Practice belly breathing. Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing

If you seriously dream of a career as an artist, the applause of grateful spectators and the lights of the ramp, then get ready that you will have to make a lot of efforts to make the dream come true. In order to succeed in this craft, only talent is not enough, everyday painstaking work will be required.

You will need to master the ability to move on stage, use accurate gestures and, of course, learn how to control your own voice. A separate section of knowledge of a professional actor is speech in motion. Getting acquainted with the secrets of this type of activity, you have probably already come across such a concept as “diaphragmatic breathing”. In this article, we will learn in more detail what it is.

Types of breathing

There are 2 main types: chest and diaphragmatic type of breathing, or upper and lower. The thoracic is subdivided, in turn, into costal and clavicular. What is the difference between these types?

Diaphragmatic breathing (or abdominal breathing) involves the involvement of the chest (a strong muscular septum) in the process, which contracts and falls when exhaling, while the stomach relaxes. After the air is released, the upper body rises, pushing the air out of the lungs with force. The main advantage of such breathing is the enrichment of blood with oxygen, since almost all respiratory organs are involved in this process.

Interestingly, a baby who has just been born breathes precisely with the help of a diaphragm, although his respiration very soon becomes thoracic, characteristic of a physiologically adult person.

Active function in this process is performed only upper lobes lungs. Clavicular breathing (a kind of chest) occurs on inspiration when raising the clavicles and on exhalation when lowering them. It is already inherent in older people - then only 20% of the lung volume as a whole works.

Costal is the next subspecies. It occurs due to the intercostal muscles, which provide expansion of the chest during inhalation and contraction during exhalation. It should be noted that in this way the body is supplied with air in the majority of people, but costal breathing is not optimal.

Why is this breathing considered correct?

With chest breathing, as mentioned above, it participates in the process only not most of lung, while much less oxygen enters the blood than could be supplied with a diaphragmatic one.

Thus, the blood is enriched with oxygen, with the help of the diaphragm, the functioning of the heart improves, and the work of the lungs is also stimulated, while helping to quit smoking and get rid of shortness of breath.

In addition, diaphragmatic breathing natural massage organs located in the abdominal and thoracic cavities. This is the so-called heart bag - the pancreas, pericardium, spleen, liver, adrenal glands and kidneys. Such a massage improves the functioning of the above organs, which makes it possible to maintain the health of the whole organism.

If we talk about the state of the gastrointestinal tract, it should be noted that respiration affects the functioning of the intestines, reducing bloating, relieving constipation, and also calming excessive peristalsis. Thus, diaphragmatic breathing for weight loss can play a huge role.

At bad job lungs, when the process of gas exchange is disturbed in the process of breathing with the chest, part of their functions passes to the skin, and this provokes the development of various skin diseases, premature wrinkles and the appearance of acne.

Breath and voice

The voice is the most important instrument through which the viewer is influenced. It can be unremarkable, dull, unattractive, as well as juicy, bright, caressing the ear and attracting attention. What does it depend on? Speech sounds are produced after air passes through vocal cords although the process is actually much more complicated.

The sound of the voice depends on the posture of the speaker, as well as on the development of his articulatory apparatus. Although from the correct supply of air to the body to a greater extent. A simulator was invented specifically for this. diaphragmatic breathing. On such a device, it is possible to effectively improve the air supply to tissues, metabolism, as well as regenerative processes.

Conditions for learning

You will need to find quiet place where you can try diaphragmatic breathing. The exercises will take you 20 minutes. This technique needs to be learned lying down. It is not enough for its development of 1-2 random classes. In order to form a new skill of rapid relaxation, it is necessary to train for at least 6 sessions.

The principle of breathing

This is a natural process, therefore, few people think about how it happens. This is worth analyzing, especially considering that our physical well-being, as well as intellectual capabilities, depend on the way we breathe, in addition, success in various types activities (for example, in singing, acting, recitation). Proper diaphragmatic breathing, the technique of which is described in this article, is of great importance in the stage activity, it gives the actor a sense of confidence, transmitted later and to the audience. Various exercises to improve their diction, young actors begin by working on exactly how they breathe.

With the help of diaphragmatic breathing, it is possible to achieve greater strength and sonority of the voice, to improve its “quality” in many ways. It is interesting that this type is more typical for men, since the rib type is more common in women, while in children and young people it is mostly mixed. These differences are considered normal, although the first type is ideal.

You can develop diaphragmatic breathing on your own even at home, regardless of age and gender, although best results can be achieved under the guidance of a specialist. For this use various methods and exercises that are actively practiced, for example, in the classroom acting skills. There are also wellness systems which are based on correct breathing.

These exercises will require consistency and perseverance from the young actor, although the game is worth the candle, since the voice is considered a unique instrument, its quality depends largely on the correct respiration of a person.

Benefit

Diaphragmatic breathing has a number of advantages over its other types (belly and chest breathing).

If a person breathes only from the chest, then his blood receives much more oxygen, since the movement of air occurs through the upper and lower regions of the lungs.

This helps to evenly fill the lung cavity, as well as improve their natural ventilation. Due to this, it occurs in comfortable conditions voice box operation. An actor who has switched to diaphragmatic breathing (the benefits of which have long been proven) will feel that he has acquired a beautiful, completely new voice. This will happen very quickly.

