How to practice abdominal breathing

Abdominal breathing is a breathing method that is often used in yoga. People often learn abdominal breathing first in the early stages of yoga practice. A lot of practice has proved that abdominal breathing can indeed play a certain role in helping people lose weight. However, abdominal breathing does not mean breathing with the abdomen in the full sense. There are actually many things to pay attention to during abdominal breathing. If you want to practice abdominal breathing, don’t miss the following article.

Practice Method

Inhale

Lie on your back or sit comfortably, place one hand on your abdomen at your navel, relax your whole body, breathe naturally first, then inhale, expand your abdomen as much as possible so that it bulges, and keep your chest still. [3]

Exhale

During abdominal breathing, the abdomen naturally sinks inward toward the spine, while the chest remains still. Contract your abdomen as far inward as possible and exhale all the waste air from your lungs. As you do this, your diaphragm will naturally rise. Repeat this cycle, keeping the rhythm of each breath consistent, and carefully feeling the rise and fall of your abdomen.

The key to abdominal breathing is: whether you are inhaling or exhaling, you should try to reach the "limit" amount, that is, inhale until you can't inhale anymore, and exhale until you can't exhale anymore; similarly, the abdomen should also contract and expand to the extreme accordingly, it is better if each breath reaches the lower dantian directly.

Practicing abdominal breathing is generally used for health care. Since the amount of oxygen inhaled is two to three times higher than normal, it can also be used to treat diseases of various parts of the human body. For example, if you have a headache, you can take a full breath and suddenly lift your heels off the ground, forcing the air to rush directly to your head, and then exhale. Of course, different rehabilitation treatments should be combined with medication and should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.

Deep abdominal breathing is simple and easy to learn. You can do it while standing, sitting, or lying down. It can be done at any time, but it is best to do it while lying in bed. Lie on your back on the bed, loosen your belt, relax your limbs, concentrate your mind, and eliminate distracting thoughts. This can also be said to be entering a qigong state. Inhale slowly through your nose, puff up your belly, hold each breath for 10 to 15 seconds, then exhale slowly, breathing 4 times per minute. The duration of deep abdominal breathing is determined by the individual, and it can also be combined with chest breathing, which is the alternating movement of the respiratory system. If you can persist in doing deep abdominal breathing every day for many years, you will get the miraculous effect of strengthening your body and prolonging your life.

Precautions

1. Breathe deeply and slowly.

2. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

3. Keep each breath in to about 15 seconds. That is, take a deep breath (puff up the belly) for 3-5 seconds, hold your breath for 1 second, then exhale slowly (retract the belly) for 3-5 seconds, and hold your breath for 1 second.

4. 5-15 minutes each time. 30 minutes is best.

5. For people in good health, the breath-holding time can be extended, and the breathing rhythm should be slowed down and deepened as much as possible. People with poor health do not have to hold their breath, but they must take a full breath. Practice 1-2 times a day, sitting, lying, walking or running, until you feel slightly warm and sweaty. Try to inflate and retract your abdomen 50-100 times. If saliva comes out of your mouth during breathing, swallow it slowly.