Diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce back pain significantly (see Part I to understand why). Diaphragmatic breathing is identical with breathing in a deeply relaxed, open manner, the way nature meant you to breathe. While there are many tools to teach diaphragmatic breathing, most of them are of limited utility. The reason is that while they teach you specific techniques such as breathing into your belly instead of your chest, or holding the breath for a number of seconds, none of them teach you specifically how to move into the feelings of deep relaxation that are synonymous with true diaphragmatic breathing. To get to truly relaxed breathing, you focus your attention gently on the breath as it comes into your body, and follow a few guidelines. Following these guidelines, which are described below, will move you more and more into the truly relaxed breathing that can reduce back pain.

First, observe and accept the way you are breathing, rather than trying to change it. This promotes relaxation, which in turn opens up your breathing. So do not try to do anything. Simply observe your breathing non-judgmentally and your body will do the work for you.

Second, focus on appreciating the feeling of your body. The ability to feel is key to healing. Unfortunately, the chronic stress that plays a part in pain syndromes reduces our ability to feel because it brings tension into our bodies. The more tension we have, the less we can feel. While you may think that you feel too much, because you are constantly feeling pain, the pain you feel is often the result of a system that is under too much strain and tension for too long, and that finally breaks down because it has been unable to self-regulate by using feedback from its own sensations. You can reduce the tension and pain in your body by focusing simply on feeling your body without judgment.

Third, imagine that your body is getting softer and softer as you practice breath awareness. Physiological softening is identical with the release of tension. Babies, for example, are very soft as well as very strong. Use the imagination to enhance feelings of softness in your body. This will help you release chronic tension patterns and deepen your breathing.

Fourth, work with breath awareness daily, through meditation and through consciously breathing in a relaxed way while doing simple chores. Habits change through regular practice. The more you practice letting go of tension, the less pain you will feel. By changing your relationship to your body and to your breathing, you can dramatically improve your life.