ar
force, ugly and only partially effective. Abdominal or diaphragmatic
breathing is a downward perpendicular force just as ugly and as
ineffective, besides being positively harmful, the pressure of the
diaphragm, if violently exerted, often being injurious to the organs of
the body contained in the abdominal cavity and especially to the female
organs of sex. Yet unfortunately and only too often, this style of
breathing is taught to women, because women, owing to corsets and tight
lacing, incline to breathe too much with the upper chest (to employ
clavicular or high breathing), which, however, does not justify teachers
in going to the other extreme and, in order to overcome one faulty
method, instructing their pupils in another that is faultier still and
even physically harmful.

A more nearly correct method of breathing is the costal--that is by
expansion and contraction of the ribs. It enlarges the chest cavity more
than does either the clavicular or the diaphragmatic method; but does
not enlarge it to its full capacity. Each method by itself alone,
therefore, falls short of the complete result desired. With none of them
are the lungs wholly filled with air, but only partly--the upper part
and a portion of the central lungs in clavicular breathing, the lower
part and a portion of the central lungs in diaphragmatic breathing, and
the central and upper parts in costal breathing. The correct method
combines the three--adds to the inflation of the central and upper parts
of the lungs accomplished by costal breathing, the inflation of the
lower part accomplished in diaphragmatic breathing and of the extreme
upper part accomplished in clavicular breathing. In other words, the
correct method inflates the whole of the lungs and creates a cavity
large enough to accommodate them.

It is mixed costal and diaphragmatic accompanied by a slight raising
of the clavicle. As the air is taken into the lungs and the framework
of the ribs expands, the dome of the diaphragm, naturally, and as if
voluntarily, descends and, at first, the walls of the abdomen extend or
are pushed outward. The clavicle is slightly, one might say passively,
raised and, finally, the lower part of the anterior abdominal wall is
slightly drawn in, thus forming a support or foundation for the lungs
and at the same time putting the abdominal muscles in position for
participation in the work of expelling breath.

This is the most natural and, from the standpoint