Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise for Meditation

by Michael Hughes

What is diaphragmatic breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing simply means breathing using your diaphragm muscle.

The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle below your lungs.

If you ask a person to take a deep breath, you’ll notice that their chest will expand.

But when you breathe with the diaphragm your chest doesn’t rise at all.

How to do diaphragmatic breathing

Sit upright in a straight-backed chair.

And place your hands in your lap.

Allow your shoulders to drop down and relax.

Now, without moving your shoulders or chest, take a slow, deep breath in.

Imagine that there’s a balloon inside your belly. When you breathe in, the balloon expands outward. And when you breathe out, the balloon collapses in toward your spine.

If you have trouble with this breathing method you’ll find it easier to practice it lying on the floor on a carpet or a folded blanket.

Raise your head off the floor by using a stack of books. If your head isn’t high enough you won’t be able to relax your neck and upper back properly.

Whilst lying on your back, breathe normally and you’ll find that you’ll naturally breathe with your diaphragm which causes your belly to expand and contract.

Concentrate on the movement of your belly rising and falling.

Now, when you try it sitting up, you should find this breathing method much easier.

Why should you breathe with the diaphragm?

Because it promotes greater relaxation than normal breathing.

It can increase your lung capacity.

You can use diaphragmatic breathing with the simple meditatation for beginners.

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How to Meditate for Beginners: A simple technique for quieting the mind

by Michael Hughes

how to meditate for beginnersI’ve been meditating for many years. And 99% of the time I use the method which I explained in the post, “How to Meditate Deeply.”

But today I’m going to show you  an ideal meditation for beginners.

I sometimes use this method If I’m out during the day and I feel the need to centre myself.

This meditation uses diaphragmatic breathing  also called abdominal breathing rather than breathing by expanding your chest.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Excercise: for a detailed explanation click here.

You can learn this method in the comfort of your own home. But once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to do it anywhere.

Sit in a comfortable chair and place your feet flat on the floor.

Or you can cross your legs at the ankles if you prefer.

Put your hands in your lap and close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in, then breathe out and allow your shoulders to slump down and relax.

Imagine that there’s a balloon inside your belly – when you breathe in, the balloon expands and when you breathe out, the balloon collapses in toward your spine.

Place one hand on your belly, right over your navel. (You’ll be able to feel the movement)

Now, take a slow, deep breath in – don’t raise your chest but feel your belly expanding.

Breathe out slowly and feel your belly collapsing.

Concentrate on the sensation of your breathing and the sound of the air as you breathe in and out.

If you get lost in your thoughts, come back to being aware of your breathing again.

Continue with the meditation for 5 to 15 minutes and you’ll feel more calm, relaxed and less stressed.

Now, if you’re at work during the day, for example, and you feel stressed or anxious about something or you just feel the need to centre yourself you can simply focus on your breath.

Use diaphragmatic breathing and become aware of the sensation and the sound of your breath.

You’ll be able to do it anywhere, even while you’re walking down the street.please leave a comment

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On December 5, 2009 I received an email saying that a great man had died. That man was Jim Rohn. …Jim Rohn? – The name rang a bell but I’d never read anything by him or seen one of his videos or tapes. The email also had a link to a youtube video – I [...]

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