Belly Breathing

One of the most important foundations of a solid

meditation practice is mindful breathing.
Belly breathing in particular is very useful for
soothing the nervous system and creating
wellbeing in the body.
1. Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet planted flat on the floor.
Wiggle your sitting bones into the seat of the chair, press them firmly into
your seat and gently sway your spine forward and backward a couple inches
each way until you find the center. Now do the same from left to right.
Lift the crown of your head, tuck the chin and elongate the back of the neck.
Lift your heart gently and notice how easy it is to relax your shoulders.
Place your left hand on your belly and your right hand over your heart.

2. Close your eyes and notice what you’re feeling under your palms.
Your heartbeat? Your breath? Spend a few moments just listening and feeling
your body with your eyes closed.

3. The diaphragm is a muscle beneath the lungs in the chest cavity that
makes breathing possible. In order to take a full, deep breath,
the diaphragm needs space to draw downward and fully inflate the lungs.
To do this, the belly expands outward.
4. As you take an inhale through your nose, feel your abdomen expand into
your left hand, creating space for the diaphragm and lungs. As you exhale
through your nose, feel the belly relax back in, deflating the lungs.
Exaggerate the movement. Inhale and press your belly into your left hand
as far as you can. Exhale and pull the belly button in toward your spine,
contracting the abdomen. Inhale and expand, exhale and contract.
5. To fully inflate the lungs: As you breathe in, first expand the belly into
your left hand. When the lungs are half full, expand your chest into your
right hand. Feel both the belly and chest puffing out. Exhale and allow the
chest to relax, releasing half of the breath. Then soften the belly inward,
releasing the rest of the breath. Keep your shoulders relaxed throughout
this breath. Focus on the movement in your torso. Try this to a slow count
of 5 as you inhale and 5 to exhale. Relax and notice how you feel.