21 Day Breathing – Day 10

In this lesson, Dan Brulé introduces reverse respiration, also called paradoxical breathing, as a more advanced breathwork practice. Dan explains that, unlike natural diaphragmatic breathing where the belly expands on the inhale and flattens on the exhale, reverse respiration does the opposite: you draw the belly in as you inhale and push the belly out as you exhale. This pattern creates strong intra-abdominal pressure that can benefit the organs and fascia and is used in traditions like iron shirt chi kung and certain martial arts schools. Dan notes that some people do this type of breathing unconsciously, which is not ideal, and stresses that it should only be done consciously and deliberately for short periods before returning to natural breathing. He encourages you to feel the difference between normal and reverse respiration, practice it mindfully, and share any questions or experiences in the group.