Breathing Technique – How are you breathing right now?

– By Megha Agarwal

You do it roughly 22,000 times a day without a second thought. But here is the catch: most of us are remarkably bad at it.

We obsess over our step counts, our protein intake, and the mobility of our hips, yet we overlook the one physiological function that powers every single cell in our body. We’ve become a generation of “chest-breathers” stuck in a shallow, high-stress loop that leaves our ribs tight, our necks strained, and our nervous systems on edge.  

I invite you to stop “getting through” your day and start fuelling it. Through three simple diagnostic tests, I will help you map your current breathing patterns and understand how your breath or the lack thereof, is shaping your posture, your energy, and your stress levels.  

As you’re reading this, how are you breathing right now?  

Is your chest lifting? Are your shoulders rising? Is your breath shallow and fast?  

Most people use only 60-70% of their lung capacity in daily life. Breathing becomes restricted by tight ribs, a weak diaphragm, stress patterns, and years of shallow chest-only breathing. We stretch our hips, mobilise our shoulders, and strengthen our core – but rarely do we test the function that ties everything together: 

Breathing.  

Today isn’t about how deeply you can breathe.  
It’s about how you breathe throughout your day.  

Let’s test it.  

Before You Start: A Quick Note  

If focusing on your breath increases anxiety, pause here.  

For some, breath awareness is calming. For others, it can feel triggering. If that’s you, skip the tests and simply note:  

“Breath focus increases anxiety.”  

That awareness is valuable.  

If you have asthma, COPD, are pregnant, or experience panic disorder, read the modification notes under Test 3 before proceeding.  

Now let’s begin.

Test 1: 360° Rib Expansion (The Hand Check)

What we’re testing: 
Can your ribs expand in all directions – front, sides, and back?  

How to Test: 

1. Stand or sit comfortably.  

2. Place your hands on the sides of your ribcage (below armpits, fingers forward).  

3. Take a normal breath in.  

4. Do your ribs push your hands outward?  

5. Now exhale.  
    
   Did your ribs move back in?  

The Real Test  

1. Take a deeper breath and try to expand your ribs sideways, as if pushing your hands apart.  

2. Then try the back: 

3. Stand against a wall or lie down.  

4. Take a deep breath.  

Can you push your back ribs into the wall or bed?  

Track Your Result: 

E (Easy): Ribs expand to sides and back.  

T (Tight): Only chest lifts, little sideways/back movement.  

Quick Checks:  

Did your shoulders rise toward your ears? (Neck overworking.)  

Did only your belly push forward? (But ribs should expand too.)  

If your ribs don’t expand, your thoracic spine likely doesn’t either. Tight ribs and a stiff upper back often travel together.  

Test 2: Diaphragm Function (Belly Breathing)

Your diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your ribcage.  
When you inhale, it contracts downward. This allows your lungs to fill fully and your belly to gently expand.  

Why Chest Breathing Is a Problem  

Chest breathing uses neck and shoulder muscles instead of the diaphragm. Over time, this:  

1. Keeps your nervous system in stress mode  

2. Creates chronic neck and shoulder tension  

3. Fills only the top third of your lungs  

4. Reduces core stability  

Your diaphragm isn’t just for breathing – it stabilises your spine and supports posture.  

How to Test: 

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.  

2. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.  

3. Take 5 normal breaths.  

4. Notice which hand moves more.  

Track Your Result: 

E (Easy): Belly moves significantly, chest barely moves.  

T (Tight): The chest moves more, both move equally, or the belly pulls inward on inhale (reverse breathing).  

Now sit up and test again.  

Does the pattern change?  

Most people breathe better lying down than sitting. If your diaphragm works lying down but not upright, posture may be restricting it.  

Rounded shoulders.  
Tight core.  
Collapsed ribcage.  

These patterns reduce diaphragmatic function—even if your diaphragm is capable. 

Test 3: Breath Hold Capacity (Breathing Efficiency)

This test measures efficiency – not lung size, but CO₂ tolerance.  

When we breathe rapidly and shallowly, we exhale too much carbon dioxide. Over time, the body becomes overly sensitive to CO₂ buildup. Even slight increases trigger the urge to breathe.  

Low CO₂ tolerance is often linked to:  

1. Chronic stress  

2. Anxiety  

3. Over-breathing habits  

How to Test: 

1. Sit comfortably.  

2. Breathe normally for 1 minute.  

3. After a normal exhale (not forced), hold your breath.  

4. Start a timer.  

5. Stop at the first urge to breathe (not maximum effort).  

Track It: 

E (Easy): 25+ seconds  

T (Tight): Under 20 seconds  

Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, anxious, or lightheaded.

Modification Notes

Skip Test 3 if you:  

1. Have asthma or COPD  

2. Are pregnant  

3. Experience panic disorder  

4. If breath awareness increases anxiety, that itself is meaningful feedback. You are not excluded from this practice.  

5. If you have chronic nasal congestion, note that mouth breathing may be anatomical – not purely habitual.  

Your results are data, not judgements.

What Your Results Mean

Here’s what to notice: 

If Test 1 Was Tight: 

Restricted rib expansion often connects to:  

1. Rounded shoulders  

2. Forward head posture  

3. Desk-bound lifestyle  

4. Tight chest muscles  

5. Tight ribs usually mean a restricted thoracic spine.  

If Test 2 Was Tight: 

Chest-dominant breathing can lead to the following: 

1. Chronic neck and shoulder tension  

2. Increased stress signals  

3. Reduced core stability  

4. Fatigue  

If Test 3 Was Tight: 

Low breath-hold capacity may indicate the following: 

1. Chronic over-breathing  

2. High stress load  

3. Anxiety patterns  

None of these results mean something is “wrong”. They show where awareness begins.

Why This Matters  

Breathing isn’t just about oxygen.  

It influences:  

1. Nervous system regulation 

2. Posture and spinal stability  

3. Energy levels  

4. Mental clarity  

5. Stress response  

When breathing improves, everything else often follows.  

Because when you breathe better, you feel better, and when you feel better, you live better.

FAQs