Part 1: A Guide to Diaphragmatic Breathing

I've written this post for every reader, regardless of where you are in your journey or how comfortable you are with anatomy. You don't need to know what a transversus abdominis is to benefit from what's here. My goal is that by the end, you'll have a working understanding of it, but we'll get there together, in plain, digestible language.

I typically organize my posts by season — pregnancy, postpartum, pregnancy after loss. But breathwork doesn't fit neatly into any one category. It's something I work on with almost every single client I see, for reasons that span everything from postural imbalances and asymmetries to pregnancy recovery, postpartum healing, and injury prevention. It's foundational in a way that very few things are.

So. Let's talk about your breath.

Your Core:

When most people hear "core," they think abs. But on a functional level, your core is something quite different, and understanding what it actually is changes everything about how you approach movement, whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or simply someone who wants to move better and hurt less.

This may not be the sexiest of metaphors, but I like to think of your inner core as a can. Soup can, tomato sauce can — take your pick.

The four components of your inner core:

• The Diaphragm — think: the lid of the can

• Transversus Abdominis (TVA) — think: the walls of the can

• Multifidus — think: the back of the can

• Pelvic Floor — think: the bottom of the can

  
  

Together, these four structures form a closed pressure system. They work in coordination, responding to your breath, your movement, your load. They stabilize your spine, support your pelvic floor, and protect you from injury. Your body is genuinely amazing.

The key word is coordination. When one part of the system isn't doing its job optimally, the others compensate. And compensation, over time, is where dysfunction begins. This could present as back pain, pelvic floor issues, or a core that feels disconnected no matter how many core exercises you do.

When your inner core is working the way it's designed to:

On the inhale: Your diaphragm contracts and moves downward. Your ribcage expands 360 degrees, like an umbrella opening. Your pelvic floor responds by gently relaxing and descending to accommodate the pressure from above.

On the exhale: Your pelvic floor contracts and lifts upward. Your TVA gently engages inward (think of tightening a corset, drawing in and up). Your diaphragm relaxes and rises back toward its resting position.

It's a rhythm your body is designed to perform without any conscious effort. But that rhythm can get derailed by things like stress, poor posture, pregnancy, delivery, surgery, grief, and a bunch of other things I'm sure we'll probably talk about in future posts. That list isn't exhaustive, and it isn't meant to be scary or discouraging. It's meant to explain why so many women feel disconnected from their core and have no idea why.

Why This Matters:

When your inner core is working optimally:

It supports your spinal stability — the kind that protects your back during daily movement, exercise, and the physical demands of pregnancy and postpartum life.

It maintains your pelvic floor health — reducing the risk of dysfunction, leaking, prolapse, and the host of issues that arise when the bottom of "the can" stops communicating with the rest of the system.

It reduces your injury risk — because a body that manages pressure well is a body that can absorb load, transfer force, and move through the demands of real life.

In Part 2, we'll get practical: how to actually practice diaphragmatic breathing, the cues my clients and I have found most helpful, and how to know if you're doing it correctly. See ya there!