Stomach Breathing For Pianists

For this exercise, you should sit back and place your hands across the abdomen, touching it with the tips of your fingers. Next, while taking a deep breath in, push your stomach out taking your breath down to the stomach area. Notice that the fingers move apart then as you breathe out, your fingers will come back together again as your stomach, and chest relaxes. This exercise is helpful as often, tense people breathe in shallow, short breaths high up in the chest. This leads to tightness in the chest muscles as well as shoulders. By stomach breathing, people are encouraged to use abdominal muscles, rather like bellows – pulling an air in and out of the lungs, allowing deep breathing while giving the chest muscles a rest.

Note: Do not try this exercise more than 5-6 times at a stretch. This is because deep breathing if overdone can cause dizziness or general light headedness.

This piano breathing exercise was written for us by top piano coach and teacher Marina Petrov. Please see more about her piano lessons in London at www.MyPianoLessons.co.uk.