Another common pattern in non-diaphragmatic breathing is to inhale using the abdominal muscles. Sometimes, when we are typically short of breath, the belly is distended, soft, and flabby. The belly muscles are too soft, and when they go slack the intestines descend, pulling the lungs down. Sometimes people call this “belly breathing” and interpret it as a good sign because they can see that the breath is going down into the abdomen. However, it does not actively involve tightening the respiratory diaphragm. People breathing this way often hold their stomach muscles tight on the inbreath. The
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