Have You Been Diaphragmatic Breathing WRONG?! (do this instead)

Beginner Body Restoration Program: www.conorharris.com/beginner-...
0:00 Why Most People Diaphragmatic Breathing Incorrectly
2:48 How Breathing Is Related To Pain
4:57 Diaphragmatic Breathing Walkthrough

[@Kate_Falls]

I can't tell you how grateful I am for this! I used to be a singing teacher and I can't remember how often I told my students how nobody would want air in their bellies and where our lungs are actually located in the body. Thank you so much for spreading this. Many of my own teachers used to want everyone breathing "into their bellies" and was a long way to discover the root cause of my breathing issues. Old habits easily come back to bite you in the posteriour and I certainly didn't want that to happen to any of the students I felt responsible for. Seeing the physiotherapist pros backing this means the world to me.

[@adrianbiber5340]

i just had my first singing lesson and the teacher was saying, breathe into the belly, but then said make your side/back ribs go out, but i could only do one or the other, and my neck/throat often felt tight. this seems like it's going to solve that problem !!! YIPPEE

[@InventorOfMetal]

Loving the fact that you revise subjects you've already talked about in older videos when you discover new and better ways to explain them. Thank you for all this

[@johnnyhurley7161]

Really glad I found your content. It's pretty crazy how much your videos hone in on what really is the problem at least for my body. As someone with bad breathing habits and a lot of muscle imbalances from sitting / drumming a lot, your videos have already helped me only after watching a couple of them. So thank you for what you do. Edit: literally only thinking about breathing into my ribs has made me feel so much better. It's only been 24 hours since ive implemented it. Keep doing what you're doing 🤘

[@kathrynschumann5254]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge widely. It is so generous of you. As a former ballerina and current Pilates instructor I find your content fascinating, even better, it lets me know I am on the right track with my clients.

[@sarahbear9482]

So relieved to see excellent common sense content once again. I’d been doing low diaphragmatic breathing and ending up feeling nauseous, stressed and out of breath. It never made sense for all the reasons you mentioned. Thank you!

[@KATIECHICK23]

I am so glad i found this video and someone who gives advice that actually helps. It finally validates how I've felt for so long about diaphramatic breathing! The info you give in this video is invaluable. Thank you so much for making it!!!

[@adrianbiber5340]

exactly what i need! thanks, legend!!! my ribs are tight, a little flared, and my belly really goes out with diaphragmatic breathing, which i've done for a couple years now and never understood what was wrong, but knew something was. THANK YOU !!!!

[@yvonnezhao9286]

Wow. I mean wow. That’s why I always love this channel. There are still people in yoga would have misunderstanding about breathing technique, thought only inhalation would make poses or harder poses possible, however the truth is many poses or transitions would be working only when we are exhaling in mode of relaxation. This video really explains everything. Heart it.

[@missmissy2490]

Excellent! As a professional wind instrument player I heartily agree. We learn this kind of technique in our study. Again, well done!

[@ryanmora3334]

Love your content Conor. Keep up the great work

[@edge3220]

I'd love to see your take on pelvic floor dysfunction.

[@tahoeguy1743]

Connors website has a beginner body restoration course, and a anterior pelvic tilt course... After doing both of these courses it completely fixed my pelvic floor issues, because my pelvic position (and rib position) was the problem... Also fixed my breathing, posture, gait pattern, s.i. joint pain, back and neck pain... Thank you Conor for providing such life changing techniques at such an affordable price! Way cheaper than all the "physical therapy" and chiropractics that never helped me... I still do some of the techniques daily to maintain myself and I continue to improve my breathing and movement patterns in about 15-20 mins... I never thought it could be so simple, but it was for me anyway... Life changing

[@user-dg6zy3fs6c]

@@tahoeguy1743 broooo can u help me plz, if I can get ur phone number or something I’ve been suffering from pelvic floor dysunfction for so long and I need help

[@user-dg6zy3fs6c]

@@tahoeguy1743 if u could provide any advice for me that would be huge, or if I could get in contact with you. I am suffering

[@WilderNW]

I'd love to see him stand next to someone I know. They look like twins down to age, height, build, and the initials are one off.

