Why Diaphragmatic Breathing Matters - Especially in Trauma Recovery

If you've been following my work on nervous system healing, you already know how central breathwork is to recovery and resilience. And if you've read Understanding Your Nervous System and The Science Behind HeartMath, you’ve seen how even subtle shifts in breath can spark profound physiological change.

Recently, I heard a well-meaning trauma expert cautioning against the use of diaphragmatic breathing in trauma recovery. Their concern? That this kind of breathing can trigger panic in clients with a dysregulated nervous system. While I understand the sentiment - and have seen it in practice - I'd like to offer a more nuanced view.

What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing, sometimes called “belly breathing,” is a method of breathing that fully engages the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs. When you inhale, your diaphragm moves downward, allowing your lungs to expand more fully and draw in more oxygen. This causes the belly to gently expand, rather than the chest to puff up. On exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, the belly falls, and carbon dioxide is expelled with less effort. It’s how we’re designed to breathe - but stress, trauma, and modern life often train us into shallower, chest-based breathing instead.

Panic Doesn’t Mean We Avoid the Practice

Yes, it’s true: for some individuals, especially those stuck in hyper-vigilance, slowing down the breath or moving it into the belly can feel threatening. It may be the first time in years they’ve interrupted a lifelong pattern of shallow, chest-based breathing - often the body’s attempt to stay braced for danger. This shift can feel foreign, even unsafe. But here’s the key: the discomfort isn’t a red flag to avoid diaphragmatic breathing. It’s a signal that the nervous system needs to learn a new normal.

Let’s Not Confuse Readiness with Worth

We don’t throw someone into deep breathwork from day one. Just like we wouldn’t take an injured runner and have them sprint. The breath can (and should) be introduced gradually, gently, and in small doses. But dismissing diaphragmatic breathing entirely because it’s initially uncomfortable is like avoiding exercise altogether because sore muscles are unpleasant. The goal is to coax the nervous system into a safer, more regulated baseline. And this form of breathing is one of the most direct, accessible, and effective tools we have to do that.

Why Diaphragmatic Breathing Matters - Especially in Trauma Recovery

Let’s look at what diaphragmatic breathing actually does:

• Stimulates the vagus nerve, a key player in parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activation and nervous system regulation.

• Improves heart rate variability (HRV), which is a strong marker of resilience and adaptability.

• Encourages lymphatic drainage, supporting immune health and detoxification.

• Reduces blood pressure and heart rate, helping the body shift out of survival mode.

• Brings awareness into the body, anchoring the mind in the present and supporting interoception—the ability to feel internal signals, which is often disrupted by trauma.

• Creates gentle movement of the diaphragm, which rhythmically massages the internal organs and connects deeply to fascial health.

• Enhances cerebrospinal fluid flow, supporting brain detox and clarity.

Meeting the Body Where It’s At

None of this means we should rush or force the process. In fact, I teach students to begin with just one breath. A simple inhale for 4-5 seconds, letting it flow into the belly - not by pushing or puffing the stomach, but by softening the abdominal wall. Then exhale slowly and notice. We might do just a few of these per session at first. That’s enough to start showing the body: "This is safe."

Over time, those slow breaths become easier. Students report feeling calmer, clearer, more present. They begin to notice when they’ve reverted to shallow breathing, and even miss the comfort of the deeper rhythm. That’s nervous system rewiring at work.

We Don’t Skip the Gold Because the Path is Bumpy

Diaphragmatic breathing isn’t something we avoid because it’s hard. It’s something we move toward through consistency and compassion. Yes, we should honor the discomfort and proceed with care. But the physiological benefits are too great, and the healing too powerful, to leave on the table.

To my fellow practitioners: teach this breath. Teach it wisely, gently, and with respect for the body’s protective patterns. But teach it.

And to those on the path of healing: you don’t have to be perfect at it. You don’t even have to like it at first. You just have to be willing to begin.

Want help learning how to safely introduce breathwork into your healing practice? I offer coaching designed to guide your nervous system into deeper regulation, one breath at a time. Learn more here.

Scientific References

1. Vagus Nerve Stimulation & Parasympathetic Activation
   Breit, S., Kupferberg, A., Rogler, G., & Hasler, G. (2018). Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain–gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 44.
   https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044

2. HRV & Emotional Regulation
   Shaffer, F., McCraty, R., & Zerr, C. L. (2014). A healthy heart is not a metronome: An integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate variability. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1040.
   https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01040

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing & Lymphatic Flow
   Willard, F. H., & Hodge, L. M. (2006). The muscular, nervous, and vascular anatomy of the thoracic diaphragm: Review of function and dysfunction. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 10(2), 143–154.
   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2005.07.003

4. Breathing, Blood Pressure, and Stress Response
   Nakao, M., Nomura, S., & Shimosawa, T. (2003). Clinical effects of diaphragmatic breathing on stress in patients with hypertension. Hypertension Research, 26(9), 789–793.
   https://doi.org/10.1291/hypres.26.789

5. Breath and Interoception in Trauma Recovery
   Price, C. J., & Hooven, C. (2018). Interoceptive awareness skills for emotion regulation: Theory and approach of mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy (MABT). Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 798.
   https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00798

6. Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow and Respiration
   Dreha-Kulaczewski, S., et al. (2015). Inspiration is the major regulator of human CSF flow. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(6), 2485–2491.
   https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3246-14.2015