Diaphragmatic breathing: exercises

It takes daily practice to master it. Exercises and diaphragmatic breathing will be fixed in the center of the brain each time. Because of this, a reflex will be developed, due to which the control of your voice and proper breathing will occur without any effort, by itself. In order to achieve perfection in the science of managing them, first of all, it is necessary to learn how to properly retain air, after which it is economically released, stretching the supply to a logical pause. This well-practiced exercise will make speech breathing quiet, and this is very important for stage speech. Impossible without proper breathing normal work over intonation.

Execution must begin in the supine position. Place one hand on your chest, the other on solar plexus.

Take a breath. Note to yourself how the stomach rises and the lower part of the chest expands. As you exhale, notice how the stomach contracts, while the chest remains absolutely motionless.

Now you can move on to the next exercise. Stand up, fold your arms in the same way as in the previous exercise. Breathe deeply with your belly, noting to yourself all the sensations that occur in the solar plexus area. This type of breathing can be combined with walking.

Diaphragmatic breathing: technique

The correct technique for such breathing lies in the fact that during the operation of the vocal apparatus, the air flow rests on the diaphragm. At the same time, it is tense and goes down a little, stretching the lungs in the lower part and drawing another portion of air there. During the period this process lungs fill up completely. This creates a supply of air, which is required for correct pronunciation words.

With daily performance of such an exercise, you can gradually increase the volume of the lungs, and this will result in the fact that your breathing will become almost imperceptible.

Most crossfit athletes are busy developing their strength indicators and do not pay enough attention to this important point as a breathing technique during exercise. Dr. Jill Miller studied anatomy and movement human body over 27 years. She has worked on the links between fitness, yoga, massage and pain management. Jill is the author of The Roll Model: step by step guide to relieve pain, improve mobility and life of your body.

“The breathing process is automatic. A person inhales and exhales about 20,000 times a day, says Miller. Think about what it would be like if you did 20,000 with bad technique in a day. What would happen to your body in this case? We are born with perfectly set breathing. But over the years, for most people, this technique deteriorates. Breathing is a fundamental movement that provides both mental control and mental sharpness.”

Dr. Miller believes that an athlete who practices proper breathing techniques has a performance advantage. “When the crushing pressure of competition slows you down, proper breathing will help you cope with any problem,” advises Jill.

How to breathe correctly?

First, the bad news: in order to breathe properly, you must inflate your belly. shallow rapid breathing, which uses the chest rather than the diaphragm, does not allow you to get as much oxygen as the body needs. Shallow breathing leads to an increase in heart rate, which in turn causes stress, anxiety, and can increase blood pressure.

Breathing mechanism

When you inhale, the abdomen expands and the diaphragm contracts, making the space in the chest cavity filled with light air. This results in a decrease in pressure, allowing air to pass freely into the lungs. Exhalation brings the diaphragm back to its original position.

With shallow chest breathing, you don't make enough room to fill your lungs as fully as with deep belly breathing. We are born knowing on a subconscious level how to breathe correctly with the stomach. Babies do this instinctively, expanding their belly with each breath. Watch the video to see how newborn babies breathe.

Muscle work during breathing

Dr. Miller said that when we draw in the stomach during breathing, we maintain tension in the transverse muscle, which runs along the front and side of abdominal wall deeper than the rectus muscles.

The transverse abdominis muscle is sutured into the same fascial tissue as the respiratory diaphragm. So the diaphragm can be thought of as the end of the transverse abdominis muscles,” says Miller. “The respiratory diaphragm is tied to these abdominal muscles and can only move as they allow. If your abs are constantly tense, the diaphragm cannot pass through their range of motion. And this is extremely important on the inhale.

As the diaphragm descends, the belly swells up and becomes like a baby's belly. When exhalation occurs, the diaphragm rises back to the ribs and hides under them, and the stomach becomes the same.

If you put pressure on your stomach or tighten the weight belt, you can feel how the movement of the diaphragm is suppressed. At the same time, the heart "sits" on top of the diaphragm. Jill Miller refers to the diaphragm as the "mattress for the heart."

Harm of wrong breathing

Small chest breaths do not move the heart with the necessary force. Your heart and respiratory tissues are interconnected. When there is excessive tension in any tissue of the body, it interferes with its normal functions.

A restricted diaphragm that does not move properly reduces the effectiveness of the natural assistance it provides to the vena cava to help improve blood flow. This is your main vein and is connected directly to your heart.

Chest breathing, which occurs when you raise your shoulders to your ears and do not fill your stomach, is breathing that is characteristic of a person during stress - in a fright or after a difficult physical tension. “You can see this type of breathing in some athletes all the time in athletes. They run back and forth across the arena, and when they are out of breath, they kneel down and, with their heads down, try to catch their breath. At this point, you can watch their shoulders rise towards their ears,” says Miller.

It works when we struggle to catch our breath during or at the end of a tough workout. But it is impossible to replace the full-fledged movements of the diaphragm with this type of breathing.

