Has it roots in the Yoga tradition called Dirgha Breathing:

In everyday life, breathing, what is that?
We know how to breathe!

Then there is the refinement relative to each person’s unique history of tension. Stress can restrict our breathing pattern. Over time it feels natural making it easy to take the needs of our breathing for granted.

Pranayama and Dan Tian Breathing are ancient teachings from India and China. Dirgha Breathing comes out of the Pranyama tradition. In the West it sometimes called a Full Relax Three Part Breath. Today we have some contemporary physicians and educators who have their own own spin on it.

Good for them to honor these ancient teachings and promote this worthy knowledge. Once learned it is a simple, effective health tonic for stress reduction, peace of mind, and focusing. Yes it is good friends with mindfulness meditation and concentration. It helps to focus our attention on the immediate now of self care.

Dirgha Breathing is an insightful teacher. It will show us how we can improve our breathing and support our health.

Position:

  • You want to be in a comfortable position with your spine straight.
  • You can do it standing, sitting or lying down.

Simple check-in test

  • Placing one hand over the chest and the other over the belly is a good way to realize how well you are breathing. Note when you breathe if the bottom hand first rises on the inhale and then the top hand. The reverse should be true on the exhale. The top hand should deflate inward and then the bottom hand.
  • Unnoticed stress patterns in our breath should show up with an uneven hand movement.
  • Example:
    Only one hand moves
    On inhale the the top hand moves before the bottom one
    On exhale the hands expand outward.

Intention:

You want to establish a 3 part breath starting at the belly moving to the sternum and up into the chest. If this is new or a returning experience for you try practicing each part with 5 or more breaths. Then move to the next part in sequence. This will help establish a sense of each part of the breath. Once comfortable with 3 parts make them connect them like a wave of one continuous breath.

Process:

  • First establish a mind – breath connection:
  • Close your eyes, and allow your mind to listen to yourself breathe.  Focus on your inhales and exhales for a few moments. Mind wandering is normal. Do not judge yourself. It will improve the more you listen rather than think.
  • Stay comfortable and bring your mind back to your breath. Again listen to yourself breathe.
  • To hold the connection give attention to your spine, lift and elongate as you inhale. On exhale sense a movement down your spine. Your shoulders should drop down and backwards. Stay relaxed.

First Part Breath:

Turn your attention to your belly. Take a big comfortable inhale through your nose. Push your belly button slowly out, away from your body.  Imagine your belly is a balloon filling with air as you breath in and press the belly out. Exhale through your nose, and allow the belly to collapse as you draw the air out. Imagine your belly button is being pulled in towards your spine.  Allow the pressing inward to empty every last drop of air.

When you feel completely empty of air. Repeat this process for five full inhales and exhales. This helps establish the first part of the breath.

Second Part:

Now do the belly breath again. When you reach near the top of the inhale breath expand your rib cage and draw attention to your lower sternum. The wave of the breath will go upward on the inhale. Allow your breath to lift your lungs and heart forward.

To complete the second part, press the air out of your sternum during exhaling and deflate your lungs. Allow your exhale to move down into your belly as your navel moves toward the spine again. Repeat this process for five full inhales and exhales.

Third Part Breath:

Now begin with the belly and then sternum as above. With a gentle full breath reach the top of chest on the inhale.

Stay comfortable and bring your shoulders back. Allow your chest to fill up with air/prana under your collarbones. Allow this extra inhale to expand and lift your chest. Do not force anything.

On the exhale, the wave of the breath will go downward. First, press the air out of the top of your chest area. Then do the same at the sternum.  Finally allow the belly to deflate with the navel moving towards the spine at the end of the breath. Feel the wave of the breath as it travels from the top to the bottom.

Now breathe this process for five full inhales and exhales.

It is like riding a bike for the first time. Wobbles and whacks are part of the learning process. Might feel complicated in the beginning. Then we come to a place where it is effortless and enjoyable.

Enjoy yourself.