This article is breath training. The goal is to rebuild breathing capacity and mechanics so the diaphragm, rib cage, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor work together as one coordinated system. When this system is organised, the ribs expand around the full circumference, the diaphragm can descend fully, and the neck no longer has to do the job it was never meant to do.

20,000
breaths per day putting load through the spine
60, 80%
of chronic pain patients have breathing dysfunction
22, 35%
pain reduction from slow nasal breathing in research

The three dysfunction patterns

Before introducing the reset, it helps to understand what you are correcting. Most people have one dominant pattern, sometimes two. None of them are personal failures. They are learned adaptations, often responses to stress, pain, or simply never being taught how to breathe well.

Pattern 1: Neck-driven breathing

The breath starts in the upper chest and throat. The scalenes and sternocleidomastoid feel active or tight. The collarbones lift early and the ribs do not widen around the sides and back.

Why it matters: the neck becomes the primary breathing driver and the rib cage loses true circumferential expansion. This increases compressive tone through the thorax and upper back with every single breath.

Pattern 2: Abdominal distension breathing

The belly pushes forward, especially around the navel. The ribs do not expand evenly and the front ribs may flare. The breath feels big in the belly but shallow in the sides and back ribs.

Why it matters: forward distension changes the pressure cylinder, destabilises the lower rib boundary, and commonly drives compensations through the lumbar spine and hip flexors.

Pattern 3: Gripping and holding

The abdominal wall is rigid or braced. The breath feels blocked, tight, or effortful. The ribs barely move and the body tries to pull air with the neck instead.

Why it matters: grip is not control. Rigid bracing blocks diaphragm descent and forces the breath upward, increasing spinal load and sympathetic nervous system activity.

30-second self-assessment

Use this as a quick check before you train. You are not judging yourself, you are locating the pattern so you know what to work on.

Self-assessment
  • 1
    Stand tall. Let the jaw soften. Let the shoulders hang.
  • 2
    Place one hand on the side ribs and one hand over the navel.
  • 3
    Inhale through the nose once, without forcing.
  • 4
    Notice what moves first: neck, front ribs, belly push, or side and back ribs.

What you want to feel: the abdomen stays gently depressed, the ribs widen around the sides and back, and the neck stays quiet.

The Pranayama Reset

This is the breath-training pattern used to rebuild mechanics and capacity. It is not a relaxation trick. You are taking your breath into the gym, strengthening coordination, oxygen uptake potential, and nervous system regulation at the same time.

The Protocol
  • 1
    Set the frame. Stand or lie on your back with knees bent. Stack ribs over pelvis. Keep the front ribs down without collapsing. Let the throat and jaw soften.
  • 2
    Organise the base. Bring a gentle, supportive tone into the pelvic floor and lower abdominal wall. The navel area draws inward and downward toward the pelvic floor. This is not a hard brace, it is the base that makes 360 degree rib expansion possible.
  • 3
    Long nasal inhale with 360 degree rib expansion. Inhale through the nose as long as you can while keeping the abdomen gently depressed and the ribs expanding around the whole circumference. Count the inhale silently to measure capacity. Stop the moment you feel rib flare, neck takeover, or belly distension.
  • 4
    Gentle release exhale. Exhale through the nose or mouth with a soft, unforced release. Do not time it. Do not push. Let the ribs settle while the base stays responsive.
  • 5
    Repeat and build capacity. Each round is a clean rep. Capacity increases when form stays true: base organised, abdomen depressed, ribs expanding 360 degrees, neck quiet. Do not chase a bigger inhale by flaring the ribs or pushing the belly out.
The principle

Clean reps matter more than big reps. Bigger is not better if the mechanics collapse. The training is to keep the cylinder organised while capacity grows naturally over time.

During a flare-up

On high-pain days, keep the mechanics and reduce the effort. You are not trying to win a breath contest. You are restoring coordination so the spine can calm and decompress.

Flare-up guidance

Keep the inhale nasal and smooth. Keep the abdomen gently depressed, avoid belly push. Keep ribs expanding around the sides and back with no rib flare. Keep the exhale soft and unforced. If symptoms spike, reduce the size of the inhale and return to a calmer rep.

Tracking your progress

Progress in breath training is not always obvious day to day. These are the signals that the work is having an effect:

  • ↑
    Inhale count, how high you can count on a clean nasal inhale before form degrades
  • ↓
    Neck effort, less scalene and throat tension during the inhale
  • ↑
    Rib expansion, more side and back rib movement, less front rib flare
  • ↓
    Belly distension, less forward movement around the navel
  • ↑
    Daily life transfer, walking, driving, and standing feel less compressive

Frequently asked questions

Should I exhale through the mouth or the nose?
Either is acceptable. Choose the one that allows a soft, unforced release with no pushing and no timing. The priority is quality and ease, not which route the air takes.
What if my belly pushes forward on the inhale?
That is the abdominal distension pattern. Reduce the size of the inhale and re-establish abdominal depression toward the pelvic floor. Then rebuild the inhale length from there. Small and clean beats big and collapsed every time.
What if my ribs flare?
Stop the inhale earlier. Re-stack ribs over pelvis, keep the front ribs down, and redirect expansion to the sides and back ribs. The ribs widen outward, they do not thrust forward.
What if I feel dizzy or tingly?
That usually means you are pushing the breath too hard. Stop, return to normal breathing, and restart with smaller, gentler reps. If dizziness is recurring or intense, do not continue and consider speaking with a healthcare provider.
How often should I do this?
Train it frequently enough that it becomes your default pattern in walking, standing, and daily life. Quality matters more than duration. Two clean minutes every morning is more valuable than ten forced minutes once a week.
The Self Care Sunday principle

Small actions done consistently are more powerful than big resets done rarely.

This practice is not about perfect technique from day one. It is about showing up every Sunday, doing a few clean reps, and letting the mechanics improve gradually. The nervous system responds to consistency, not intensity.