During training, athletes often use chest breathing. Athletes need to constantly keep the press in tension, and breathing with the stomach is not always possible. Imagine that you are trying to take a deep breath with your belly by pressing hard on it. At such moments, athletes must expand their chest to take in air while supporting the spine with the help of the core muscles.

Unfortunately, most of us subconsciously use shallow chest breathing while hunched over a computer or phone. “This false collarbone breathing is common to all of us. Many of us breathe this way day after day, without even thinking about the consequences, says Dr. Miller. “But if you are a real athlete, then sooner or later you will have to think about not breathing by constantly raising your collarbones, since this type of breathing does not provide the body with the right amount of oxygen.”

The effectiveness of deep breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing helps the body by sending more oxygen to the muscles, improving muscle endurance. Another benefit of deep breathing is that it relaxes the body. Anyone who has tried to do something difficult gymnastic exercise or to do the next weightlifting movement, being in a state of stress, knows the benefits of complete relaxation.

But how to get rid of the wrong breathing habit that you have been practicing for most of your life?

You need to start experimenting with breathing outside of the gym or at at least not right in the middle of a workout. For example, you can visit a yoga class several times - this a good place to learn and practice the breathing technique.
If yoga isn't your thing, then, as strange as it sounds, taking vocal classes or joining a choir can also correct bad breathing habits. “You will probably discover a phenomenal breathing technique, and if you enjoy singing, it will really bring you joy,” Miller says of the singing lessons.
Well, you can practice, for example, by inflating holiday balloons. Only you need to do this, strictly controlling your respiratory movements.

How to set up diaphragmatic breathing?

To establish diaphragmatic breathing, the technique of which is very simple, follow the instructions below:

Lie on your back.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose, making sure you feel your belly move with your hand.
Exhale through your mouth. The hand that lies on the chest should not move much at the same time.

After you put in diaphragmatic breathing while lying down, practice breathing technique, sitting in the armchair. Once you've mastered this breathing style at home, start incorporating it into your workouts.

Dr. Miller suggests that at least initially, set aside part of your workout to observe how your body breathes in response to exercise and during rest. From time to time you need to use deep belly breathing for the most optimal results, however, with some exercises it is more appropriate to use chest breathing.

“Just allow yourself to train by constantly watching how you breathe every time you do something. This is what yogis usually do during class. This is an incredible way to sharpen your mind and become familiar with your breathing behavior,” advises Jill Miller. The doctor also recommends giving as much attention as you can to your breathing technique during your workout, using it to stabilize you during a heavy lift or to calm you down during a rest.

At first, it will be difficult for you to simultaneously monitor the technique of the exercise and the correct breathing at this moment. But try to make every effort so that your breathing technique acquires a new quality.

Airway training

Another way to observe and control your breathing is to try airway training.

The simplest version breathing exercises- making a ladder of repetitions. Its essence is that after each round of exercises, a similar number of deep, controlled breaths follows.

Most often, they are used as an exercise for such breathing exercises, but you can choose others. The respiratory ladder, connected to the swings of the kettlebell, begins with one swing, followed by one breath, then two swings of the kettlebell and two breaths. You can breathe as much as you want while you swing the kettlebell, but only take the prescribed number of breaths while resting. Thus, eight reps are followed by only 8 breaths, and then you return to the kettlebell.

If you do enough repetitions, the breathing ladder will cause panic breathing. Being aware of this type of breathing and learning how to control it is valuable if you find yourself in a situation where you need to recover your breath after an intense workout. This is where you will need correct technique breathing.

Breathe deeply while doing the breath ladder, and resist the temptation to switch to shallow, panicked breathing, even when stressed. Then see if you can improve your breathing and avoid panic breathing during subsequent workouts.

And the last advice: if you went into the hall and saw some terribly complex complex on the board, do not panic. Take 10 deep breaths and go to battle!

AT recent times many people are interested in how to breathe properly. And although, the only correct breathing for all occasions, (link), nevertheless, there is Various types breath, mastering which can help you make your life better. In this article, you will learn more about what diaphragmatic breathing is, the benefits and harms of it, and how to use it correctly.

Types of breathing

To begin with, briefly about the fact that physiologically, two types of breathing can be distinguished:

1. Chest breathing, which in turn is divided into two types. Clavicular chest breathing occurs with the help of the clavicles. When they inhale, they rise. As they exhale, they release. Such breathing is used mainly by the elderly. The second type is rib. The ribcage contracts and expands, depending on the exit and inhalation. This type is the most popular, but that doesn't make it the most useful.

2. Breathing with the diaphragm (belly). On inhalation, it is compressed and lowered as much as possible, while on exhalation, the diaphragm tends to rise, trying to push the air out of the lungs. The abdomen is inflated on exhalation. It is thanks to diaphragmatic breathing that the maximum volume of the lungs is used. Such breathing is considered the most natural and beneficial. Most athletes use it, because for loads you need to use the entire volume of the lungs.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Let us dwell in more detail on the second type of breathing.
It is called natural, since it is with the diaphragm that we breathe from birth. In newborns, when breathing, the chest is absolutely motionless, and only the stomach moves.
But in the course of growing up and reducing movement, a person gradually switches from the diaphragmatic breathing inherent in him to chest breathing. This happens involuntarily, imperceptibly for the person himself.