[@kg-bx9bc]

Basically interior pelvic tilt and lack of hip internal rotation 😂

[@NiniskoMueller]

Dear Conor, those cues are metaphores that also singing and acting teachers use in order to communicate complex concepts quickly and practicaly. It is because most actors, speakers and even yoga practitioners are no nerds, they simply wanna do the necessary sorta good breathing in order to do the rest, which brings them... joy ? I have heard phrases like : breath into the vagina, breath into the butt, breath into the pelvis, breath into your lower back, hips... you name it. Those are shortcuts to complex context that most students dont give a damn about and for very many of them - it works. It simply works.

[@AboutCreativity1]

That's Amazing, Keep Going!

[@HappilyAnonymousGirl]

I did this exercise last week and have been breathing better ever since. Also, there’s a few things I didn’t expect to happen. When I woke up the day after my first time doing the side lying exercise, my stomach was surprisingly sore. Not in a bad way tho. It just felt like I had done an ab workout lol This exercise is everything. I seriously think every single person could benefit from this. I wasn’t expecting the changes that happened, but I think this changed my life. According to what I’ve learned from different sources, breathing improperly can cause forward head posture and other postural and uncomfortable issues. Those issues are getting better for me now. Thank you so much! ❤❤❤ God bless you!

[@HappilyAnonymousGirl]

You’ve done it again. Yet another timely video that makes me feel like God Himself is telling you what content to make just to help me out 😂 I love it I’m sure many, many people can benefit from this ❤ Thank you

[@Stoffendous]

Youre my Harris, Conor!

[@jerzybaczyk2769]

Very informative comments. Decades ago, I practiced intensive hyperventilation/rebirthing according to the recommendations of the instructors with the tops of the lungs. Today I do it rarely, but from those times I have an unusual but pleasant flexibility of the chest, especially the sternum.

[@ghostAFsky]

Great video and explanations. I've been using an active sitting chair (qor360 ariel), and the more I use it, when I get in the right position I can actually hear what seems to be my ribs 'cracking' a bit as they expand into those areas that have been restricted for so long.

[@Admoyes]

Thanks for these videos, Conor. You've helped me get out of a lot of discomfort and pain relating to rib flair, low back issues etc. I've noticed when I do the breathing exercises, I don't suffer from things like reflux so much. Do you have any thoughts on the relationship between the diaphragm/breathing and reflux-like symptoms?

[@louise4732]

Thank you Conor! It angers me at how many so-called professionals teach belly up and down breathing. That is wrong as you clearly state.

[@myaominky]

When you say “feel the side abs,” do you mean active, as in feel the side abs contracting/engaging? or should the side abs be passive, like feeling the side abs being “pushed out” in the process of inhaling/exhaling? Thank you so much for your continued excellent instruction!

[@melusine826]

Take a look at buteyko breathing - that's what is basically taught. And focuses on the negative pause (holding after exhalation /before inhalation) and moving during the pause.

[@kaitlananderson4302]

Could you make a video about the most common causes of pelvic pain? Thanks so much.

[@you2tooyou2too]

re 2:30 I believe the proper use of 'Diaphragmatic Breathing' in respiratory therapy, yoga, etc., is primarily for abdominal & organ mobility, and secondarily for musculo-sensory isolation. BTW, The diaphragm position determines how much of the abdominal organs are in the ribcage.

[@Dailah_soul]

OMG! Thank you! saying breathe and let your belly expand makes no sense because your belly expands when you exhale, not when you breath in. Breathing in will naturally make every thing either stay or go in too. People act like naturally when you inhale, every thing will expand and that is not the case.

[@ilmarivuoristo9796]

Swimming is really great exercice for this! It really helps to expand your ribcage and improve general breathing and lung capacity.

[@adamwells1297]

Hey on the exhale are we supposed to be actively forcing breath out or just letting it out naturally? I'm finding forcing the breath out is giving me bladder issues and tight muscles around that area

[@jonathanhall1823]

The first exercise is demonstrated much detailed than the video linked in Beginner Restoration Program 😅

[@tasospanagiotou7823]

Do you agree or disagree with the full yogic breath? Is it the same as the diaphragmatic breath? Can someone practice both? I ask mainly because the guidline in the full yogic breath says that you fill first the lower abdomen then the upper then the ribs then the chest as opposed to filling them simultaneously.

[@Gptmas]

I’m doing to begin a restoration program and just received the email with an updated version. Is this the continuation or a whole another program?

