This exercise is designed to help you learn how to breathe in a more relaxed way. Most of us were taught that we should breathe with our lungs. Thus, when you breathe in, your chest goes out and when you breathe out, your chest goes in. However, we know that there is a more relaxed way to breathe, and that is using a muscle called your diaphragm. Let me explain...

    When we breathe with our lungs, we have to use many muscles to pull our rib cage out when we breathe in and to push our rib cage in when we breathe out. When we breathe with our diaphragm, we are only using this one muscle so it requires less energy.

    Diaphragmatic breathing is a skill that needs to be learned. I know, it seems strange to think that we need to learn how to breathe. The steps involved in the diaphragmatic breathing exercise are simple, but it is important that you follow the steps as they are written. Also, because this is a skill that needs to be learned, you should expect that it is going to take time and practice to become an "expert diaphragmatic breather." Do not become too frustrated if it does not work at first, because as with any new skill, you have to give yourself time and lots of practice.

    Of course, if you read through the steps below and are unsure as to how to do them or try them and you experience problems, consult with a professional who is trained in this area (e.g., a psychologist that specializes in behavioral medicine/medical psychology).

    Here are the steps:

• Find a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted for about 10 minutes.
• Lie one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Many people say that it helps to do this exercise lying down because you can detect movement of the stomach and chest easier. Others prefer to do the exercise sitting upright in a chair.
• When you breathe in (inhale), you want the hand on your stomach to go UP (i.e., your stomach goes out). While inhaling, do it slowly to a count of 3 (one count per second).
• After inhaling, hold your breath for a count of one second.
• When you breathe out (exhale), you want the hand on your stomach to go DOWN (i.e., your stomach goes in). Again, breathe out slowly to a count of 3 (one count per second).
• The hand on your chest should NOT be moving. This takes practice, so do not get frustrated if your chest is moving.
• You should repeat the inhaling, hold, exhaling cycle approximately 15-20 times.
• Practice this technique several times a day because it takes some time to learn and the exercise does not take much time to practice.

IMPORTANT: It is very important that you breathe in and out SLOWLY. If you breathe too quickly, you may hyperventilate, and this is not very relaxing! Thus, if you notice yourself feeling out of breath or dizzy, stop the exercise and think about whether you are following the instructions of inhaling over 3 seconds, holding your breath for one second, and then exhaling over 3 seconds.

If you are unsure of the procedure or experience difficulties, speak to the health care professional(s) treating your condition to see if they can help you or give you a referral to someone who can help you with this skill.

* This web page is designed to provide information and does not constitute development of a professional relationship. You are strongly encouraged to speak to the health care professional(s) who are treating your chronic illness to obtain a suitable referral.