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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragmatic_breathing
"Diaphragmatic,
abdominal, belly, seesaw, deep or costal breathing is the
act of breathing deep into your lungs by flexing your diaphragm
rather than breathing shallowly by flexing your rib cage.
This deep breathing is marked by expansion of the stomach
(abdomen) rather than the chest.
It is
generally considered a healthier and fuller way to ingest
oxygen, and is often used as a therapy for hyperventilation
and anxiety disorders.
Note that
some yoga and meditation traditions draw a clear distinction
between diaphragmatic breathing and abdominal breathing or
belly breathing. The more specific technique of diaphragmatic
breathing is said to be more beneficial.
Though
the diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle, it is believed
that many people have little sensory awareness of their diaphragm
and almost no idea of how to engage it more fully or even
of how it works. There are some breath therapists and breathing
teachers who believe that because of the increasing stress
of modern life and the resulting over-stimulation of the sympathetic
nervous system, as well as of the idealised hard, flat belly,
that many people carry excessive tension in the belly, chest,
and back, and this tension makes it difficult for the diaphragm
to move freely through its full range of motion". more
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