[@amyjoseph3914]

Any thoughts on IBS and digestive problems?

[@VHVH1]

I cant inhale properly because my nose middle wall is twisted. I hope I get help through surgery. Im on right bc pattern with left rib flare

[@xpost92]

100% correct

[@undefeat2000]

I badly misunderstood the cue "side abs slightly engaged and ribs down" about 6 months ago when I started doing some of these breathing exercises. I thought I engaged side abs, in fact I would compress the hell out of my rib cage and cramp the diaphragmatic and abdominal muscles. Man, that caused me a lot of troubles down the way, issues with neck (painfull swallowing), pelvic floor pain, anxiety and panic attacks. Thank God I was able to break out of that loop. I was stupid and didn't pay enough attention to what those cues mean. We have a saying, ask the stupid person to pray and he will bash his head against the floor. That was me 😂

[@felixp3674]

I also struggle with the side ab Engagement cue. What resolved it for you?

[@undefeat2000]

@@felixp3674 I can't say the side abs function has improved yet. I took a long break from any exercise to recover from the damage I've done. But what I'm thinking to do in the future is what Conor has recommended kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5iZqKtqib1skJo and work more on restoring the hip flexion. But without trying to "control" my breathing. If I try to force whatever cue during breathing I just become tense across the body and it doesn't and up well for me.

[@InventorOfMetal]

For me the most important cue that I have to remind myself is staying relaxed throughout all of these exercises. You need this to engage the parasympathetic nervous system in order for your body to let go of tightness. So anytime you feel like you're struggling to get into the right position or feel the right muscles, stop, do some long exhales to relax, and try again. If you still can't do it you're either doing something wrong or you're not ready for that specific exercise. I'm saying this based on things I've heard in Connor's videos and my personal experience of trying to apply these concepts on my body by myself, without being qualified in some way. Remember that this is not an ideal situation, it makes a huge difference if you can have someone coach you through these exercises. So if you have to do this on your own, you really need to be careful and mindful of when you're pushing yourself too much. It's really easy to obsess and lose track of the most basic cue: staying chill

[@undefeat2000]

@@InventorOfMetal I can subscribe under every word you wrote. I had to learn it through my struggle. I'm coming from a powerlifting that I was doing most of my life and it's very challenging for me to shift the mindset from trying to generate as much force as possible. Also I haven't suspected these seemingly light and easy exercises can f*** me up that bad, when applied incorrectly with force. For now, what I found is that I need at least some resistance to stay chill, just have to make sure I position my body in the right direction so that everything else is taken care of by the gravity. Apart from that, just learning to relax.

[@undefeat2000]

What helps me nowadays is mindful meditation, just sitting comfortably and focusing on my breath without trying to control it. I do it 10min a day (with Waking up app) and I noticed I get more relaxed in general.

[@aurelie5445]

On the first position, does it matter which side we lie on? Would lying on the left help with the right BC pattern?

[@nitishkumar-xq6ww]

sir my upper thorasic region does not move ,so for compensation upper front ribs are inflammed [condition called costocondritis] please tell some tell some excercise to add that upper thorasic region into breathing

[@PPYTAO]

Do you think there is any interplay between these ideas and pectus excavatum? Could poor posture and breathing form lead to flared ribs to this degree?

[@gunner1484]

How do you deliberately practice breathing into your lungs as opposed to your stomach? Do you just try to focus on breathing into your lungs when you inhale? Thanks in advance for any response.

[@birdgang4lyfe]

Is left (top) knee supposed to be behind right?

[@eddiesasquatch8124]

I am in my car seat or standing. How kan I feel myself out in the kar seat. I have since after the level valley dairy assault a scoliosis between the shoulder blades. I am trying to learn for singing praktice but it seems their method of breathing into the belly doesn't work well and looking at vacuum breathing and variants again I feel seized in position ONLY GOING UP AND DOWN AND I DON'T FEEL ANY EXPANSION OR CONTRAKTION. This circumfrential rib movement you describe doesn't seem to be my movements. In a simple quick feeling of my lower ribs while I am sitting I DON'T feel my arms going outward it only feels like going upward and further up in the raising of the chest and expanding into the abdomen between the ribs. I hope you will be able to think for us who are either sitting a lot in a vehicle or standing up outside in a parking lot depending on weather to help to change these konditions!

