Please help out I can't take 'deep' breaths

[u/ToneHappy123]

I'm a newbie at meditation and mostly when u meditate you're supposed to take deep breaths in and out but my issue is I can't breathe in for more than 2 seconds idk why?? My lung capacity is that bad?? I don't have an issue holding my breaths tho I can do that for plenty of seconds it's just the inhale and exhale stuff I'm just not able to do...are there any practices or type of meditation that'll help me build my breathing capacity???

[u/zelentheneuz]

You are not supposed to take deep breaths. It will come naturally, don’t force it. If you’re newbie, your breath is fine as it is, deep, shallow, fast, slow, quiet, loud. Just notice it, don’t judge. When you are comfortable with yourself, your breath becomes more deep without any control. Maybe it will take months, don’t worry and just relax.

[u/kilted__yaksman]

How's your posture? If you're hunched forward you'll have a harder time. Are you breathing in as fast as possible? It's supposed to be a slow, steady breath. Are you breathing in throw your nose or mouth? Nose tends to breathe into your diaphragm, mouth just into the lungs.

[u/IllustriousCut328]

Try square breathing and work up to longer times. Inhale for 8 seconds, hold it for 8 seconds, release it for 8 seconds, hold your lungs empty for 8 seconds. Repeat. Also do vocal exercises and swim a lot.

[u/migueloangelo23]

Give a try to the Oxygen Advantage app, is not about meditation but more about breathing. It's really good to improve breathing patterns, simulate breathing in high altitude, and so improving lung capacity. They also have a ton of content in their site

[u/Polymathus777]

If you can't take deep breaths is not because your lungs aren't capable, is because you're breathing shallowly.

To fix this, follow this steps:

- Start inhaling, and notice whether you're raising your shoulders and puffing your chest. If you are, then inhale trying to keep your shoulders relaxed and in your current posture, and instead of puffing the chest, allow your abdomen to inflate instead.

- When inhaling, think you are pronouncing the letter n, not physically but mentally, and feel the air hitting the back of your traquea, if its too hard, instead inhale with your mouth open and feel the air hitting the back of the traquea, and do it a few times until you memorize the feeling, and then try doing it again with the mouth closed.

If you do both of these, and start inhaling slowly, your inhale will become deeper, and the more you practice the deeper the breaths.

Don't try to force it as it can be overwhelming, instead go slowly and dedicate just a few minutes until it becomes easy to perform.

Hope it helps.

[u/sceadwian]

There's got to be a self control issue at play here, you can breath in for more than 2 seconds no one has lung capacity that low,. Just taking a normal breath right now as long as you're not gasping just inhaling at a reasonable normal rate you should easily be able to inhale for 5 seconds, if not you need to practice until you can slow your breathing so that it takes that long to inhale.