Get Healthy Now Diaphragmatic Breathing or Belly Breathing

Good morning and welcome to Get Healthy Now. Today I want to stress how important breathing is, especially Diaphragmatic Breathing. Have you ever watched a baby breath? Do you play a wind instrument or sing in a choir or a solo? How does Diaphragmatic Breathing help you with more volume, holding your notes longer, and what other benefits does it have? What changed between the time you were born and today?

My name is Denise Thomson and I have been singing and playing wind instruments for many decades. I actually had to relearn how to breath correctly as my upbringing changed the way I did breath. See, as a baby, we all breath with our bellies, you can see them going up and down with every inhale and exhale. Then we grow up and in this case my parents said "Don't stick out your belly, that is not lady like". So, I forced myself to chest breathing to keep the belly tight, not getting optimal air exchange. The shoulders raised and shortened what could be seen of the neck. Well, when I started playing wind instruments and singing I was told I needed to use my Diaphragm to control the speed and depth of my breath and was given some exercises on how to learn to breath the way I did when I was born.

Why is this so important? 

Benefits: great tool to bring us back into the moment, connect to the body, regulate the nervous system. It is always accessible at any moment. Breathing regularly can reduces gastrointestinal symptoms, acid reflux, abdominal pain, bloating and distension, and constipation.

It promotes relaxation, stress reduction, balances nervous system.

Practice: standing, laying down, sitting in a chair. Watch the videos and practice along to benefit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2wo2Impnfg  watch for better understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xQJ2O4b5TM

coachdenise@ctdigest.net