But breathing with the chest often brings with it some kind of disturbance, including oxygen starvation, since only a small part of the air enters the lungs with such breathing. This body works somewhere at 1/5, which cannot be a plus.

The essence of diaphragmatic breathing is slow inhalation and exhalation, which helps the lungs to ventilate. With its movements, the diaphragm massages nearby organs. When changing the chest type of breathing, after a few weeks, people notice improvements in the work of the heart and blood circulation. General well-being improves markedly.

Interesting! Many people think that women prefer to breathe with their chest, and men with a diaphragm, but this is not entirely true. Most often found mixed type respiration in both sexes.

How to do it right

The method of diaphragmatic breathing is very simple, even a child or teenager can adapt to it.

So, in order to learn how to breathe with the diaphragm, you need to:

Lie on your back on a flat surface, it can even be a bed, and relax.
Put a book on your stomach
Breathe slowly and deeply, making your stomach rise and fall. The book must move with it. Do not strain your muscles, breathing should be easy, and you should feel calm.

This is one of the most popular diaphragmatic breathing exercises, but there are other ways to do diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

For example, you can start your workout from a sitting position. Closing your eyes, breathe with your diaphragm, feeling with your body how the stomach contracts and swells. Or try breathing in a doggy position. It is required to get on all fours and breathe rapidly, so you will feel how involuntarily the stomach begins to move.

Now we have sorted out the question of how to do diaphragmatic breathing, but remember that too deep breaths may cause dizziness or headache. Be careful and attentive. If you feel pain in the head and worsening general condition should immediately stop exercising.
Most importantly, don't overdo it. Start with small workouts at first, gradually increasing the time of such breathing. After a few weeks, your body will rebuild and calmly switch from one way of breathing to another.

Contraindications

Diaphragmatic breathing can be dangerous for those who suffer from hypertension ( high blood pressure). Therefore, before switching to such breathing, hypertensive patients need to consult a doctor who will allow or prohibit breathing with the diaphragm.

Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing

When switching to such breathing, after a few days a person may notice an improvement.
So what benefits do people get from using diaphragmatic breathing?

First, there is a heart massage. As a result, the heartbeat is normalized, nervous tension and stress, capillaries expand, and blood circulation improves.
headache decreases or completely disappears;
massage gastrointestinal tract which improves the immune system.
organs are also massaged abdominal cavity, which helps to eliminate or prevent women's and men's problems.
also breathing through the diaphragm, a person is able to recover from such a problem as constipation. Doctors say that it is diaphragmatic breathing that is one of the options for saving constipation;
lower lung ventilation. They are cleaned of various dust that has fallen into them for a long time;
lowering blood pressure;
diaphragmatic breathing helps with severe lung diseases;
shortness of breath stops;
man loses excess weight;
elimination of insomnia;
diaphragmatic breathing can even contribute to solving problems such as bad skin, wrinkles.

Such breathing does not bring harm, if you do not abruptly try to switch from chest breathing to diaphragmatic breathing. You need to gradually, constantly increasing the time spent on training, change your type of breathing, and then the results will not keep you waiting. If we talk about diaphragmatic breathing, its benefits and harms, then, of course, the benefits will exceed the amount of harm caused by this breathing, because there are no minuses.

No wonder newborns breathe with the diaphragm, a similar type is inherent in nature.
In some countries, with the help of special techniques of diaphragmatic breathing, diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, tracheitis and even pneumonia were treated.

findings

So, summing up, it must be said that diaphragmatic breathing is inherent in our nature, but when growing up, a person automatically, without noticing it, begins to switch to chest type breathing. This is mainly due to a decrease in movement and restructuring of the body. But the chest type negatively affects the entire body as a whole. This breath leads negative consequences, which are deposited not only for life important organs person, but also on his well-being, in general. A person begins to have a headache, blood circulation worsens, muscles are in constant voltage.

Following from this, a person should switch to diaphragm breathing, which brings many benefits to the body. If we consider diaphragmatic breathing, benefits and harms, then we can say that it does no harm, and the benefits are significant for the human body.
But when switching to such breathing, the main thing is not to overdo it. An abrupt transition to this type can lead to negative consequences, so you need to start small workouts that take a little time, and increase the interval over time. Within a few weeks after such training, you will feel a positive result.

Important! Before training, hypertensive patients should definitely consult a doctor who can prohibit or allow the transition to diaphragmatic breathing.

Interesting Facts:

athletes use diaphragmatic breathing, since it uses the entire volume of the lungs, which cannot be said about chest breathing, which affects only part of the lungs;
some girls specifically do not want to switch to breathing with the diaphragm, since in this case it is necessary to “inflate” the stomach, and behind this action it may allegedly seem that the girl is overweight, which, of course, is not true;

Children before three years breathe, advantage, diaphragm. After the children begin to explore the world, their body often visits overstrain and stress, in connection with this, breathing switches to the chest type.

Therefore, do not think that diaphragmatic breathing is something incomprehensible and unnatural. It is inherent in nature, which means that it is correct, which is proved by the enormous benefits that it brings. With proper techniques and training, such breathing will return to your life, and if at first you have to “call” it, then over time it will become a habit.

