Deep breathing is abdominal

Deep breathing can be thought of abdominal breathing. Why? Not because you breathe into your abdomen. You breathe into your lungs only. Deep breathing is also referred to as abdominal breathing because of the associated abdominal movements that accompany the inflation and deflationof the lungs as they intake and expel large quantities of air.

The chest cavity where the lungs are located allows only a limited amount of inflation because of the surrounding rib cage. Excessive inflation must be accommodated in the abdominal cavity.

Beginners may also think of it as abdominal breathing if they resort of abdomnial muscles to help the diaphragm. It may seem like that they pull the air all the way to their belly button which all they do is to fill the lungs which expend into the abdomen.

The video below demonstrates abdominal movements involved in deep diaphragmatic breathing.