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Stomach Y stomach L Jf |
Pulled In |
Expands |
IMlustration A Belly breather ensuring that the stomach rises and falls B Motion of the diaphragm |
during breathing |
Chapter Breathe Deeply Smoothly Slowly and on Long Intervals |
The motion of ones stomach is the telltale sign of diaphragmatic breathing and this |
method works for many people However most instructions for diaphragmatic breathing |
end here This was discouraging for me because felt there should be a more substantial |
protocol Moreover realized my stomach was rising and falling only because was using my |
abdominal muscles rather than my diaphragm to suck it in and push it out No matter how |
tried to vary my approach to each breath my stomach would not move unless used my |
abdominals to move it My diaphragm was so tense that monitoring the motion of my stomach |
did nothing for me wonder how many other people following these guidelines simply use |
their abdominal muscles to mimic the movement without breathing diaphragmatically |
After years of exhaustively reading the medical literature on anxiety became convinced |
that my problem lay with my dysfunctional breathing style was determined to correct it but |
couldnt find anything that explained how would lay on the ground for hours trying to |
perceive the movement of my diaphragm to no avail The diaphragm has relatively few |
proprioceptive nerve endings meaning that it is difficult to tell how much it is contracting and |
where it is in space That makes it very difficult to perceive consciously which makes the |
problem all the worse |
Why did natural selection hide our diaphragm from us Perhaps as with the heart our |
genes dont trust us to know how to control the diaphragm consciously Grievously the body |
has a vested interest in keeping us from interfering with traumas adaptive manifestations If |
our environment is seemingly drastic our genes want us to treat it as such One of the few |
times we notice our diaphragms is when we have hiccups With this in mind try using the |
following activity as an alternative route to getting a feel for your diaphragm |
Breathing Activity Simulating Hiccups |
Fake a hiccup ten times A genuine hiccup utilizes the diaphragm to generate force |
Pay special attention to how it feels to move the diaphragm in the form of a hiccup As you |
feel the muscle contract remind yourself that this is the muscle you want to use to power |
your breath |
A hiccup is initiated by a reflex arc that produces a spasm of the diaphragm myoclonic |
jerk Hiccupping involves rapid abrupt diaphragmatic contractions Of course this is the |
opposite of how you want to breatheie slowly and smoothly However hiccupping helps |
you become acquainted with your diaphragm Fake a few hiccups and you will localize your |
diaphragm in space and sensorium Another way to sense your diaphragm is to hold your |
breath for to seconds You will feel a muscle between your stomach and chest pulsate |
This is the diaphragm trying to jumpstart your breathing pattern |
The key to sensing and recruiting the diaphragm is teaching yourself to breathe at a |
smooth continuous and constant rate This automatically mobilizes the diaphragm because it |
is what the diaphragm is specialized for and designed to do Shallow breathing stifles |
diaphragmatic movement When the diaphragm is stifled we use other less efficient muscles |
for breathing |
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body |
Illustration A Diaphragm lungs and respiratory airways B Diaphragm shown within and outside the rib cage |
C The phrenic nerves send motor commands to the diaphragm and receive sensory information from it |
Distressed Breathing Utilizes the Thorax and Clavicles |
During distressed breathing the stomach doesnt move but the chest does It involves pivoting |
the ribs around the joints where they attach to the vertebrae The thoracic or intercostal |
muscles of the thorax perform this function The thoracic muscles form the meat in between |
the bones of barbecued ribs The external intercostals swing the ribs upward and forward |
powering inhalation The internal intercostals pull the ribs inward and downward powering |
exhalation In a nutshell diaphragmatic breathing presses the floor of the lungs up and down |
whereas thoracic breathing expands the walls of the chest inward and outward One effect of |
this difference is that thoracic breathing does not fill the lower portions of the lungs with air |
while diaphragmatic breathing does Thoracic breathing is inherently shallow It is also less |
efficient because it requires more workand more breathsto transport the same amount of |
oxygen into your blood |
Clavicular breathing is another form of distressed breathing that involves a shrugging of the |
clavicles and shoulders It is even shallower and less efficient than thoracic breathing It is also |
called upper thoracic breathing as it only pulls air into the top third of the lungs Clavicular |
breathing is a serious problem as it can nearly eliminate the function of the diaphragm |
leading to even weaker less effective breaths |
A respiratory physiologist can measure the extent of clavicular and thoracic breathing using |
electromyography by placing electrodes on the muscles surrounding the clavicles and upper |
thorax The electrode readout indicates how active these muscles are and thus how defensive |
the persons breathing is You can observe this yourself by paying careful attention to the |
movement of your shoulders during breathing If they move up with the inbreath you are |
breathing with your clavicles Clavicular breathing becomes especially pronounced during |
exercise In general you should never breathe with your shoulders As Chapter will explain |
it is preferable to keep the shoulders still and pressed toward the floor |
During ideal diaphragmatic breathing the thoracic muscles and the diaphragm work |
together with every breath The diaphragm should lead the thoracic muscles setting the pace |
and making each breath long and smooth As in the synergy seen between sympathetic and |
parasympathetic branches of the nervous system the diaphragm is supposed to work in unison |
with the thoracic musculature This synergy falls apart during anxiety when the thoracic |
Chapter Breathe Deeply Smoothly Slowly and on Long Intervals |
musculature and the sympathetic system take over We have so far encountered two major |
antagonists in our story about chronic stress First we have the overactive sympathetic nervous |
system Second we have overactive thoracic breathing It should come as no surprise that the |
two problems collaborate exacerbating the detrimental effects The resulting distressed |
breathing drains our energy ties knots in our muscles ages us prematurely and turns us into |
nervous wrecks |
The critical link between emotion and stress is the breath The fear and grief circuitry of the |
brain activates thoracic breathing and inhibits diaphragmatic breathing Habitual thoracic or |
clavicular breathing chronically overstimulates the sympathetic nervous system keeping heart |
rate and blood pressure elevated while loading the diaphragm with muscular tension This |
causes sympathetic overload On the other hand the neural circuitry for selfsoothing mood |
stabilization and the calming branch parasympathetic of the nervous system is linked to the |
diaphragm |
There is a simple explanation for this The diaphragm is structured and situated to contract |
slowly and steadily to take in just the right amount of air to oxygenate the body at peace |
It moves at the optimal rate to procure the proper amount of oxygen needed in a tranquil |
environment However its leisurely pace would be a hindrance to wild animals in a hostile |
environment |
Thoracic musculature is optimized to produce accelerated breathing during a crisis |
Thoracic breathing allows mammals to actively modulate their breaths in response to |
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