Let's think about how we breathe and how we strain the muscles of the abdomen and back.

How to keep a straight back on the "candle", in a handstand. Breath holding and diaphragm.

When we do friezes, jump on the arm, rotate the "candle", and with other elements of the break, we involuntarily hold our breath. Unconsciously for the mind, this is required by the muscles. As you know, they are best strained and worked out either on exhalation or on holding the breath. And for us, this feature forms a habit and it seems that in this way we are more concentrated and focused on the element itself. But another fact is also known: any holding of the breath increases the pressure and creates b about an additional load on the heart (and we further exacerbate this by jumping upside down, or, as Denis often did before, we sip before and during the Red Bull "chick" workout). Even fixing the friezes, you can leave a small exhalation active. penetrated into our habits, this is sticking out the priests and arching the back back.Even knowing that this is what often prevents me from turning a couple more turns of the "candle", I repeat this mistake again and again.This is a natural reaction of underdeveloped muscles of the body, coupled with the habit of simplifying my life. Arching the back, I think, stretches the abdominal muscles and makes it harder to return them to their original state, especially subjected to centrifugal force during rotation.At the same time, the lion's share of the load falls on the spine and therefore it is easy to stretch a weak back. that in addition to the weakness of the abdominal muscles and the lack of control of their tension, the matter is aggravated by the desire to keep the initial breath longer. ress, and with an increased volume of air in the lungs, this will create more pressure on the internal organs. Although their massage is useful, it probably requires preparation and gradualness of such loads. And one more thing: in an inverted state, in order to draw even a little air into the lungs with the diaphragm (like we decided to use chest breathing), we need the fibers of the muscles of the diaphragm not only to compress the internal organs, but also to overcome their weight (after all, now only the lungs are from below, but above the diaphragm turned out to be the kidneys, spleen, liver, stomach, perhaps even full of a hearty meal, intestines - I wonder how much it all weighs, and all this must be compressed by the walls of the press and the diaphragm). In general, it is easier for the body to stop breathing along the way, to hold it until better times. It turns out weak link- diaphragm. Let's pump the diaphragm, we'll sing like in an opera, and we'll quit break dancing...

About the diaphragm and breathing.

There are two main types of breathing: thoracic and diaphragmatic. The latter is also referred to as “diaphragm breathing” or “belly breathing”, such breathing is also called “abdominal” and “full yogic breathing”. In fact, we never breathe with our stomachs, but always breathe with our lungs, but air is pumped into them with the help of a diaphragm.

Let's take a look at the diaphragm as a whole in a drawing from Frank Netter's excellent anatomical atlas.

Left view from above, right view from below

The diaphragm is such a large muscular partition that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities. Amazing invention of nature in man! In his normal condition it is concave towards the lungs. When it descends, an area is created in the lungs reduced pressure and in them, according to the laws of physics, air is sucked in, and the stomach, respectively, sticks out. When we breathe through the diaphragm, much more air is drawn into our lungs and our body receives more oxygen. Such breathing is the most natural and correct for a person. We all start breathing correctly from birth, but then, as we grow older, we acquire various complexes, fears, muscle clamps, we are tormented by stress ... As a result, the diaphragm is also clamped and the person begins to breathe from the chest. When we breathe with our chest, the air fills only upper divisions lungs, less oxygen. Our health is weakening, the brain starts to work worse. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to breathe correctly again. For this, there are simple exercises.

Exercises for the development of diaphragmatic breathing.

Just sit down and breathe with your diaphragm. We concentrate on it, try to feel its movement within us. You can close your eyes to better concentrate on your breathing.
Dog breath. Get on all fours, relax your stomach, open your mouth and breathe like a dog - often, often. In this position, the diaphragm is very easy to feel. You need to be careful with this exercise - it is akin to holotropic breathing, from which hallucinations can begin. Do not do this exercise for a long time, stop it at the slightest sign of dizziness.
We lie down on our back, put something light on the stomach, for example, a book. We breathe with the diaphragm and watch how the book moves up and down.
Decreased volume of inhalation and exhalation. We try to inhale and exhale as little air as possible. At a certain stage, we stop feeling the flow of air with our nose and only the feeling of movement of the diaphragm remains. It is useful when doing this exercise to close your eyes to cut off another source of sensations.

At the first stages, when returning to diaphragmatic breathing, one must be careful. Do not try to breathe too deeply and too often, this can lead to hyperventilation of the lungs, cause dizziness and loss of consciousness. However, if you practice without fanaticism, but regularly, then your body will be very grateful to you.

Always try to breathe with the diaphragm, control yourself, consciously switch to proper breathing. After a while, this control will go to the subconscious level and you will always breathe correctly without even thinking about it.

Breathing in yoga How to learn to breathe correctly and what to do with the abdominal muscles.

