Breathing techniques

[diamondick]

Stomach as opposed to lungs

 

I have been trying to breathe with stomach, but have noticed when i breathe deep, pain in my left sidechest as if it had lowered capacity.Anyone know?

[LeaF]

I am not sure I have never had this "pain" in my chest. But yes it is true you must breath from your diaphram which is located around your stomach. You should be able to visual see or feel your stomach increase in size when you breathe in and decrease when you breath out....

[monkeygirl]

I have noticed that that happens to me as well, diamondick.

 

If you also have endurance problems, this can mean a few things.

 

You may have asthma. If this only happens when you exercise, it could be exercise-induced asthma. I live in a valley where breathing problems run rampant, so I see a lot of this in students.

 

Or, it could mean that there is something wrong with you heart, e.g. a virus or something like that. If this is really bugging you and messing with your performance, I'd suggest that you see a doctor...maybe get a PFT (pulmonary function test).

[KI - Master]

I have exctly the same problem. I dunno what this is, but i dont like it hope its not asma or a heart problem

[KickChick]

I'm wondering whether the post is about breathing while working out/training/weightlifting, while doing kata/forms, meditation or for just "breathing correctly".

 

The pain you may be experiencing may be due to just poor lung elasticity. Performing breathing exercises may increase the elasticity of the lungs and rib cage.By doing breathing exercises you will create an increased breathing capacity all the time, not just during exercise.

 

1. High breathing refers to what takes place primarily in the upper part of the chest and lungs. This has been called "clavicular breathing" or "collarbone breathing" and involves raising the ribs, collarbone and shoulders. Persons with asthma, a tight belt, a full stomach or who otherwise become short of breath tend to resort to high breathing. One may deliberately draw in his abdomen and force its contents upward against the diaphragm and into the chest cavity in order to cause high breathing.

 

High breathing is naturally shallow and a larger percentage of it fails to reach the alveoli and enter into useable gaseous exchange.

 

This is the least desirable form of breathing since the upper lobes of the lungs are used and these have only a small air capacity. Also the upper rib cage is fairly rigid, so not much expansion of the ribs can take place. A great deal of muscular energy is expended in pressing against the diaphragm and in keeping the ribs and shoulders raised abnormally high. This form of breathing is quite common ...it's a common cause of digestive,stomach, constipation and gynecological problems.

 

2. Low breathing refers to what takes place primarily in the lower part of the chest and lungs. It is far more effective than high or mid breathing. It consists mainly in moving the abdomen in and out and in changing the position of the diaphragm through such movements.... it is sometimes called "abdominal breathing" and "diaphragmic breathing." Whenever one slouches or drops their shoulder and chest muscles, they normally adopt low breathing.

 

We use low breathing when we sleep. But whenever we become physically active, as in walking, running or lifting, we are likely to find abdominal breathing inadequate for our needs.

 

To do low breathing, when you inhale you push the stomach gently forwards with no strain. When exhaling you allow the stomach to return to its normal position.

 

This type of breathing is far superior to high or mid breathing for four reasons:

 

1.More air is taken in when inhaling, due to greater movement of the lungs and the fact that the lower lobes of the lungs have a larger capacity than the upper lobes.

 

2.The diaphragm acts like a second heart. Its piston-like movements expand the base of the lungs, allowing them to suck in more blood increasing general blood circulation throughout your entire body.

 

3.The abdominal organs are massaged by the up and down movements of the diaphragm.

 

4.Low breathing has a beneficial effect on the solar plexus, a very important nerve center.

 

3. Middle breathing is a little harder to describe since the limits of variability are more

 

indefinite. It is breathing in which mainly the middle parts of the lungs are filled with air. It exhibits some of the characteristics of both high breathing, since the ribs rise and the chest expands somewhat, and low breathing, since the diaphragm moves up and down and the abdomen in and out a little. It is called thoracic or intercoastal or rib breathing. But it is also a shallow type of breathing.

 

With this form of breathing, the ribs and chest are expanded sideways.

 

This is better than high breathing, but far inferior to low breathing and the yoga complete breath technique ... which is:

 

4. The complete breath, (as defined by yoga), involves the entire respiratory system and not only includes the portions of the lungs used in high, low and middle breathing, but expands the lungs so as to take in more air than the amounts inhaled by all of these three kinds of breathing together when they are employed in shallow breathing. The complete breath is not just deep breathing... it is the deepest possible breathing. Not only does one raise his shoulders, collarbone and ribs, as in high breathing, and also extend his abdomen and lower his diaphragm, as in low breathing, but he does both as much as is needed to expand his lungs to their fullest capacity.

 

The yoga complete breath is the basic technique of all the different types of yoga breathing, and should be learned before you learn the specific breathing

 

exercises. It brings the whole lung capacity into play and is the basis of the three specific breathing exercises.

 

Keep in mind that this type of breathing is only done when you do the breathing exercises. The rest of the time you should be doing low breathing by pushing the

 

stomach out slightly when you inhale, and then just letting the stomach fall back to its original position when you exhale. Also, make sure you are breathing through your nose and not your mouth!

[phanthomspectre]

Stomach as opposed to lungs

 

I have been trying to breathe with stomach, but have noticed when i breathe deep, pain in my left sidechest as if it had lowered capacity.Anyone know?

 

It can also just be something very simple.

 

1. If you tense up while you do "Normal breathing" as what you are doing is called.

 

2. Another possiblity I suspect is it could be caused by forcing your breath.

 

3. The final possiblity, which is not often is that you have some kind of spleen/liver ailment. This should only be considered if you know of an existing condition, know of a dim-mak strike to the area, or meridian, or begin having extreme yin/yang symptoms as a result.

 

For yin/yang problems please see your local TCM (traditional chinese medicine) doctor or acupuncturist.

 

-PS

 

[delta1]

Instead of concentrating on your stomache muscles for lower breathing, try concentrating on breathing with the muscles of your lower back. It is not only a more effective way to breathe, it will help you stay loose and move in a fight. Takes some getting used to, though. And if you are moving from the tan tien, all movement must originate with these muscles any how. So it's good practice.