Diaphragmatic Breathing Demonstration from Michigan Medicine

Diaphragmatic Breathing

This calming breathing practice encourages you to breathe into your belly while keeping your chest relatively still.

1. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Notice how your hands move during an ordinary deep breath.
2. Breathe in through your nose, directing the breath lower so your belly rises while your chest stays relatively still.
3. Exhale through your mouth, letting your belly fall and releasing the air fully.
4. Try a steady rhythm: inhale for about 4 seconds and exhale for about 6 seconds.

Continue at a comfortable pace. You can imagine your belly as a balloon expanding as you inhale and emptying as you exhale. Notice whether your shoulders, jaw, and stomach begin to relax.

Presenter/source: Megan Riehl, PsyD; Michigan Medicine.