders,

Chest,

Arms,

And face are relaxed.

And as you breathe,

Really expand into your belly.

So you aren't just pushing up,

But expanding out to the sides too.

And as you breathe in and out,

I want you to now visualize the diaphragm,

This large dome-shaped muscle that sits inside the chest cavity.

And as you breathe in,

The diaphragm descends into the body,

Squishing the organs in your belly.

And as you breathe out,

It moves back up.

Keep visualizing with every inhale,

The diaphragm descending down and giving your internal organs a gentle massage.

You could even visualize the toxins being released from your organs with each inhale.

And visualize the toxins releasing from your whole body with each exhale.

Just continue like this for another minute.

Breathing nice and slow,

Expanding your belly,

Not just in front,

But out to the sides.

Allow this weight on your belly to move as you breathe.

Visualizing the diaphragm descending on your inhale,

Gently massaging your internal viscera.

And then the diaphragm releasing back up as you exhale.

Take two more breaths.

And then pause.

Take the weight off your belly and allow your breath just to return back to its natural rhythm.

And just notice how it feels.