It is necessary to switch to the correct yogic breathing (with tense abdominal muscles) gradually. Gymnastic breathing, when the chest is a wheel, the stomach is pulled in, is "chest" breathing and only a small part of the lung volume is used in it. The result of such shallow breathing is the accumulation of stale air in the lower parts of the lungs. It turns out that we breathe half, and this means to live half. You need to breathe with your stomach, more precisely, with your diaphragm. Why? Prana entering the body (regardless of which way it got there: through the skin, with food or through Airways) mainly accumulates in the solar plexus. From here, through energy channels, it should be distributed to all organs and systems. This process is much easier if the solar plexus area is constantly massaged. The lungs are not able to perform such work; only the anterior wall of the abdomen and the diaphragm can do it. So when a person breathes correctly (with tense abdominal muscles), he not only replenishes his vital energy better, but also manages it more rationally. First, learn to breathe just belly ( abdominal breathing, or, more precisely, diaphragmatic) without straining his muscles. Many people do not even know how to breathe in this way, not to mention the correct yogic way of breathing. Usually when describing this type of breathing ( diaphragmatic without abdominal muscle tension) are limited to instructions on yogic breathing, although this is not yogic breathing at all, it is more accurate to call it preparatory to proper yogic breathing.

Standing or lying on your back, place your hand on your stomach near the solar plexus. Inhale with your belly, while the arm will rise as the belly rises. The diaphragm - a solid muscular septum that separates the lungs from the abdominal cavity - will then fall. The lower it goes, the more air enters the lungs. Now exhale from your belly and you will notice your hand move down as your belly drops, with your diaphragm going up. It will rise even higher if you pull the stomach inward forcibly, while the maximum extrusion of air from the lungs occurs.
The main emphasis in Yoga Pranayama is on the activity of the muscles of the abdominal wall, which determines the degree of effectiveness of the exercises. By controlling the abdominal muscles, the yogi is able to regulate the pressure in the abdominal cavity and chest. The original yogic techniques for performing Pranayama differ from the Pranayama techniques in our Western understanding: for some reason, we believe that the muscles of the abdominal wall should remain passive and relaxed during the breathing process. Pranayama without active tension of the abdominal muscles is nonsense.

To understand why at correct breathing abdominal muscles should be tense and what is the use of this, consider the process in more detail. To do this, let's compare the body with a cylinder consisting of two compartments, rigid - at the level of the chest and soft and mobile - at the level of the abdomen (this mobility depends on the tone of the abdominal muscles). The role of the piston in this cylinder is played by the diaphragm. For some reason, very little is written about the importance of the diaphragm in the process of breathing and its effect on internal organs. It is considered to be a rather inconspicuous muscle, but in fact it performs leading role in the process of breathing. When you inhale, the piston (diaphragm) goes down, presses on the organs located in the abdomen, and sucks air into the lungs (due to the resulting pressure difference). When you exhale, the piston (diaphragm) rises and pushes the exhaust air out. Such is the unpretentious work of the diaphragm, but this is at first glance. If we carefully consider its function, it turns out that the diaphragm is our second heart. It turns out that the force with which the diaphragm drives blood through our body is much greater than the force of heart contractions, because the surface of this ideal pressure pump and its driving force is much greater than the driving force of the heart. This is the most strong muscle in our body. Not only that, it compresses the liver, spleen and stimulates blood circulation in the abdominal cavity and portal vein system, it pushes the lymph into the chest canal, and also constantly compresses, systematically massaging (24,000 times a day), the intestines - main center metabolism where transformation takes place nutrients required for correct operation and construction of body tissues and cells. By systematically compressing the liver, the diaphragm facilitates the production of bile and promotes blood circulation in the liver. It is clear that the diaphragm can work effectively if the abdominal muscles are involved in the process of breathing, and not flabby and sagging, but strong and elastic. Consider what happens in the body when breathing with relaxed muscles in the lower abdomen. And then compare with what happens when the muscles are tense.

Exhale with relaxed abdominal muscles (Fig. 1).

The diaphragm is high. The abdominal muscles are simply carried away by the flow of breath, holding the mass internal organs body. Exhalation is effortless. The abdominal cavity takes the form of an egg. The internal organs do not experience noticeable compression, since the abdominal wall is not tense.

Position at the end of inspiration with relaxed abdominal muscles (Fig. 2).

After a diaphragmatic breath without tension of the abdominal muscles, the diaphragm descends and the lungs fill with air. The abdominal cavity now took the form of a flattened ball, but its volume remained practically unchanged: the internal organs did not shrink, they simply sank down and moved forward. With such breathing, chronic deformation of the abdominal wall and abdomen occurs. Breathing gets more and more abdominal, oh adverse effects which is indicated below. Filling up unnecessarily large quantity blood, the organs are overloaded, so the biological processes in the abdominal cavity slow down. This way of breathing, even in ordinary life, has a negative effect on people, and in Pranayama it is generally unacceptable; in addition, it blocks thoracic and clavicular breathing.

Full exhalation with tension of the abdominal muscles (Fig. 3).

At the end of exhalation, tense abdominal muscles push the internal organs back and up, thereby facilitating the rise of the diaphragm, which allows all the air to be pushed out of the lungs. The previously compressed organs, freed from the rush of blood, take their natural form and volume.

Inhale with tension in the abdominal muscles (Fig. 4).

