{"id":42833,"date":"2019-04-27T22:08:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-27T19:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/?p=42833"},"modified":"2019-04-27T22:08:48","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T19:08:48","slug":"diaphragmatic-breathing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/diaphragmatic-breathing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing to Improve Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever heard of diaphragmatic breathing? If not, you should begin practicing it as soon as possible. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises are simple and easy to execute at one\u2019s own leisure and comfort and can be one of the cheapest ways to reduce the stress<\/a> and anxiety that plague most of us daily.<\/p>\n

But what exactly is diaphragmatic breathing?<\/h3>\n

Alternatively called \u201cdeep breathing<\/em><\/a>\u201d or \u201cbreathing through your stomach<\/em>\u201d, diaphragmatic breathing is actually one of the most natural functions of our body<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We simply don\u2019t perceive it because it happens either when we\u2019re sleeping or so relaxed that we\u2019re not even aware of the fact that we\u2019re doing it. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle located horizontally between the thoracic and abdominal cavities.<\/p>\n

Most of us have practiced diaphragmatic breathing in one way or another before,<\/strong> even when not sleeping; remember stretching after P.E. class in school? Or trying to calm down after a rush of anger? \u201cIn through the nose, and count slowly as you exhale<\/em>\u201d are phrases everyone has heard at least once in their lives.<\/p>\n

Most people breathe using only their lungs, but that only lets in so much oxygen and actually leaves other muscles underutilizing their full capacity.<\/p>\n

As you breathe through your diaphragm, your abdominal muscles help move it and give you more power to empty your lungs. The diaphragm is a muscle that doesn\u2019t tire your body as much as when breathing through your lungs.<\/p>\n

What are the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing?<\/h3>\n

Well, for one, it helps you breathe better. Your system allows more oxygen inside, which means better nutrition and function for your cells as well as ameliorated performance for your brain, your respiratory and circulatory system, and your entire body.<\/p>\n

Not only that but breathing through your diaphragm, when done correctly, requires very good posture. That can help people facing chronic back pains<\/a> due to their hunched or otherwise incorrect posture<\/a>, a bad habit that many of us have struggled with.<\/p>\n

Studies have also shown that diaphragmatic breathing can immensely help people afflicted by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That is a term applied to a family of diseases that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema due to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.<\/p>\n

The more one practices diaphragmatic breathing, the more the corresponding muscles are exercised and therefore strengthened. This results in a decrease in oxygen demand and the respiratory difficulties related to the aforementioned conditions.<\/p>\n

Deep breathing has psychological benefits, as well.<\/h3>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

Another aspect of the benefits associated with deep breathing<\/strong> is, of course, the significant reduction of stress and anxiety from one\u2019s everyday routine. Diaphragmatic breathing can be vital in triggering the relaxation response<\/a>, or the parasympathetic nervous system.<\/p>\n

Through the breathing pattern, your body reverts to a more relaxed mode, like the one it has been associating with deep breathing. As such, your system removes toxins, your body does not release as many stress-related hormones<\/a>.\u00a0 That can help improve your mental clarity, your focus and attention span, and your mood as well.<\/p>\n

This, in turn, can lead to better sleeping<\/a> and eating patterns, emotional disturbances, lower blood pressure, and a decrease in risks of anxiety and depressive disorders as well as numerous afflictions that target the heart or nervous system.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s look at some ways to practice diaphragmatic breathing.<\/p>\n

1. The basic technique<\/h3>\n

This is diaphragmatic breathing 101, and it consists of these easy steps<\/strong>:<\/p>\n