Instead of writing another “10 breathing exercises which you don’t know” article, I have chosen to explain the main principle and only one but effective exercise.

Principle Of Proper Breathing and Misconceptions.

Some say: you’ll have to breathe with your belly – this is called diaphragmatic breathing. See how child breathes.
Others say: you’ll have to expand your chest because if you bulge your belly you’ll lose stability.

Let’s see that from another perspective.

Humans have main respiratory muscles (diaphragm and intercostals) and accessory respiratory muscles (sternocleidomastoid and the scalene muscles are the main from this list).
To inhale we contract diaphragm and use intercostals (to expand lungs), and if we have ineffective breathing patterns we use accessory respiratory muscles.

This “ineffective” pattern of using accessory respiratory muscles can add to overall effectiveness when we run from lion and this is an evolutionary mechanism to tap into resources which SHOULD NOT be used during normal undisturbed life.

When forced exhalation is made we in addition contract abdominal wall muscles (rectus abdominis, transverse abdominus, external oblique muscles and internal oblique muscles)

When passive exhalation is finished (by the means of thoracic cavity recoil during diaphragm relaxation) we may quite calmly continue exhale by the means of light contraction of transversus abdominis and obliques.

That is a birds-eye-view to the breathing process.

What important conclusions can we make:

1. Using accessory respiratory muscles is wrong. We have to switch them off. Don’t worry, when the time comes they will switch on involuntarily :).

2. Contraction of the diaphragm can bulge belly if we relax abdominal wall and SURPRISE (!) can expand chest if we CONTRACT transversus abdominis not letting belly to bulge. In this case, diaphragm is just moving its brim to its center. Watch carefully the video in the end of this article.

3. If we work on the flexibility of the thoracic cavity, thoracic spine region we hugely help our breathing muscles to do their work.

4. If we get rid of muscle disbalances work on our posture we unload respiratory muscles tremendously. Just imagine that huge additional load diaphragm overcomes in the bodies with hunch back posture or winged scapulars.

5. If we periodically “run” our main respiratory muscles through the full range of motion and let them recall “what they can do” we do a kind of activation and mobilization needed for their normal work.

I hope that was useful for understanding what is beneficial and what is not and that proper breathing advice doesn’t just boiles down to “breathe with your belly” words.

One But Effective Breathing Exercise To “Run” Your Respiratory Muscles Through The Full Range Of Motion

It is inspired by Sue Hitzmann MELT method.

3D Breath

DON’T ACCELERATE THE SPEED OF YOUR BREATHE

This exercise can be done seated and standing aftewards but in the beginning the best position is liying lengthwise on the soft roller with hips and knees bent and feet put stable on the ground.

Relax. Take a deep breath and feel your head and torso weight on the soft roller.

Close your eyes and imagine your torso as a six sided box.
Now you’ll have to work with one dimension at a time.

Front – back breath.

Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Sense “the front of the box”. The roller behind you is “the back of the box”.

As you breathe in, allow your inhalation to expand space between your hands and the back of the box.

When exhale, empty all CO2 out of the lungs. The exhale is not less as important as the inhalation. Repeat 4-5 times alltogether. You have to activate all the range of motion between front and back planes.

Side – side breath.

Now put the hands onto your side ribs. Inhale and feel expansion between two sides, lightly press into your ribs as you exhale. Repeat 4-5 times alltogether. You have to activate all the range of motion between side planes.

Top – bottom breath.

Now place one of your hands onto your collar bones, the other low on your pubic bone. Allow your inhalation to create more length down your spine as you sense more space between your hands. Tuck the pelvis very (very is very) gently in. Exhale all CO2 out of the lungs. Repeat 4-5 times altogether. You have to activate all the range of motion between top and bottom planes.

Place your hands aside and inhale into all six sides of your torso. Simultaneously.
Repeat 2-4 times.

During exhalation make a “shh” or “haaa” sound or gently purse (without any effort, this even can’t be called “to purse”) your lips and sense the natural engagement in your deep abdomen (transversus abdominis) and tucking the pelvis a bit in.

Notice the change in your breath.
This technique can be practiced on a regular basis and before any exercise.

Remember your feeling of deep unrestricted breathing. When you do any exercise remember to be aware of your breathing. When any restriction occurs during hard asana (if you happen to do yoga) or any other exercise, it’s just the time to recall that easy full way of 3-d breathing.

Only 2 things are important:
1. You revive your natural unrestricted breath by the means of 3-d breath exercise.
2. You have to recall it in any hard situation (be it exercise or stress).

How Diaphragm Works

And, by the way, do you know this trick to release your diaphragm?

What this article didn’t cover but what will be covered in future posts:

Osteopathic methods to activate breathing
Stuck first rib and self-mobilization techniques
Trigger points and breathing difficulties
Releasing accessory respiratory muscles
Muscle imbalances which impede breathing

and so on…

Stay tuned.

Please share this post if you found it useful.