How To Gentle Belly Breathe

I strongly suggest that you watch the video demonstration of diaphragmatic breathing before you start practicing.

Follow these instructions:

  • Lie down on your back on a bed or in a comfortable chair.
  • Put one hand on your abdomen, between your navel and your rib cage.
  • Put your other hand high on your chest.
  • Now breathe as slowly and as gently as possible.
  • You should feel your abdomen rise and then gently fall with each breath.
  • Breathe out for a slightly longer time than you breathe in.
  • There should be minimal movement of your chest.
  • Only the hand placed on the belly should move.

Helpful Tips for Gentle Belly Breathing

  • Try to find a rhythm that feels comfortable for you.
  • I want you to live on as little air as possible, but I don’t want you to feel suffocated.
  • If you get it right, within 5 minutes, you should feel relaxed, comfortable and sleepy.

Practice Schedule for Gentle Belly Breathing

  • Practice this exercise at least 5 times a day, for about 5 minutes each time.
  • As you get more used to it, practice it while sitting , standing and walking.
  • Everything should be done as gently and as calmly as possible.
  • You will begin to notice an inner calmness develop in your body.

*Breathing at about 10 breaths, or less, per minute usually produces the best results.
It make take quite a bit of practice before some people can reach this level. If you feel you need more guidance, try practicing breathing in time using the audio recordings below.

Gentle Belly Breathing Audio Trainer

Start off with the easiest situation of 12 breaths per minute, and then graduate to the lower breathing rate, if you are able. However, many people feel quite comfortable even at the 12 breaths per minute.

Most people find breathing at less than 10 breaths per minute produces the best results. If you wish, you can train yourself to breathe more slowly, using the audio device. By using the buttons, you can practice slowly increasing the length of time between each breath.

*Remember that it is extremely important that you do not feel too suffocated.
If you continue to feel too suffocated, this exercise is not for you at the moment, and I suggest that you move on to the relaxation exercises, and come back to this exercise at a later stage.

Breathing fast – 12 breaths per minute
Breathing medium – 10 breaths per minute
Breathing slow – 8 breaths per minute

Being able to breathe gently in all threatening situations allows you to think more clearly and feel less threatened.

Once you become familiar with the Gentle Belly Breathing, I strongly suggest that you learn how to perform the Relaxation Exercises. Combining these two exercises can greatly improve your skill of feeling considerably more calm as you face the many stressors of life.

More Techniques:
Relaxing Away Stress
Conquering Procrastination
Reducing Fear Through Imagination
Facing Fear In The Real World
Fighting Depression Through Movement