The Thickness of Your Diaphragm is Associated with the Health of Your Respiratory Tract: Yoga Thickens the Diaphragm!
We often talk about why a long exhale calms your brain. If you are a yoga professional, or simply a person who breaths, you may have experienced for yourself that taking a deeper inhale and exhale in yoga can send you to a deeper state of relaxation. However, new research finds there are more benefits to a deep belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing practice. A recent study has further found that the regular practice of yoga, which traditionally involves diaphragmatic breathing throughout, improves the parameters of diaphragm thickness. This in turn, helps improve posture. Yoga for posture can benefit the spine, back and hips.
Yoga for posture.
Now, why is that important?
Diaphramatic breathing contributes to 80% of the volume of air you bring into your lungs. A strong, and thick, diaphragm is an integral part of the core musculature and helps the diaphragm be more effective. Further the diaphragm works in tandem with other core muscles to provide stability and maintain good posture, which can help prevent back pain and injuries. Yoga for back pain helps us rethink our approach to pain management. Yoga for posture
Not only this, but the diaphragm plays a role in supporting the abdominal organs and regulating intra-abdominal pressure. Further aiding in digestion and gut health. Gut health is essential to overall health. Research has found that patients with IBS have changes in the gut microbiome, which can influence intestinal inflammation and pain. Yoga for IBS is a bio-psycho-social answer to relieving symptoms of IBS.
So the next time you’re conciously breathing to your ‘belly’ in your yoga practice, remember how powerful your own breath can be.
For more on breathing techniques, visit The Minded Institute YouTube.
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