8 Reasons to Breathe from Your Belly

The diaphragm is a large, parachute-shaped muscle below the lungs, connecting the heart and lungs to the psoas, or “the muscle of the soul.” When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward. This creates more space in your chest cavity, allowing the lungs to expand. When you exhale, the opposite happens — your diaphragm relaxes and moves upward in the chest cavity.

Ref: Science of Breath by Swami Rama, Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., and Alan Hymes, M.D.

If there has been one recurring theme I’ve picked up in yoga, breathing, and meditation classes over the years it’s this: breathing by using the diaphragm is key.

Any time I’m given a scientific reason for this, my ears perk up. So here, I compiled a list of eight primary benefits of diaphragmatic breathing.

As you read them, try moving your breath in and out of your low belly. Note how you feel at the end.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing increases the suction pressure created in the thoracic cavity and improves the venous return of blood. In this way, it reduces the load on the heart and enhances circulatory function.
2. Since the pericardium (lining of the heart) is attached to the diaphragm, the process of breathing deeply causes the diaphragm to descend, stretching the heart downward toward the abdomen. When the lungs are filled with air from the bottom upward, they compress, giving a gentle massage to the heart (awww).
3. As the diaphragm releases upon exhalation, it also massages the heart, liver, pancreas, and helps to improve the functions of the spleen, stomach, and small intestine.
4. Gas exchange is more efficient. Diaphragmatic breathing brings more new, oxygen-rich air to the lower lobes of the lungs. Due to gravity, higher amounts of CO2-saturated, venous blood are waiting here. When we breathe deeply, more stale air gets mixed and brings fresh, new air into the blood.
5. Diaphragmatic breathing lowers the breathing rate, which helps to lower or stabilize blood pressure. Slow breathing also sends the message to the brain “All is well. I am safe. I can relax” and deactivates the stress response.
6. Deep, belly breathing helps strengthen the diaphragm, a postural muscle. A strong diaphragm helps stabilize the body by toning abdominal muscles. This helps lessen lower back pain.
7. The diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve, which extends from the base of the cranium to the pelvic floor. This “wandering nerve” is the conductor of parasympathetic information (aka the relaxation response) from the brain to the digestive organs, heart, and lungs…and vice versa. Like a game of telephone, the movement of the diaphragm sends the message “relax!”” to the vagus nerve and then up to the brain. The brain processes this signal and sends a reply back down the vagus nerve to the heart, lungs, and GI tract. Research has found that the stimulation of vagal afferent fibers in the gut influences systems in the brain stem that play crucial roles in major psychiatric conditions, such as mood and anxiety disorders. In line with this, there is preliminary evidence for gut bacteria to have a beneficial effect on mood and anxiety, partly by affecting the activity of the vagus nerve.
8. And last but not least! You will defy toxic beauty standards. Corsets are hands down one of the worst trends we decided to revive. Some of the most athletic people essentially have muscular corsets (think 6 pack). Sucking in the belly with tight muscles or clothes constrains the lower breathing muscles. Breathing is pushed into the shoulders and chest, drastically reducing the amount of oxygen circulated in the blood and sent to the tissues, muscles, and organs and blocking the parasympathetic benefits discussed above. Embrace your buddha belly and feel all the extra room you have to breathe!

By now, you can begin to see what a powerhouse we have at the floor of the ribcage. All it takes to engage this breathing muscle more fully is a little awareness and concentration. To take your diaphragm training to the next level, there are a few exercises you can try.

1 — Place your hands around your torso at the lowest ribs, thumbs pointing back, fingers toward the belly button. Feel your lower torso expand with the inhale and deflate with the exhale.

See if you can breathe through your belly, sides, and mid-back in a 360 degree motion.

2 —Lying down, place a heavy book or two on the low belly, centered at the belly button. Lift the books with your in breath, using your diaphragm. Relax and slowly lower the books on the out breath. Slow your breath down. You can count to 4 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale, going longer if it feels comfortable. Repeat this for 5–10 minutes. Note: If you are pregnant, try this exercise without the books. You can feel the low back move toward and away from the floor as you breathe to bring a similar sense of awareness.

Enjoy the calm that settles in anytime you breathe in this way and give your diaphragm a little love for all the heavy lifting happening in the background of every deep breath!

Sign up for the Breath Upper Left newsletter for weekly insights on breathing in equal parts hard-nosed science and spiritual inquiry.