Your breathing directly reflects the level of tension you carry in your body. Under tension, your breathing usually becomes shallow and rapid, and occurs high in the chest. While relaxed, you breathe more fully, more deeply, and from your abdomen. Its difficult to be tense and breath from your abdomen at the same time.
Some of the benefits of abdominal breathing include:
Note the level of tension you’re feeling. Then place one hand on your abdomen right beneath the rib cage.
Inhale slowly and deeply through you nose into the bottom of your lungs. If your breathing from your abdomen, your rib cage should actually rise. Your chest should move only slightly while your abdomen expands. In abdominal breathing, the diaphragm — the muscle that separates the lung cavity from the abdominal cavity — moves downward. In doing so it causes the muscles surrounding the abdominal cavity to push outward.
When you’ve taken a full breath, pause for a moment and then exhale slowly. Be sure to exhale fully. As you exhale allow your whole body to let go. Imagine your arms and legs going limp like a rag doll.
Do ten slow, full abdominal breaths. Try to keep your breathing smooth and regular. It will help to count to four on the inhale and then slowly count to four on the exhale.
Try to do 10 sets of 10 breaths. If this is difficult for you at first, begin with less and work your way up. Five full minutes of abdominal breathing will have a pronounced effect in reducing anxiety, or feelings of panic.
Bourne, E.J. PhD. Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, Third Edition. New Harbinger Publications Inc. 2000.
Paul Ingraham, a Registered Massage Therapist in Vancouver, has published three interesting articles about abdominal breathing and respiratory mechanics: