Two Basic Belly Breathing Tips

  1. Breathe deeply. When you breathe deeply, your diaphragm at the base of your lungs pushes your belly out. This is belly breathing and is a natural way to breathe—you can see babies doing it.
  2. As you exhale, gently press on your belly. As you breathe in, encourage your belly to expand, and as you breathe out, allow your belly to contract. You could even gently push your belly in with your hand when you breathe out to help you to do this, if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

Check Your Stress Levels with This Belly Breathing Practice

Use a few belly breaths any time you feel excessively stressed, to make you feel more calm and relaxed. You can even practice some belly breaths before you begin the meditation, to give you a nice relaxing start.  This article was adapted from Shamash Alidina. View the original article.