Reverse Breathing

During my years as a meditation teacher I discovered that many people unconsciously practice “reverse breathing”. Reverse breathing is simply when the breathing process is reversed and the body contracts on the in breath instead of expanding. One woman told me that her father had a loud voice and was angry a lot. When he was around she tried to make herself smaller so that he wouldn’t notice her and be angry with her. This became her normal way of breathing; she was completely unaware of it. Learning to breathe correctly went a long way toward helping her reduce stress.

Here is a simple test:

·         Place your thumbs on your waist with your fingers pointing towards your navel.

·         Take a deep breath in.

·         If your stomach and chest expand you are breathing correctly.

·         If you stomach retracts then your breathing process is reversed.

Try taking a deep breath and expanding your stomach. You may be surprised at how much deeper you can breathe.

Reverse breathing constricts the capacity of the lungs. It may only occur when you’re under stress or it may be the normal way you breathe. Becoming aware of this breathing pattern can go a long way to producing a deeper, slower breathing practice.