Belly Breathing

A slow seated breathing exercise that settles you before and after moving. Five breaths.

01 / 14Seated figure with both hands resting on the belly
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Sit tall with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Rest both hands on your belly.
  3. Breathe in through your nose and feel your belly rise.
  4. Breathe out slowly, a little longer than the in-breath.

How many 5 slow breaths

Gentler version

Breathe at your own pace. Never hold your breath.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Forcing the breath. Let the belly rise on its own; never hold your breath.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for breathing and posture

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