Hello all. Today I started back to basic meditation. I was observing myself for 20 minuets. I noticed that my breath was shallow. I could breathe in normal for 1 second and out for 1 second. As I did this I felt some discomfort in my abdomen and chest respiratory system. I am only a few extra pounds, kinda chubby. Could belly fat affect my breathing overall? What are your thoughts on this matter?
1 Like
No, belly fat cannot affect your breathing. From your description, it seems to me that your body may be trying to move from shallow chest breathing to deeper belly breathing using the diaphragm, and if you are not used to it, it can cause discomfort. It can also cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and headaches due to the increased amount of oxygen.
5 Likes
Do you by chance have asthma?
i noticed while meditating that i tend to increase my chances of panic attacks because i can’t focus on calm breathing and i overdo it.
Do you listen to meditation music?
i listen to it while i go to sleep and it tends to help the initial sleeping however i become restless in the night but maybe that is because i am anxious!
yes asthma cpuld be his problem I have asthma and sometime notice the same thing. if you do have it then use an inhaler before meditating it only speeds up ypur heart rate for a few mins if even. good luck
1 Like
Yep, this one describes me pretty well.
It works the other way, with fast rapid breaths…you can burn belly fat and tone your abs. Look up Kapalbhati pranayama online.
1 Like
Fat can affect breathing, as it’s armour around your organs and tissues. Having said that you’d need to have a lot of visceral fat to cause issues. It’s also posture and whether you are breathing from your lungs only, or fully allowing your belly to expand and contract.
Asthma as someone suggested. You’ll need to work out what triggers and ensure you have meds available. I’m aware that some are set off with incense, but a hydro mister doesn’t cause the same issue.
Lung capacity varies from person, to person as well, and how you are used to breathing may, or may not contradict with your meditation practice. In meditation, the key is not just in breathing but in what this does to your mind, in silencing your internal dialogue. It is the act of focusing all attention on the single action, which animates you to life, and the awareness of your existence, that intent is born. From this silence, observe the sensations of your physical body, to see what they can tell you. It is a clarity humans are unaccustomed to, but which can be extremely beneficial to your life in general.
1 Like
thank you i will try this before i meditate, maybe i will see less ‘episodes’ !
breathing and movement can be hard on us fatties who love food and sleep 
good luck it should help. even be4 bed I will take the inhaler most nights. asthma is horrible. I almost died earlier this year from it!
1 Like
i definitely agree it’s a pain in the ass
2 Likes
I just happened to run into organifi green juice. They say that this superfood can detoxify your body, and help with mental clarity. . There’s also a lady that told me to have organic sulfur to detoxify my body. Of course I need to practice exercises both mentally and physically. I met this lady in kundalini yoga class. Who thinks that a detoxified body = clear mind + better magick results?