One slow, full breath you feel from the bottom up: the belly moves first, then the ribs widen, then the upper chest lifts a little. Then out again, smooth and unhurried.
How to practise Dirgha
- Sit upright, or lie on your back with your knees bent. Rest one hand on your belly and one on your chest if it helps.
- Breathe in through your nose for 4. Let your belly expand first as your diaphragm moves down, then your ribs widen, then your upper chest lift a little. The air fills your lungs; the belly only moves.
- Make it one smooth breath, not three separate sips.
- Breathe out through your nose for 6. Let your chest soften, then your belly draw gently back.
- Keep your shoulders and neck soft. If the upper chest feels effortful, let the belly and ribs do the work.
Each round, step by step
| Step | Seconds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4 | In through the nose: belly, then ribs, then upper chest. |
| Exhale | 6 | Out through the nose. Chest softens, then belly. |
Take care
Fill comfortably, never to the limit. If you feel dizzy, stop and breathe normally.
- Fill comfortably, never to the limit. Big breaths can make you lightheaded.
- Keep your shoulders and neck soft. The upper chest lifts only a little.
- If you feel dizzy, tingly, breathless, or uncomfortable, stop and let your breathing return to its normal rhythm. Don’t force the pace.
- Breathe gently. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and return to your normal breath.
Traditionally
Dirgha means “long.” The Yoga Sutras describe regulated breath becoming long and subtle. The three-part image, belly, ribs, then chest, comes from modern teaching, as a way to notice where the breath moves: Swami Satyananda calls it yogic breathing, and an early English yoga manual called it the “complete breath” in 1904. Teachers often use it to learn the breath before other pranayama.
What the research says
The three-part breath itself has barely been studied. In one small study of smokers who had gone 15 hours without a cigarette, a single session eased negative mood more than normal or deep breathing. A later trial of 43 smokers, comparing counselling alone with counselling plus this breath, did not detect a significant difference in quitting. Trials of belly breathing report less stress, but they are small and mostly low in quality. Studies often observe higher heart rate variability during slow breathing near six breaths a minute, as here. It is not a treatment.
Sources
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2008). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Yoga Publications Trust, 4th revised edition.
- Patanjali (c. 4th century). Yoga Sutras, with the commentary of Vyasa. Translated by James Haughton Woods, 1914.
- Yogi Ramacharaka (William Walker Atkinson) (1904). The Hindu-Yogi Science of Breath. Yogi Publication Society, Chicago.
- Klinsophon T, Thaveeratitham P, Janwantanakul P (2020). The effect of breathing exercise on nicotine withdrawal symptoms, cigarette cravings, and affect. Journal of Addictions Nursing 31(4):269–275.
- Klinsophon T, Thaveeratitham P, Janwantanakul P (2022). The effect of three-part breathing exercise on smoking cessation: a 6-month cluster-randomized clinical trial. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 32:156–162.
- Kwon CY, Won J, Lee B (2026). The health effects of diaphragmatic breathing: a systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 96:103317.
- Laborde S et al. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 138:104711.
A wellness practice, not medical advice. Read practising safely before you begin.