Need a mood lifter? Exhaling from the diaphragm helps relieve emotional stress. This 3-part method helps you focus your breath in your diaphragm, your lower ribs, and you’re upper chest.
1. Lie on your back comfortably. Place your hands palms down on your belly, with fingertips barely touching over your navel.
2. As you inhale through your nose, lift your belly into your hands, pushing your belly against them. See if you can move your fingers move away from each other so they no longer touch. Exhale, letting your belly sink back down, and your fingers touch again. Repeat this two more times.
3. Move your hands to the outsides of your lower ribs. Inhale through your nose, pressing your belly up, as you did before. Then move the focus to your ribs, pulling more air into the middle of your torso and pressing your rib cage against your hands. Exhale, first letting your ribs move back to neutral and then your belly. Repeat this two more times.
4. Move your hands to your upper chest. Start by inhaling through the nose, pressing your belly up, and then expanding through your ribs. Now focus on your upper chest, bringing even more air in to let it rise against your hands. Exhale, feeling your chest fall, then your ribs, then your belly.
5. Continue this 3-part breath, but feel free to move your hands around to the different locations as you breathe. Repeat at least 10 more times.
1. Lie on your back comfortably. Place your hands palms down on your belly, with fingertips barely touching over your navel.
2. As you inhale through your nose, lift your belly into your hands, pushing your belly against them. See if you can move your fingers move away from each other so they no longer touch. Exhale, letting your belly sink back down, and your fingers touch again. Repeat this two more times.
3. Move your hands to the outsides of your lower ribs. Inhale through your nose, pressing your belly up, as you did before. Then move the focus to your ribs, pulling more air into the middle of your torso and pressing your rib cage against your hands. Exhale, first letting your ribs move back to neutral and then your belly. Repeat this two more times.
4. Move your hands to your upper chest. Start by inhaling through the nose, pressing your belly up, and then expanding through your ribs. Now focus on your upper chest, bringing even more air in to let it rise against your hands. Exhale, feeling your chest fall, then your ribs, then your belly.
5. Continue this 3-part breath, but feel free to move your hands around to the different locations as you breathe. Repeat at least 10 more times.
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