3-part breathing is calming, grounding and helps you to connect to what is happening in your physical body. While you can do this exercise while seated, you can more effectively feel the flow of your breath when lying on your back.

PART 1

Lay on your back with your eyes closed. Relax your body. Place one hand on your hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly. Breathe normally and notice your breath without changing anything. Inhale and exhale deeply through your nose for several breaths. On your inhalation, fill up your belly with your breath, expanding your belly with air (imagine filling a balloon). On your exhalation, expel all the air out from the belly through your nose. Draw your navel back towards your spine to make sure that the belly is fully emptied. Repeat this deep belly breathing for about five breaths.

PART 2

On your next inhalation, fill the belly up with air as in part 1. When the belly is full, draw in a little more air and let it expand into the rib cage (feel your ribs expand). On the exhalation, release the air first from the rib cage (feel the ribs slide together) and then from the belly, drawing the navel back towards the spine. Repeat this deep breathing into the belly and rib cage for about five breaths.

PART 3

On the next inhalation, fill the belly and rib cage up with air as described in part 2. Then draw in a little more air and let it fill the upper chest and collarbone (feel the area around the heart expand and rise). On the exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest, then from the rib cage, letting the ribs slide closer together. Finally, let the air go from the belly, drawing the navel back towards the spine. You are practicing three-part breath! Continue at your own pace and aim to lengthen the counts of your breath. For example breathing in for 4 counts and out for 5, then in for 5, out for 6, eventually coming to let the three parts of the breath happen smoothly without pausing.