[@videshwarbissessar5234]

Can someone with a forward head use this technique?

[@MonuSingh-hd2pr]

I really face problem while engaging the side abs, can anyone please suggest me what to do.

[@ODessa002]

I need help. I have scoliosis pelvic floor dysfunction and it is killing me. i forgot how to breathe somehow. I went to a chiropractor that totally messed me up and basically told me i was breathing wrong and thats why i had more issues. So i started belly breathing bc thats what he told me to do. And to my surprise my scoliosis got worse, my breathing got shallow and short, i started having roundee shoulders and more. I currently can't even reat my tounge in my mouth and my throat and neck always hurts. Ive been practicing good posture but im so tight and wounded up thats its getting to hard to move around. I am also a dancer and I can't even stand up for 5 mins without having to do some kind of stretch. I cant explain everyhting because thats just alot to type and i dont wanna make anyone do allat but if anyone knows some places or doctors i could see in the Jacksonville Florida area let me know😭

[@user-jk2he7nl2o]

I realised that i breathe correctly only when im laying down, whenever im standing, i cant do it like that. Will this excercising of diaphragmatic breathing laying down ever translate to normally breathing when i stand? Odr am i just going to continue breathing okay just when laying down?

[@ivantereshchenko3785]

Would be great to hear your take on pelvic floor dysfunction (tight pelvic floor in particular). Diaphragmatic breathing does help a bit, but doesn't solve it 100%. What do you think are the main culprit of pelvic floor tension? An insane number of people suffer from it, and all advice they often get is "breath with your belly" and "massage it".

[@johnnyhurley7161]

This is what has helped me. Think about untucking your tail bone. Not arching your low back into anterior pelvic tilt, but contracting your lower back and lifting your tail bone. This, for me at least, gets my pelvis to chill out.

[@Itsrlyfun]

@@johnnyhurley7161 this! The distinction between these two things. Didn’t realize til recently you could do one without the other (due to dormant muscles and fascia I never use) and it has also helped me a lot. Fixing weak hamstrings, glutes, erectors, hip flexors and understanding the connection between the external obliques and hip adductors (many topics Conor addresses) has helped me regain mind muscle connections to those places I lost contact with so I could do this. Not 100% yet but omw

[@nexnexusnex]

@@johnnyhurley7161man, i suffer from tight pelvic floor and i notice that the days when i’m not tight at all and relaxed are the one where i can feel my tailbone in the position that u said, which excercise did help you the most?

[@kahkashananjum8346]

Bro I need help. Can you make a video that tells how to fix right tmcc? I mean like, how to fix pelvic tilt and shoulders and everything. I kinda just need a video that can help me fix al the imbalance I have so that I can start going to the gym

[@MaxJansen-kw6qs]

Found anything on this subject?

[@-technodream-]

Hi Conor Would I be right in assuming that you use this technique while standing/sitting/walking & are we always looking at having a slight side ab engagement throughout our waking day? X

[@JayLim-pw2zx]

You do need oppositional force from abdominal tension to distribute proper expansion and control the rate of each breath taken. At the end of a full exhale, pay attention to the abdominal regions that turn on and retain the slight tension in them as you inhale. You’ll notice the lower ribs expanding more to the sides than with belly breathing.

[@-technodream-]

@@JayLim-pw2zx thanks for reply/input. What you mention is happening,so glad I’m on the right track x

[@TroiaX2010]

Why baby breath in with belly? Is just consequence of his structure? (that will change along live)

[@matthendrixx]

Just started your beginner program - do I have to exhale out my mouth? Or can I eventually engage my side abs and be able to nose exhale?

[@thebodykeepsthescore2828]

Nose is better. Nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest). Where as mouth breathing activates the sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze).

[@artherleung5631]

🙏🙏🙏🙇🙇🙇 Thank you for your sharing. Regarding the breathing exercises, may I ask what the effects are of lying on the left or right side during training? Also, how should I determine which side a patient should lie on? I am interested in purchasing your course. Could you please advise if the self face Biomechanics Course is suitable for people who only have basic anatomy knowledge and few years experience in weight training? Thank you🙇🙇🙇.

