The Wondrous Diaphragm

The Diaphragm: Your Body’s Hidden Superpower

Take a deep breath. Feel the rise and fall of your chest, the subtle expansion of your ribs. It seems so simple. Automatic, even. Yet beneath the surface of every breath, a quiet powerhouse is at work, orchestrating more than just the flow of air. The diaphragm, a humble yet extraordinary muscle, is the unsung hero of stability, movement, and emotional balance.

Often overlooked, this dome-shaped muscle powers respiration, anchors our core, shapes our posture, and even whispers directly to our nervous system, influencing how we experience stress and relaxation. According to Bruno Bordoni, a leading researcher in fascia and respiratory mechanics, the diaphragm is a bridge between our physical structure and emotional state. A dynamic player in both movement and mood.

What’s even more astonishing? You can train your diaphragm. With the right breathwork practices, you can unlock its full potential. Enhancing everything from strength and mobility to mental clarity and stress resilience.

This guide is your map to understanding the wondrous diaphragm, its hidden connections, its role in fascia, and how breathwork can help you move, feel, and live better.

The Diaphragm: A Core Beyond Core

Imagine the core of your body not as a rigid cylinder of muscle but as a fluid, adaptable system. A perfectly tuned instrument that responds to every movement, breath, and emotional shift. At the centre of it all? Our hero, the diaphragm.

Let's dig deeper into why the diaphragm is so great:

• A Postural Architect: The diaphragm collaborates with the pelvic floor, deep abdominal muscles, and lower back stabilisers to create a foundation of strength and control. When engaged properly, it acts as a stabilising force, preventing compensations that lead to back pain, misalignment, and restricted movement.
• A Messenger to the Nervous System: This isn’t just a mechanical pump for oxygen. The diaphragm is hardwired to the autonomic nervous system, meaning each breath sends signals to the brain about whether we are safe and relaxed or tense and in danger. Long, deep breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, easing stress and promoting clarity, while shallow, rapid breaths can reinforce states of anxiety.
• The Heartbeat of Fascial Integrity: The diaphragm is embedded in a vast, interconnected web of fascia that stretches across the entire body. If it moves freely, it transmits force efficiently, maintains posture, and allows for fluid movement. But if it’s tight, restricted, or dysfunctional, the body compensates, resulting in chronic tension, poor mobility, and even digestive discomfort.

Key Insight: Training the diaphragm is about enhancing movement, restoring balance, and rewiring stress responses at their deepest level.

Bruno Bordoni’s Research: The Fascia Connection

Bruno Bordoni is one of the leading voices in the study of fascia and respiratory function, and his work offers a profound shift in how we view breathing. His research reveals that the diaphragm is an orchestrator of movement, structure, and well-being.

What did Professor Bordoni discover?

• Fascia as the Body’s Internal Web: Fascia, a connective tissue network that weaves through muscles, organs, and bones, serves as the communication highway of the body. Bordoni’s research highlights how the diaphragm acts as a central node in this web, influencing the entire kinetic chain from head to toe.
• Breath as a Fascial Reset Button: Every inhale and exhale modulates fascial tension. Creating space, releasing restrictions, and allowing movement to unfold with greater ease and fluidity.
• The Ripple Effect of Dysfunction: A tight diaphragm doesn’t just limit breath - it locks the ribcage, stiffens the spine, and disrupts movement across the hips and shoulders. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain, postural imbalances, and emotional rigidity.

Training the Diaphragm: Breathwork for Strength & Expansion

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing for Core Activation

Goal: Strengthen the diaphragm while reinforcing deep core stability.

Why? A well-functioning diaphragm prevents compensatory tension patterns, improving posture and balance.

How to Do It (5 Minutes Daily):

1. Sit or lie comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
2. Inhale through your nose, expanding your belly and ribcage. Avoid excessive chest movement.
3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your lower ribs contract and your core engage.
4. Repeat for 5 minutes, maintaining slow, deliberate breaths.

Key Insight: True diaphragmatic breathing should expand the entire ribcage, not just the belly.

2. Breath-Guided Fascial Release

Goal: Use the breath to release deep-seated tension in the fascia and improve the fluidity of movement.

Why? Breath-driven stretching unlocks fascial restrictions more effectively than static holds.

How to Do It (2-3 Minutes Per Area):

1. Find a tight or restricted area (hips, shoulders, spine).
2. Inhale deeply while gently stretching into the area.
3. Exhale slowly, allowing the tension to dissipate.
4. Use gentle rocking or oscillations while breathing into the restriction.

Key Insight: The breath acts as a key to unlocking stuck fascia, improving flexibility and reducing pain.

3. CO₂ Tolerance Training for Nervous System Mastery

Goal: Train breath control to enhance oxygen efficiency, reduce stress sensitivity, and build endurance.

Why? Tolerance to CO₂ is what determines breath control, nervous system regulation, and resilience.

How to Do It (3-5 Minutes Daily):

1. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
2. Exhale for 8 seconds through pursed lips.
3. Hold your breath at the bottom for 5-10 seconds before inhaling again.
4. Repeat for 3-5 minutes, gradually increasing exhalation length and breath-hold time.

Key Insight: Longer exhales activate the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering relaxation and control.

Final Thoughts: Breathe Deeper, Move Freer, Live Better

The diaphragm is a stabiliser, a stress regulator, and a key player in movement efficiency. By training it properly, you unlock a stronger core, better posture, and a greater sense of ease in movement and mind.

Breathing isn’t just an automatic function. It’s a tool for transformation. Harness it, and watch everything change.

References:
Bordoni, B., Simonelli, M., & Morabito, B. (2019). The fascial breath. Cureus, 11(7).

Bordoni, B., Walkowski, S., Escher, A., & Ducoux, B. (2022). The importance of the posterolateral area of the diaphragm muscle for palpation and for the treatment of manual osteopathic medicine. Complementary Medicine Research, 29(1), 74-82.