Most people breathe high and shallow for most of the day, without realising it. Practising belly breathing is one of the simplest ways to calm your nervous system and take in more air with less effort, so you feel more space and calm. In this article I explain step by step how it works and how you can apply it today.
Place a hand on your belly and breathe so that this hand rises with the in-breath and falls with the out-breath. Your chest stays largely still. Do this for five minutes a few times a day, sitting or lying down. After two to four weeks it happens by itself, even when you are not thinking about it.
In belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, you use the diaphragm as the primary muscle. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle beneath your lungs. When you breathe in, the diaphragm moves down and makes room for the lungs to fill completely. Your belly moves forward as it does. In chest breathing the diaphragm stays largely passive and you lift your ribs and shoulders instead. That movement takes more energy and delivers less air volume. In short: chest breathing asks more of your neck and shoulders and keeps your body in a slight state of readiness. Belly breathing gives your lungs the room they need and sends a signal of safety to your nervous system.
Many people do not know or feel that they breathe high, because it has become so normal. There are a few simple signs. Put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe in normally. If only your chest hand rises, you are breathing high. If your belly hand barely moves, your diaphragm is not active. Other signs of shallow breathing are: frequent sighing or yawning, the feeling that you never quite get enough air, tension in your neck and shoulders, or getting short of breath quickly with light exertion. Recognise this? Then practising belly breathing is probably the most direct step you can take.
You do this exercise lying down or sitting, whichever is easiest for you. Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent, or sit upright on a chair with your feet on the floor.
Step 1: Place one hand on your belly, just below your navel, and one hand on your chest. Step 2: Breathe out calmly through your nose or mouth until your lungs feel empty. Step 3: Breathe in through your nose and focus your attention on your belly hand. Let your belly rise as if you are inflating a balloon. Your chest hand stays as still as possible. Step 4: Breathe out slowly through your nose or slightly parted lips. Feel your belly sink back. Step 5: Repeat this ten times. Breathe in for four counts, breathe out for six counts. That longer out-breath brings you to a slow pace, which helps your nervous system into recovery mode.
More background on the techniques I use in breathwork can be found on the page about the method behind breathwork.
Belly breathing works through your vagus nerve, the longest nerve in your body, which connects your brain to your organs. A slow, deep out-breath brings you to a slow pace, which lowers your heart rate. Your blood pressure drops slightly, your digestion gets going and your muscles relax. That is the recovery mode of your nervous system getting room to do its work. Practising belly breathing regularly also helps change your breathing pattern in the long term, so your body breathes more deeply by itself, even at moments when you are not actively working on it.
There are a few moments when practising belly breathing is especially effective. Right after getting up: your nervous system is still relatively calm and you can set a good tone for the day. Before a stressful meeting or conversation: a minute of conscious breathing from your belly noticeably lowers your stress level. The moment you notice you are tense: shoulders up, jaw clenched, restless thoughts. Those are signals to pause. And before sleep: deep belly breathing helps your body make the transition to sleep. If you are looking for more exercises for stressful moments, also read my article on breathing exercises for stress.
A single breath helps you in that moment. Daily practice changes your default breathing pattern. Your diaphragm becomes stronger and more mobile, just like a muscle you train. After a few weeks of regular practice you notice you are breathing more calmly and deeply without consciously thinking about it. That is the goal: belly breathing becomes your new default rather than something you only do when you feel bad. Ten minutes a day is enough to make a difference. If you want guidance with it, you can book a session with me, in which we improve your breathing pattern together, or look at daily guidance via Ada, where you are handed a short breathing session every day to do yourself (Ada only speaks Dutch for now, but will be speaking English soon).
Belly breathing is not complicated, but it does take attention, especially at first. You have breathed a certain way for years and it takes time to break that pattern. Do not be too hard on yourself if it does not work the first time. Your belly may barely move, your attention may wander or you may breathe in a cramped, forced way. That is normal. Practice is the key. Start with five minutes a day, build it up gently and notice what changes in how you feel after a week or two. Practising belly breathing is not a trick or a quick fix. It is a practical skill that helps your body regulate itself, every day anew.
Start lying on your back, because in that position it is easiest to feel your belly move. Place a hand on your belly and breathe in through your nose while letting your belly hand rise. Do this ten times in a row and build up from there.
In belly breathing you actively use your diaphragm, which gives your lungs more room and makes your breathing deeper and calmer. In chest breathing you mainly lift your ribs and shoulders, which takes more energy and keeps your body in a slight state of tension.
Five to ten minutes of daily practice is enough to notice a difference within a few weeks. Your breathing pattern changes gradually, so that eventually you breathe more deeply by yourself without consciously thinking about it.
Soon you will always have something with you that works, wherever you are. A short breathing session every day via WhatsApp, tailored and at your moment, two weeks free. Ada only speaks Dutch for now, but will be speaking English soon. Rather talk first? The twenty-minute introductory call is free too, and in English.
