How can I sing with my diaphragm? I was able to before, but since I didn't practice it, I can't do it anymore... what are the steps, and how would I know that I'm breathing through my diaphragm instead of my lungs? What's the feeling when I AM singing through my diaphragm? Is it normal that my throat gets a little tired?

I don't understand how laying on your back will help you with diaphragmatic breathing without understanding the concept. You can lay on your back and still breath incorrectly.

Secondly, you have to breathe out of your lungs to get the air. Diaphragmatic breathing is how you breathe using the air. The lungs and the diaphragm is necessary to work together for good breath control. Never think you don't use the lungs. What I believe you are referring to is high breathing. This is where a singer puts the breathing focus on the upper chest when singing. No, you don't want to do that. Here is an answer I often share with people on diaphragmatic breathing.

Now diaphragmatic breathing consists not just the diaphragm. It includes all of those muscles in that area working together to create better breathing support. The diaphragm doesn't do all the work, because it works involuntary. It is what you do with the area around it that makes diaphragmatic breathing work.

Here is a frequent exercise I share in this forum. Get in front of a mirror (or if you don't feel like getting up, sit on the edge of your chair right now sitting straight up). Place your hands parallel to each other with the tips of your middle fingers touching. Now on inhale, don't move your shoulders or upper chest. Slowly concentrate on filling your tummy with air like a balloon. Don't force it. Just do it slowly as if you are a baby (infants and toddlers use diaphragmatic breathing automatically. Watch a baby's tummy the next time they nap. That is how we all should breathe). Your middle fingers will part slightly. You should feel expansion in your tummy area, your sides, and your back. Now exhale SLOWLY. Don't blow the air out. Hiss like a snake if that keeps you from blowing all the air out. Try to conserve as much air as you can as you exhale. By the time you are done, the tips of your middle fingers will touch again.

Try this exercise over and over again, until you get the hang of it. It might be awkward for a minute, and you might feel as if you are doing it wrong because you aren't quite used to the concept. But the more you try it, the more you will get used to it. It will eventually fall in line naturally. You can use the same exercise with singing, but instead of exhaling with the HISS sound, you can sing scales. As you sing scales, continue to conserve the air you can as you go. You will get used to it.

Whatever you do, don't force it. I do it so much now, that I naturally breathe this way day to day. It is what many doctors teach to asthma and respiratory patients to help them get full use of the air they breathe. Eventually it will get into your psyche and become automatic. You also can google "diaphragmatic breathing" if you want to see visuals of how the muscles work. Good look and try the exercise. See if that doesn't physically give you an idea of how it should feel.

This should help you grasp the concept without a bunch of technical terms that don't make sense. It isn't as complicated as you think once you continue working on it. it is just that many people who have no clue on the concept try to tell others how to do it without knowing themselves. I promise this is easier that false concepts of nonsense. Have fun and it is so much easier once you get it down. Don't give up!

The diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs. Your abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give you more power to empty your lungs. But chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may prevent the diaphragm from working effectively.

When you have pulmonary disease, air often becomes trapped in the lungs, pushing down on the diaphragm. The neck and chest muscles must then assume an increased share of the work of breathing. This can leave the diaphragm weakened and flattened, causing it to work less efficiently.

Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use the diaphragm correctly while breathing to:

• Strengthen the diaphragm
• Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate
• Decrease oxygen demand
• Use less effort and energy to breathe

Diaphragmatic breathing technique

1. Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

2. Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.

3. Tighten your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips (see "Pursed Lip Breathing Technique"). The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible.

When you first learn the diaphragmatic breathing technique, it may be easier for you to follow the instructions lying down, as shown on the first page. As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair, as shown below.

To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair:

1. Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.

2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.

3. Tighten your stomach muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips (see "Pursed Lip Breathing Technique"). The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible.

Note: You may notice an increased effort will be needed to use the diaphragm correctly. At first, you'll probably get tired while doing this exercise. But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic.

How often should I practice this exercise?
At first, practice this exercise 5-10 minutes about 3-4 times per day. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend doing this exercise, and perhaps even increase the effort of the exercise by placing a book on your abdomen.