Resistance on breathing

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

hello everyone
I tried an experiment with breathing
I lie on my back then i take 6 one kilogram dumbell plates and stack them over my navel so that the hole in the plates line up with my bellybutton. then i put a 3.5kg weight on top of these so the surface area of the weights on my stomache is only about the size of my palm. I then breath with my stomache. in and out. i can only manage about twenty reps.

Now here’s the thing! My arms start feeling incredibly drained. it’s a very weird and intense sensation and i don’t see how it’s related to my stomache. try it if you like you’ll see what i’m talking about. when i stop the sensation subsides almost immediately.

I couldnt find any information on this or the reason for the sensations so i came here. If you know anything about it please share.

I want to continue this exercise to see where it goes but at the same time i’m concerned there might be health risks involved.

#2

You’re blocking the solar plexus - i believe the reason for your shakey arms is that your body is losing energy: in the same way that it loses oxygen when you stop breathing… the flow is blocked.

And why are you trying this by the way?!

#3

In the beginning to see if it could help me breath stronger and more fully but now just to see what adaptation looks like.

#4

Ah i see, you mean like training the muscles for breathing.
Ok, it was a cool idea, but…
the muscle to train is the diaphragm, and you can’t do it like that!
With that exercise, you are training the abdominal muscles maybe, but actually not helping the breath.
There are lots of pranayama techniques that help you breathe stronger and deeper. Do those, and forget about using weights for the breath - it’s acually counter productive.

One KEY to breathing better is to RELAX more fully - and using weights will prevent that.

Hope you understand?

Ben

#5

I believe it would be a good idea to discontinue this experiment.

A heavy weight like this on a small area amounts to a pressure of about 100 mm Hg, so it could double your blood pressure. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your face turned red and you felt a high pressure inside your head during this exercise. That is far riskier than some strange sensations in your arms. I have no idea why you are doing this. It has nothing to do with yoga.

If you want to train your abdominals then do boat pose, for example. Your exercise does nothing for these muscles. It just strains your diaphragm.

If you want to learn abdominal breathing, then place two hands lightly and much lower on the abdomen. That’s all.

If you want to train your diaphragm, there are some excellent pranayama exercises. Given your knack for experimentation, I strongly recommend that you learn these directly from a competent teacher.

#6

Hello Francois,

Do you, by chance, know and understand the difference between a pneumatic system and a hydraulic system?

And are you aware that there are ligaments in the belly?

And finally, are you aware of the abdominal aorta?

#7

Really helpful information francois. I too am into Yoga and presently focus on Yoga beginners. You can follow me on Twitter @ divinewellness1

#8

Thanks for everyone’s contributions so far. I didnt come here to ask for your input just so that i can ignore it but to give it serious consideration.
Hey innerathlete. I know some about pneumatic and hydraulic systems but not plenty. I looked into the path of the abdominal aorta and see it begins at the same level as the diaphram. Are you perhaps suggesting that the weights on my distended stomach forces my diaphram to widen from the pressure of both my inhale downward and abdomin’s inward pressure and this presses my aorta? Sorry if i misunderstand but you didn’t give plenty clues and i’m not an expert on this but i guess it would make some sense if you consider that people having heart attacks experience similar sensations