There are various postures for learning diaphragmatic breathing. It can be done seated as well as in a lying down position. The following are the postures that are classically employed for diaphragmatic breathing.
Sitting:
There are three classical postures/Asana:
- Swastikasana
- Siddhasana
- Padmasana
The other three postures are:
- Vajrasana
- Sukhasana (sitting cross-legged)
- Maitriasana (sitting on the chair with both feet touching the floor. The last two are especially meant for people who come across leg problems while doing the classic postures.)
Lying Postures
These are very important for not only practising diaphragmatic breathing but also deepening it. Two important postures are:
- Shavasana (lying in relaxed manner on the spine) also called the corpse pose. It involves lying on the back with the hands along the sides of the body, palms upward, and legs slightly apart. This posture is very good for deepening diaphragmatic breathing using sandbag/weights.
- Makarasana (lying on the abdomen) involves lying on the stomach, parting the legs at a comfortable distance and pointing the toes outwards. The arms are folded in front of the body, resting the hands on the biceps. They are positioned so that the chest does not touch the floor.
