Try this exercise, to see if you are breathing deeply powerfully and doing the abdominal "Lift" correctly:

Place your hands firmly against your sides, just below your ribs, with your thumbs toward the back (close to the kidney area) and your fingers wrapping around your torso, pointing toward the front.

Breathe in deeply, with your abdominal muscles relaxed. The movement beneath your hands should be very noticeable as your upper abdominal area expands.

Then tighten (Lift) your abs and you should feel an immediate tightening of the muscles beneath your hands, below the ribs and all the way around your torso.

As you do the 3 sniffs you should feel 3 little "bounces" or "waves" in the muscles.

Keep that hardness, that muscle contraction beneath your hands as you do the exhale...power the air out!

And keep working it as you do the 3 final puffs.
Can you feel the power? AWESOME!!!

Now relax...and start all over!!!