During inhalation with tense abdominal muscles, the diaphragm gradually descends. At the end of inhalation, it is at the same lower level as when breathing without tension in the abdominal muscles. Despite the fact that when the diaphragm is lowered, the abdominal muscles resist the mass of the internal organs, which are pushed back by the diaphragm, the volume of inhaled air does not decrease. Below the navel, the muscles remain tense, but not rigid. Above the navel, muscle tension relaxes slightly, balancing the pressure from the internal organs. The abdomen is not deformed, and such a volume is considered ideal. Moreover, the reaction forces from the diaphragm and the abdominal wall increase the internal pressure on the abdominal organs. As a result, the internal organs are massaged and significantly strengthened. There is a stimulation of all organs, and consequently, their physiological functions. In addition, only such a breath does not interfere with the proper functioning of the thoracic and clavicular regions. Three phases of yogic breathing (inhalation, retention, exhalation) are successfully implemented only when they are performed with constant tension of the abdominal muscles. This is the only way breathing, in which Pranayama becomes highly effective and brings maximum benefit to the practitioner. Diaphragmatic inhalation with tense abdominal muscles balances the abdominal and thoracic phases of full yogic breathing. Active tension of the abdominal muscles is carried out in all phases breathing exercises Pranayama, but it is especially necessary in the phase of holding the breath with the lungs filled with air. It is very useful to get acquainted with the structure of the abdominal wall. It consists of several layers of muscles, some of which are located obliquely (oblique muscles), while others are horizontal or vertical. For us, the most important are those muscles that stretch from the pubis to the chest - large straight lines. They play a leading role in the process of breath control. The area between the navel and sternum resists breathing pressure much more than the area below the navel. First, let's accustom ourselves to diaphragmatic breathing without tension, that is, we breathe "wrongly" - this is the first stage. The fact is that many have such tight bellies that mastering diaphragmatic breathing without tension in the abdominal muscles is already a blessing. The next stage is strengthening the abdominal muscles by daily performing a very simple set of yoga exercises - asanas. Moreover, the stomach does not have to be flat. You can have a fairly decent tummy, but under the layer of adipose tissue there must be strong muscles. Remember that everything comes in harmonious state not immediately, but the main thing is that it still comes.

So, diaphragmatic breathing. Open your lungs as much as possible by pulling in your abdominal muscles to expel the air. Now inhale while relaxing your abdominal muscles and watch your abdomen expand (muscles stretch) as if balloon. This is the main disadvantage of this breathing technique. And now we do it right, that is, diaphragmatic breathing with tension in the abdominal muscles. Exhale, pull the stomach in, strain the lower abdomen from the navel to the pubis. Before inhaling, we press with the index finger on this area, and with the other - on the area above the navel. Keep pressing on your stomach to feel the difference in resistance at different levels, still holding your breath with no air in your lungs. Without removing your fingers, slowly inhale. Keep the lower abdomen tense during the entire inhalation phase, allowing for a slight swelling of the area above the navel. When you breathe like this, the abdominal wall resists pressure from the descending diaphragm, which pushes the organs down and forward. Your fingers will clearly feel the difference in resistance from the abdominal muscles at both levels. Inhalation requires a certain muscular effort, and the contraction is transmitted to the abdominal organs, which are energetically, although gently, massaged, which means they are healed and strengthened.

Holding the breath with full lungs.

Hold your breath, tensing your abdominal muscles and following the rules of holding your breath (not exceeding 4 seconds in duration). The increased pressure in the abdomen and chest is most noticeable during the breath holding phase. At this point, you need to hold air in your chest so that the pressure does not rise above the level of the glottis. This is achieved by doing Jalandhara Bandha. In this case, the blood does not rush to the face, and the pressure in the lungs does not cause any harm, since it is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the pulmonary pleura.

But what about normal breathing?

Normal breathing, like yogic breathing, should be accompanied by tension in the abdominal muscles, but in a lighter version (without delays). Whenever you remember this, tighten your stomach, especially the area below the navel. By doing so, you will avoid the accumulation of fat deposits in the waist area, since the stretched belly fills with a layer of fat faster. This way of breathing will gradually become a habit, bring you back to nature, because your goal is to restore this natural breathing.

Tension is often confused with retraction. You can decide that there is a return to gymnastic breathing - the chest is forward, the stomach is tucked up. This is not true. Tension of the abdominal muscles does not imply its retraction. The inverted abdomen prevents diaphragmatic breathing. A person with upper (subclavian) breathing, to which a retracted stomach dooms him, is always wound up and tense, his throat is closed, and the solar plexus is compressed into a lump. Such a person usually has poor health, he freezes, suffers poor digestion and is often characterized by excessive thinness due to the fact that it does not digest food well. He doesn't sleep well and has frequent headaches. Subclavian breathing does not properly ventilate the lungs, reduces the body's resistance to physical and nervous stress, and also shortens life. Asanas can alleviate the condition of such a person, but only yogic breathing combined with relaxation techniques will provide effective help to him. First, such a person must learn to voluntarily relax the abdominal muscles. When he becomes less constricted, able to relax the abdominal wall and move the diaphragm, he will be able to extract from the practice of asanas maximum benefit. The ability to relax the abdominal muscles is a necessary prerequisite for activating the diaphragm, which is otherwise blocked in the upper position due to the retraction of the muscles of the abdominal wall and the immobility of the ribs. Relaxation of a tense abdomen leads to amazing results: the solar plexus is freed from excess blood, breathing becomes deeper, digestive tract spasms disappear, digestion improves, anxiety decreases and disappears, sleep improves. Therefore, if you are accustomed to gymnastic breathing, first learn to breathe with a relaxed stomach and only then start practicing Pranayama with tense abdominal muscles.

