3 part breathing

3 parts breathing

Taking a deep, spacious breath is a learnable skill and can make a difference. To make sure my lungs fill fully and properly, I do it in 3 parts:

  1. First, fill the bottom part of my lungs using my diaphragm.
  2. Second, fill the middle part of my lungs using my rib cage muscles.
  3. Last, fill the top part of my lungs using my chest muscles.

Each of the three muscle groups can move to a certain minimum and a maximum. The movement is all-around, in 360⁰. Filling the lungs this way is similar to filling a glass of water. It starts from the bottom, then the middle of the glass, and finally, the top. To ensure my lungs fully deflate, I empty them in reverse order.

For muscle activation, timing is critical, and the process is performed in consecutive steps rather than simultaneously. When I fill my lungs using this 3-part process, my accessory breathing muscles (neck, shoulder, and abdominal) should be inactive.

Unlike 3-part breathing, if the lower parts of my lungs remain inactive, breathing is mainly done by the chest and rib cage muscles. That leads to shallow, vertical breathing, which may cause my lungs to empty and fill incompletely.