The basic concept of better breathing is very simple: quiet your chest and move from the diaphragm. Not only will you fill the lungs more efficiently, but you will also take yourself out of "fight or flight" mode from a physiological/hormonal point of view.

Let's look at a series of exercises that will help you tune into the right breathing techniques.

At the bottom of the page, you can download a 20 minute guided practice mp3 that will take you through abdominal breathing exercises.

High-Low Breathing Test

By placing one hand on the chest and one on the belly, you get instant feedback about your habitual breathing patterns and you begin to develop the sensitivity to what is going on inside the body.

Proper Diagphragmatic Movement

By learning to recognize the "bucket handle" movement of the ribs, you will active the full capacity of your diaphragm. Once the diaphragm is moving well, breathing will become much easier, much deeper, and you will be less likely to induce a mild version of the stress response without even realizing it.

Abdominal Breathing Exercises -- Guided Practice

[CSSBUTTON target="/downloads/Breathing_Practice_1.mp3" color="ff0000"]Download Breathing Practice Mp3[/CSSBUTTON] (right click to "save as")

This page is part of a series of free breathing exercises. If you found this page somewhere else and you'd like to learn more about the entire series, you can sign up here.