Simple Spiritual Diaphragmatic Breathing

Triggering, falling off the wagon, blaming others, attention seeking, etc. – unhealthy responses to frayed emotions. PANIC!

Controlling your breath and using this as a focal point, is a simple and essential method of calming and centring ourselves.

With practice, this Simple Spiritual Diaphragmatic Breathing technique can take us from panic to calm, within seconds.

Do This

1. Sit comfortably (this can be done sitting, laying on your back, or standing). Relax.
2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your ribs.
3. Breathe in deeply and slowly, through your nose, inflating only your belly. You should feel your stomach inflate out against your hand.
4. As your stomach area fills, continue to inhale, now inflating only your upper chest. You should feel your upper chest inflate out against your hand.
5. Once your lungs are filled, pause. Imagine your breath filling your head.
6. Exhale, first from your stomach, then from your upper chest.
7. Repeat as many times as needed for you to feel relaxed.

Advanced – a spiritual exercise

Once you feel comfortable with this technique, make these adjustments:

1. Remove your hands, and simply allow your chest / stomach to roll and expand.
2. As you inflate your stomach say, “Holy”
   As you inflate your chest say, “Spirit”
   As you pause then exhale say, “Fill me”
3. As you exhale, surrender everything to the Holy Spirit (or to Jesus or to Father God).
4. IF you have specific areas of concern, pain, emotional triggering, etc., imagine the breath going into these areas, at step #5, above, while inviting the Holy Spirit into these areas.