By Col Wajid Hussain
THE REVERSE BREATHER
When you inhale, your breath starts in the upper chest raising the shoulders, the chest aggressively puffs out and upward and the abdomen pulls in toward the spine. Then, on the exhale, your abdomen moves back outward. This means that, most of the time, your stomach muscles are contracted and you may feel your muscles in your neck tense.
THE CHEST BREATHER
This is the most common breathing pattern. The chest breather is over-reliant on using secondary breathing muscles in upper chest, back and shoulders, causing stiffness, tension, and eventually pain in these areas. Most potent reason this habit is sucking in your stomach to look slimmer or suffering chronic stress.
THE DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHER
This is the way nature intended us to breathe., which requires inhaling and exhaling through the nose. During inhalation, movement begins in your diaphragm around the bottom of your ribs, the chest expanding, following the movement of lower ribs. Your shoulders stay mostly still and mid to lower ribs expand sideways.Your abdomen rises passively, following the movement of your ribs. Your stomach goes in. Watch any healthy child to instantly recognize this breathing pattern. This pattern keeps your O2 and CO2 balanced—for most people around 10–14 breaths per minute. — Pak Destiny
