Thoracic (Chest) Breathing

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This article shows you in simple words how to practice thoracic or chest breathing.

Get Ready

  • Wear something comfortable, nothing tight or restrictive. Take off your shows and socks
  • Lay down on your back, sit in a meditative posture, or a relaxed posture
  • Be relaxed
  • Hands and legs outstretched (alternatively with both hands on your abdomen)
  • First start with your eyes looking up at the ceiling
  • Gently close your eyes and relax more

Start:

  • Observe your natural breath
    • Focus your attention on your chest area.
    • You will notice as you inhale that your chest rises, that your chest falls with exhalation.
    • Observe this for some time and become aware of the movement without influencing it.
    • Concentrate on the sides of the chest, notice them move outwards and inwards.
    • Maintain unbroken awareness of the natural breath for some time.
  • Begin to deepen, lengthen and extend that chest movement.
    • Discontinue the use of your diaphragm
    • While inhaling, let the rib cage expand
      • Feel the movement of the individual ribs outward and upward
      • Be aware of this expansion, drawing air into the lungs
    • While exhaling let the chest fall completely
      • Exhale by relaxing the chest muscles
      • Feel the rib cage contracting and forcing the air out of your lungs
    • Keep the abdomen still throughout this entire process.
      • Only move the chest
      • Do not use the diaphragm
  • With total awareness, breath slowly and deeply through the chest
  • Continue this for 20 breaths, or a few minutes
  • Pause slightly after each cycle (inhalation / exhalation)
  • Rest
  • Start over as desired

Important Notes:

All of the above steps should be done without strain. It is quite normal to use force or effort; do not. Rather, make the breathing process smooth and effortless. Go slow and easy.

Think of your breathing process as a continuous wave-like pattern.

Remember, keep the breath in a smooth flowing pattern with minimum effort and with maximum capacity.

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