How Diaphragmatic Breathing Calms Anxiety and Regulates the Nervous System
- Veena Haasl-Blilie
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
The Foundation of Pranayama, Breathwork, and Nervous System Healing
Diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation of pranayama and all breathwork practices. It is the single most important breathing to learn, practice, and master before exploring advancing yogic breathing methods.
Before practicing other pranayama techniques, it is best for diaphragmatic breathing to become automatic.
Diaphragmatic breathing is how you naturally breathed at birth. However, as time passes, often early in life, this natural breathing pattern becomes disrupted, sometimes leading to the habitual holding of breath.
When you breath diaphragmatically, you shift your nervous system from the fight-or-flight response to rest, restore, and rejuvenation phase of the nervous system.
Are you ready to restore your peace, calm your mind, and change your life—one breath at a time?
Why Diaphragmatic Breathing Changes Everything
Why does diaphragmatic breathing matter—and what are the benefits?
Breath is the bridge between the body and mind. In Ayurveda and Yoga, breath (prana) is the vehicle through which vitality, clarity, and balance are restored. When breathing is shallow or restricted, the nervous system remains in survival mode. When breathing is deep, smooth, and diaphragmatic, the body receives the signal of safety.
Grab a dosha-balancing Ayurvedic beverage, settle into stillness, and discover how learning to breathe properly can transform your physical health, emotional well-being, and mental clarity.
Conscious Encouragement of Healthy Breathing
“When we’re chest breathing, we’re in flight-fight-freeze mode. When we’re breathing diaphragmatically, we’re calm and focused. Breathing diaphragmatically is how nature designed us to breathe.”
Chest breathing is shallow, rapid, and anxiety-producing. Many people unconsciously hold or clench their breath throughout the day, especially under stress. This disrupts oxygen exchange, strains the nervous system, and leaves us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
“If we haven’t shifted from chest breathing back to diaphragmatic breathing, all yoga techniques and relaxation practices will be ineffective.”
Relearning diaphragmatic breathing is simple, gentle, and profoundly life-enhancing. With awareness and daily guided practices, chest breathing can be replaced with diaphragmatic breathing—until it becomes natural and automatic once again".— Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
Chest Breathing vs. Diaphragmatic Breathing
When we chest breathe:
The lungs are not fully utilized
Oxygen exchange is inefficient
Anxiety and fatigue increase
Sleep quality suffers
When we breathe diaphragmatically:
The lungs fully expand
Oxygen exchange improves
The nervous system calms
Energy, clarity, and relaxation return
Three of the most common concerns clients experience—anxiety, fatigue, and poor sleep—are directly related to dysfunctional breathing patterns.
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What Makes Diaphragmatic Breathing So Powerful?
Simply put: breath (prana) links body and mind.
Prana is the animating life force. When breath flows freely, prana flows freely. When breath is restricted, prana becomes disturbed.
Through diaphragmatic breathing:
The mind becomes calm and focused
The body feels energized yet relaxed
Emotional resilience increases
Healing begins at the nervous system level
Change your breath, and your life changes.
Don’t miss this post: Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing and Change Your Life
Ayurveda and Yoga: Sister Sciences of Breath
Ayurveda and Yoga are complementary systems rooted in direct experience. Breath, meditation, and awareness are central tools for exploring our inner landscape.
When prana is balanced through diaphragmatic breathing:
Vitality increases
Stress and burnout melt away
Sleep improves
Digestion strengthens
The doshas rebalance naturally
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Traditional Practices Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises for Anxiety
Diaphragmatic breathing can be practiced standing, seated, supine (Śavāsana), or prone. The most effective position for beginners is Makarasana (Crocodile Pose).
1. Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)
Practicing on the belly allows you to feel the diaphragm engage directly as the abdomen presses into the floor on inhalation and softens on exhalation.
Practice 5–10 minutes, 2–3 times daily.
2. Sandbag Breathing
Sandbag breathing enhances awareness of diaphragmatic movement, not strength.
Lie in Śavāsana
Place a 5-lb sandbag on the lower abdomen
Inhale: feel the bag rise
Exhale: feel it gently fall
Practice for 3–5 minutes daily. Comfort is essential—this is not a forceful practice.
3. Śavāsana (Corpse Pose)
Lie comfortably with one hand on the abdomen. Observe the natural rise and fall of the belly with each breath. Develop awareness of the five qualities of diaphragmatic breathing.
Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing
Calms the nervous system
Reduces anxiety and stress
Improves digestion and elimination
Supports immune health
Enhances sleep quality
Balances Vata in the nervous system
Encourages circulation and detoxification (ama)
Softens facial expression and voice tone
Rejuvenates body tissues
Worth checking out: Ayurveda and the Gut-Brain Connection: How to Reduce Anxiety Naturally Through Digestion 7 Ayurvedic Treatments for Anxiety 5 Ayurveda Tips for Better Digestion Ayurveda Stool Analysis: What Your Poop Says About Your Health Ayurvedic Immunity Boosters for Winter | Natural Ways to Stay Healthy Vata Balancing Recipes: Our Favorite Grounding Ayurvedic Dishes Ayurvedic Facial Analysis: What Your Face Reflects About Your Health
Five Qualities of Diaphragmatic Breathing
Deep
Smooth
Even
Silent
Continuous (without pause)
How Often Should You Practice?
The Cleveland Clinic recommends 5–10 minutes, 3–4 times daily. With consistency, diaphragmatic breathing becomes, once again, your natural, default breathing pattern.
“In time, breathing diaphragmatically becomes how we breathe all the time. Not only something that is peformed in a yoga class or on the mat” — Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
Diaphragmatic Breathing, Pranayama & Meditation
All meditation traditions begin with observing the breath. When we observe diaphragmatic breathing, the parasympathetic nervous system activates, lowering blood pressure, slowing heart rate, and restoring calm.
Pranayama should only be introduced after diaphragmatic breathing is well established, typically after 6–12 months of daily practice.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing?
Immediate calm: under 10 minutes
Habit formation: 1–3 months
Full integration: 6–12 months
"With practice, diaphragmatic breathing becomes effortless, automatic, and deeply restorative. It returns to the breath you were born breathing." -Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing and Change Your Life
Discover how personalized Ayurvedic care can restore your energy, calm your nervous system, and bring your life back into balance with diaphragmatic breathing for anxiety.
When to Seek Professional Guidance
Have you ever tried a dosha quiz? It's no surprise that it becomes complex and confusing for many people rather quickly. Why does this happen?
Here are five key reasons:
First, everyone is comprised of all three doshas.
Second, more than one dosha may be out of balance and there often is.
Third, where you live has an influence on your doshic picture.
Fourth, the season and the seasonal transitions have a dramatic impact on how the doshas manifest.
Fifth, your doshic stage of life is a major influence.
"A precise doshic assessment is crucial for determining the correct Ayurvedic treatment, including herbs, medicinal foods, and lifestyle practices. Clarity in the dosha assessment enables a personalized treatment plan. An inaccurate assessment can lead to incorrect treatment and further imbalances. Assessing your doshic profile involves multiple layers and considers the interaction between doshas, seasons, climate, and life stages. Understanding doshas is fluid and dynamic, is where guidance can be very helpful."
- Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
If you experience persistent health issues or want a clear and deep understanding of your doshic picture, consulting an experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner can provide personalized advice and customized care. They can recommend herbals, gentle cleansing programs, food as medicine, and lifestyle changes tailored to your constitution.
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The depth of my gratitude to Veena increases the more I feel free from the physical discomfort and mental stress of constipation. This is something I have wished for all my adult life.
Thank you so much Veena for everything! You’ve helped me so much. Thanks to you, I’m set up on a great course. Thank you. Eternal gratitude and love.
Geographical distance is not an issue (I'm in the UK) when you can find a wonderful healer like Veena.” -Pippa, United Kingdom
“My Half Year package with Veena was amazing. She is kind and very knowledgeable on ALL things Ayurveda. She asked very in-depth questions and was able to make a unique, personalized protocol for me to follow that started to eliminate my symptoms within the first 2 to 3 weeks. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is struggling with health issues and no answers from allopathic medicine. She is a true healer!”
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Discover the Saumya Ayurveda Way
We all want to be heard, understood, and cared for as whole beings, not a set of isolated symptoms. True health is more than the absence of disease, which is why Western medicine so often leaves us feeling hopeless and unseen.
Deep down, you already know what you’re searching for: a new framework for living – one that brings your entire being back into balance. With Saumya Ayurveda, you’ll receive individualized guidance to create the physically, mentally, and spiritually vibrant life you crave.
Saumya Ayurveda provides concierge, top-notch, award-winning Ayurveda care. We strive to keep it simple, so you can focus on you! Our practice model is client focused not on retailing herbs.
Our effective multi-appointment consultation packages provide you with experienced Ayurveda care, enthusiastic guidance, and inspiring support.
Explore our personalized services and book your FREE discovery call today.
MEET VEENA: YOUR AYURVEDIC GUIDE
Veena is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and meditation teacher, and monk.
She is President Emeritus and teaching faculty of the Meditation Center.
Veena fell in love with the traditional medicine used in her family’s home, learning herbal remedies at her grandmother's knee.
An experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Veena’s deep, intuitive knowledge of Ayurveda empowers her clients to reclaim their fullest, most vibrant lives –mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Veena individualizes treatment plans to each person, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, so it fits your life and becomes woven in your lifestyle, naturally.
Learn more about Veena's work and book your FREE discovery call today.
