How to Breathe with Your Diaphragm

Understanding diaphragmatic breathing and why it matters for your breathing, nervous system and overall wellbeing.

Breathing is something we do around 20,000 times every day, yet most of us have never been taught how to breathe efficiently.

One term you may have come across is diaphragmatic breathing, sometimes referred to as "belly breathing." While it's often recommended for relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing is about much more than helping you feel calm.

The diaphragm is your primary breathing muscle. When it works well, breathing tends to become more efficient, requiring less effort and supporting healthy movement of the rib cage and lungs.

Let's explore what the diaphragm is, how it works, and how you can begin developing healthier breathing patterns.

What Is the Diaphragm?

The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle that sits beneath your lungs, separating your chest cavity from your abdomen.

It is the primary muscle responsible for breathing.

When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward. This creates more space within the chest, allowing the lungs to expand and fill with air.

As you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its resting position, helping air leave the lungs.

While several muscles can assist with breathing when demand increases—such as during exercise or illness—the diaphragm is designed to perform most of the work during quiet breathing.

Why Does Diaphragmatic Breathing Matter?

When the diaphragm is working efficiently, breathing often becomes:

• More relaxed

• More efficient

• Less effortful

• Better coordinated with the movement of the rib cage

Efficient breathing may also help support:

• Nervous system regulation

• Reduced breathing effort

• Better breathing mechanics

• Improved exercise tolerance

• Speaking and voice control

• Recovery after physical or mental stress

The goal isn't to breathe more deeply.

It's to allow your primary breathing muscle to do the job it was designed to do.

Isn't Diaphragmatic Breathing Just Belly Breathing?

Not exactly.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that diaphragmatic breathing means pushing the stomach out as far as possible.

In reality, diaphragmatic breathing is much more subtle.

As the diaphragm contracts, you may notice:

• Gentle expansion around the lower ribs

• Slight movement through the abdomen

• Expansion into the sides and back of the rib cage

The movement should feel natural rather than exaggerated.

Trying to force the belly outward can actually create unnecessary tension and make breathing less efficient.

Signs You May Be Overusing Your Accessory Breathing Muscles

The muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper chest are designed to assist breathing when demand increases.

However, if they become the primary muscles used throughout the day, breathing can become more effortful.

Some common signs include:

• Shoulders lifting with each breath

• Tightness through the neck or upper chest

• Frequent sighing

• Feeling like you can't get a satisfying breath

• Breathing that feels rushed or noisy

These patterns don't necessarily indicate a problem, but they may suggest your breathing could become more efficient.

How to Practise Diaphragmatic Breathing

Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down.

Allow your shoulders to soften.

Rather than trying to take a large breath, simply notice how your body already breathes.

Now place your hands around the sides of your lower ribs.

As you inhale gently through your nose, notice whether your ribs expand sideways into your hands.

As you exhale, allow the ribs to soften back towards one another.

There's no need to force the movement.

The breath should remain:

• Quiet

• Comfortable

• Relaxed

• Through the nose where comfortable

Practise for two to five minutes.

Remember, the quality of the breath is more important than the size of the breath.

Common Mistakes

Many people unintentionally make breathing harder by trying too hard.

Some common mistakes include:

Taking overly large breaths

More air isn't always better.

Breathing beyond what your body requires can increase breathing effort and reduce comfort.

Forcing the abdomen out

The movement should happen naturally rather than being exaggerated.

Lifting the shoulders

Your shoulders should remain relatively relaxed during quiet breathing.

Trying to breathe perfectly

Healthy breathing isn't about perfection.

It's about allowing your body to breathe with less effort.

Diaphragmatic Breathing and the Nervous System

Breathing and the nervous system influence one another continuously.

When we're under stress, breathing often becomes faster, higher into the chest and less efficient.

As breathing becomes quieter, slower and more relaxed, many people notice they begin to feel calmer.

This isn't because diaphragmatic breathing "switches off" stress.

Rather, efficient breathing may help support parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is associated with rest, recovery and restoration.

When Diaphragmatic Breathing May Feel Difficult

Some people find diaphragmatic breathing challenging at first.

This can happen for many reasons, including:

• Habitual upper chest breathing

• Pregnancy

• Chronic stress

• Persistent pain

• Respiratory conditions

• Anxiety

• Limited rib cage mobility

Rather than forcing change, it's often more helpful to approach breathing with curiosity.

Small improvements over time are far more valuable than trying to change everything at once.

How The Guided Breath Can Help

At The Guided Breath, diaphragmatic breathing is just one part of understanding your overall breathing pattern.

Sessions begin by exploring how you currently breathe before introducing breathing strategies that are appropriate for your goals, health history and lifestyle.

Rather than teaching the same breathing exercises to everyone, I take an individualised, evidence-informed approach to help you develop breathing patterns that feel sustainable and practical in everyday life.

Whether your goal is to reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance performance or simply breathe with less effort, learning how your diaphragm works can provide a valuable foundation.

Key Takeaways

• The diaphragm is your primary breathing muscle.

• Efficient diaphragmatic breathing is gentle, relaxed and requires less effort.

• Diaphragmatic breathing involves movement through the lower ribs as well as the abdomen—not just the belly.

• Overusing the neck and shoulder muscles may make breathing feel less efficient.

• Small improvements in breathing awareness can support breathing mechanics, nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing.

• Healthy breathing is about breathing efficiently—not breathing more.

References

Courtney, R. (2009). The functions of breathing and its dysfunctions and their relationship to breathing therapy. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 12(3), 78–85.

Bordoni, B., & Zanier, E. (2013). Anatomic connections of the diaphragm: Influence of respiration on the body system. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 6, 281–291.

Russo, M. A., Santarelli, D. M., & O'Rourke, D. (2017). The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe, 13(4), 298–309.

Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow breathing shifts autonomic nervous system balance. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571.