Crocodile Breathing with Lateral Expansion
This exercise or technique is used to teach and train diaphragmatic breathing with focus on lateral expansion of the diaphragm.
- Starting Position:
- Prone
Begin in the prone posture by positioning yourself face down, so that your stomach is on the floor with your forehead on your hands, both palms down, one covering the other. Make sure the chest and arms are relaxed, and you are as "flat" as you can get; your neck should be relaxed and comfortable.
Partner will place hands on the sides just above the pelvis but below the ribs.
Breathe in through the nose and feel the air move down past the chest into the "stomach." When this happens, you will feel the abdomen push out against the ground. This should happen naturally without you forcing your stomach out.
The partner will be giving feedback to the person breathing by slightly applying pressure to the lateral aspect of the stomach. The use of a partner can empathize the importance of diaphragmatic breathing. The partner’s hands should be pushed away from the stomach when partner inhales.
Exhale fully before beginning the next breath cycle.
