Well here’s a different one for problems with the belly (also apparently affecting a lot of other things – including breathing and asthma).
It is to do with what is called hiatal hernia – this is where a bit of the stomach pops up above the diaphragm through the small hole in the diaphragm that allows the tube from the mouth to the stomach to pass through. The stomach is designed to sit completely below the diaphragm so when a bit of it pokes its way up it causes problems. And the vagus nerve is one thing it disturbs. Having part of the stomach sticking up where the lungs are trying to breathe and the diaphragm is trying to work does seem likely to make breathing more difficult!
Apparently the vagus nerve is a very important nerve the tenth cranial nerve with connections all over the place (heart lungs gastro-intestinal tract pancreas liver kidneys stomach). Keeping it working right is NB.
So if a bit of the stomach pops above the diaphragm what to do?
It helps in the first place to eat slowly chew food thoroughly and eat small meals.
Try restoring balance to the vagus nerve by tapping the PC-6 acupuncture point. Re-setting crucial trigger points may allow the stomach to drop down on its own.
Find the point about 2.5cms below the bottom of the sternum (the part in the centre-front of the ribs). Push into it with both thumbs and continue pressing in and move thumbs slowly down and to the left about 10-15cms. Breathe out while doing it and repeat the process at least twice. It can be done several times a day. Of course this is not something to do if you have a serious medical problem in this area.
Well this is very easy to do and I tried it and my breathing was terrific afterwards. I could breathe easily all night.
It also gave me another thing to do when my breathing gets tight: Focus on lengthening my belly downwards from under my ribs in the front. Yep. Good to do.