Benefits of Belly Breathing
Typically, the only place we really concentrate on our breathing is in a yoga class, but we really should be thinking about our breathing throughout the day as abdominal breathing has a plethora of benefits.
Belly breathing a great way to relieve stress as it promotes calmness by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system and allows for improved concentration. What’s more, is that it also helps to detoxify your inner organs, promotes blood flow and peristalsis and bolsters out immunity. It also increases oxygen supply to the brain and the musculature.
While it may seem a little unusual at first, belly or abdominal breathing can become second nature if you practice it enough.
How to Breathe from your Belly
Sit comfortably with your back straight and place your right hand on your chest and your left hand on your belly. This will help you to be more aware of your abdominal muscles as you breathe. As you begin to inhale, your left hand should rise substantially and your right hand should be fairly static. As you exhale, your left hand should fall back into your belly and you right hand should, again, be fairly static.
