Questions from You to Me: Holding Breath While Activating Abs

When I activate my Transversus Abdominus (TA), should it feel like I am holding my breath?

You may feel like holding your breath, but don’t allow yourself to do so!  Contracting your TA does lift your chest because when you do so, it’s like squeezing a snow cone – the most narrow part is down by your pelvic floor so it squeezes and displaces  the pressure up under your ribs, expanding and lifting your chest.  Remember, if you feel any bearing down or pressure forcing your pelvic floor down, you are activating the wrong muscle group.