Some are wondering: Is it possible to strengthen the press with the help of breathing?
Yes, with proper breathing tense muscles press below the navel. But understand that it is not the breath itself that strengthens the abs, but the fact that by breathing correctly, you work the abs. And it strengthens him. Excess fat deposits will go away. Practice pranayama by tensing but not pulling in your lower abs. Well, exercises for pumping up the abdominal muscles - various twists - have not been canceled.

Diaphragm in belly dance.

- In terms of belly dancing, the diaphragm is used to shake it, which is very effective. The shaking of the diaphragm is performed due to it, and not due to the abdominal muscles. One of the exercises that can be useful for the development of the diaphragm: exhale the air from the lungs, draw in the upper abdomen. You should feel as if the place of "breathing" is stretching towards the spine (although this is probably a strange comparison). Exhale without exhaling upper part stomach and pull it in again, and so several times, gradually speeding up the pace. Irina Itsi, forum beledi.ru

Exercise "uddiyana-bandha" (or "abdominal pump", as the Russian yogi Andrey Sidersky calls it).

- Stand straight, put your feet as you like, preferably, exactly under your shoulders. Bend your knees (knees should not go forward behind the foot when bending), lean forward from the hips, keeping your back STRAIGHT, place your palms on the hips above the knees. Try to relax your back! Take a deep slow breath and the same slow exhalation (the air must be completely exhaled from the lungs). Holding your breath, draw in your stomach so that it sticks to your spine. Stay in this position for as long as you can. Feeling discomfort, gently release the stomach and ONLY THEN inhale smoothly. Remaining in this pose, recover your breath and then repeat. 4-5 repetitions are enough, otherwise you can overdo it! When you master this exercise, you can move on to the next step.
Now, holding your breath and pulling in your stomach (the same posture), start pushing it down and pulling it in again. For yogis, this is done with strength and maximum amplitude, again, no more than 4-5 times, this is quite difficult. In oriental dances, the task is easier. It is necessary to draw in and push out the stomach so as to achieve a sensation of "rinsing". This movement will allow you to feel your diaphragm. The abdominal muscles should be relaxed, the tummy dangles freely. When you feel the need to breathe, gently release your stomach and ONLY THEN inhale smoothly. Remaining in this pose, recover your breath and then repeat. Don't go fast! Find your own rhythm in which you feel comfortable. Over time, you will feel that you can freely control the movements of the diaphragm and increase the pace. Be CAREFUL and MODERATE! Any breathing practices- This serious job and a big load for the body, especially untrained. Be sure to rest between rinses, taking deep, calm breaths. Dare! 3-4 minutes a day - and after 2-3 months you will be able to perform diaphragm shaking in vertical position. Raisha, forum beledi.ru

Trained muscles are all the rage right now. It is worth paying attention not only to the biceps and the press. The diaphragmatic type of breathing is directly associated with the training of the large muscle that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity - the diaphragm.

In another way, this technique is called "breathing with the stomach." With this method, much more oxygen enters the lungs than with the chest type of inhalation and exhalation of air.

According to doctors, this is how each of us breathes when we are born. But for some reason, over time, we all adapt to the chest type and thereby unwittingly undermine our health.

Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing

Proper diaphragmatic breathing allows you to:

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enrich the blood with free oxygen and avoid hypoxia;
get rid of many bronchopulmonary diseases;
learn to overcome seizures bronchial asthma without drugs;
conduct a natural massage of internal organs;
clear the lungs and gradually lose cravings for smoking;
effectively get rid of shortness of breath when running and physical activity;
improve the functioning of most organs and systems.

Finally, it has been proven that similar technique promotes weight loss. Diaphragmatic breathing for weight loss is whole system simple exercises, which, if desired, are quite simple to master.

Diaphragmatic breathing training

Exercises will help to comprehend the basics of diaphragmatic breathing:

Lie on your back and relax. Place your right hand on your stomach and your left hand on your chest. Please note that left hand rises, and the right one remains in place. And now, when you inhale, start working with your stomach in such a way that the right hand begins to rise and fall, and the left does not move. If you suddenly feel dizzy, do not be alarmed - this is good sign. This suggests that you are doing everything right and the blood has begun to be saturated with oxygen.
Let's complicate things a bit. Remaining on your back, place a book on your stomach. Such a “weighting agent” will help you learn to better feel the movement of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles when breathing.
You can proceed to the third exercise only if your head is no longer dizzy from the first two. Otherwise, you can easily lose consciousness. To do this, you need to get on all fours and portray how the dog breathes. Relax your abdominal muscles and breathe with your mouth open. If no one is around, then we allow you to stick out your tongue for the plausibility of sensations.

Diaphragmatic abdominal breathing is a very fashionable healing technique, which is successfully used in sanatoriums and other modern treatment. Having mastered it, you will be able to effectively manage your weight, health and well-being without doctors, drugs and outside interventions.