[@dannybell3]

I have a question if anyone could help. How would this apply to someone experiencing symptoms of chronic hyperventilation/disordered breathing pattern, likely because of the patterns discussed in PRI? Because from my understanding, a person hyperventilating should try to avoid long exhales through the mouth due to losing CO2 according to the buteyko method. If anyone has any advice it's much appreciated!

[@neinbruderja7519]

Generally your assumption is accepted and respected by most pri practitioners. However, in order to create shape change within the ribcage, we need to get the ribs to move and that means to move a higher amount of air than usual. Inhale is out of the window because of high muscle tension during forceful inhales inhibiting the effects. What were left with is the long exhale. Also many practitioners coach a little variation of the control pause after the exhale. That's the trade off. Besides that, you don't breathe like that outside of exercises. So you should be good.

[@user-rh3ho8jd2w]

Can you show diaphragmatic breathing while standing .

[@hypermobilesinger]

What books should I get so I can study respiration, the different rib cage cavities, all the joint actions related, etc

[@MonuSingh-hd2pr]

Breath by james nestor

[@Tumpz]

Wait, the lungs are in the ribcage? 😮

[@AestivalSpirit]

I’m seeing a disparity between what my Speech Pathologist says about diaphragmatic breathing and your explanation of doing it wrong. Following the steps outlined the chest area is to not move, or a lesser movement if possible. These two ideals are in conflict, so why is that? Because I’m finding a lot of “doing it wrong” videos are counter to what is being taught to me. So, I ask again, why is that?

[@domenikschubert7147]

They got confused. What people tryna avoid by belly breathing is acessory breathing (heavy breathing) by using excessive pec and neck musculature. They tryna avoid that by limiting Overall movement in the upper chest, which can work. However that shouldnt be confused with anterior chest wall expansion, which happens not by acessory breathinh musculature but as a mere consequence of inflating the lungs in and of itself. That movement is not considered acessory and should happen in silent breathing as well. Silent nasal Inhales btw are shown to be a much more effizient way to inhibit acessory breathing musculature than forcing the air or expansion somewhere else, namely the belly. Without pelvic floor disfunction, the organs furing inhalation should descend towards the pelvis and not bulge out like someone on heavy steroid use. That doesnt mean that the ab wall shouldnt move at all in normal respiration. Try lying on your side with a pillow underneath head and maybe even the ribcage and Focus on silent inhales that expand ab and chest wall equally with soft, prolonged exhales. You could also play with the top arm going into horizontal abduction/protraction during the breathing cycle to enhance anterior/posterior expansion. That topic is one of the rare exceptions where some random dude on the internet might be more backed up by recent research than most professionals out there. PT and respiratory work currently seem to be in some sort of reformation.

[@yvonnemariane2265]

but it's not even 'belly or not belly' -- The whole girdle area should have a slight "zipped-up" feeling/tone *then* let the belly and other areas expand as the diaphragm moves down. WIth a slack belly tho it and the ribs will just pop out, not great, and makes proper exhalation hard too.

[@fbritorufino]

Trying to have a better understanding of this topic and this is the most complete explanation I've seen so far. My impression is that many misguided rules and recommendations stem from overcorrecting some specific mistake, such that they end up applying/indicating the mobilization of a specific area to the exclusion of another. So belly breathing shouldn't imply pelvic, posterior or thoracic muscle immobility, etc. The target would be a correct balance of a whole set of muscles in the torso. Is that a correct takeaway?

[@disappearingink1354]

This was so fascinating! I've been playing the flute since age 8 and was taught to "breathe from the belly" to provide more air to the instrument. Was surprised how much more air I was actually able to take in during this exercise vs starting at the belly and filling up toward the lungs like I would typically do.

[@user-dg6zy3fs6c]

Conor I am suffering from hard flaccid which is a sexual issue and I believe it is because I am stuck in patho pec. Can you plz help me?

[@metalhead00xx]

Sorry for the dumb question, what are "side abs?"

[@conorharris]

Obliques. Specifically internal obliques here and a bit of your Transverse Abdominis as well 🙂

[@metalhead00xx]

Thanks

[@madsen4617]

Another thing I've been fucking up, great

[@rascal3956]

Etc = et cetera, not excetera

[@ellenarnett3527]

Not "expand your belly". "Expand your diaphragm" is the instruction. DIAPHRAGM. Not BELLY!

[@life_score]

I’ve almost always heard “belly”