Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation breath practice I documents in The Book of Good Practices. It is the base layer everything else — altered states, ritual work, meditation — depends on. If this is not solid, nothing above it will be.
The mechanics
The diaphragmatic breath expands the belly on the inhale, not the chest. The diaphragm drops, the lungs fill from the bottom up, and the exhale is slow and controlled. Chest breathing is shallow and stress-pattern default; diaphragmatic breathing is what the nervous system does when it is not being chased.
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Why it matters for magical work
Breathwork is the physical anchor for shifting state. Sloppy breathing holds you in the state you came in with. Controlled breathing gives you a handle on attention, heart rate, and the inner quiet you need to do anything else.
My approach in The Book of Good Practices treats this as the non-negotiable foundation — before sigil work, before invocation, before anything that requires you to be present enough to matter.
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How to practice
- Sit upright, spine long, shoulders relaxed.
- Hand on belly to feel the rise on inhale.
- Inhale slowly through the nose, letting the belly expand first, then the ribs.
- Exhale slowly through the nose or mouth, letting the belly fall.
- Target a rhythm that slows as the practice settles — often 4 in, 6-8 out.
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When to use it
- Before any ritual or magical working, to clear the stress pattern.
- During altered-state work as an anchor back to the body.
- Between phases of a complex working to reset attention.
- As a standalone practice for nervous system regulation.
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Working notes
The diaphragmatic breath is boring. That is the point. It does not feel impressive, and magical practitioners sometimes skip it because it is not dramatic. That skip is where most bad work originates.
Abdominal Breathing (the Diaphragmatic Breath). 101
— Taylor Ellwood, The Book of Good Practices
The diaphragmatic breath is the foundation. Pair with a cleansing breath (kapalabhati) for lung and sinus clarity, and with breath-of-fire or alternate-nostril work for state shifting.
Source books: The Book of Good Practices