Belly Breathing Instructions

BREATHING THROUGH THE NOSE, INHALE TO THE COUNT OF 4, THEN EXHALE TO THE COUNT OF 4.

Allow your lungs to fill from the bottom up, this will assure you of maximum air penetration and absorption. When you inhale, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles (those are the muscles between your ribs) contract and expand the chest cavity. This expansion lowers the pressure in the chest cavity below the outside air pressure. Air then flows in through the airways (from high pressure to low pressure) and inflates the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax and the chest cavity gets smaller. The decrease in volume of the cavity increases the pressure in the chest cavity above the outside air pressure. Air from the lungs (high pressure) then flows out of the airways to the outside air (low pressure). The cycle then repeats with each breath. If you are breathing only with the top half of the chest, the top of your lungs will open first so that the air fills them only up at the very top. By pushing your belly out as you inhale you will expand the diaphragm first. The lower ribs will then push out and open the lower portion of the lung first. Air will then rush down into the lungs to fill the vacuum created and so fills your whole lung chamber from the bottom to the top. When you exhale, you are in effect reversing the process, by pulling the belly in at the end of the exhalation. This last movement pushes the air completely out of the lower portion of your lungs and so pushes all the toxins of the used air out of your lungs.

Do Belly Breathing for the first month of your practice, then try the more advanced breathing animations in the Yoga Breathing Section click here.