Breathing Techniques for UC Flare-ups

One of the best things a person can do to counter symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis is to control one's own breathing. When I was in high school, my breathing was out of control, particularly when I would have a panic attack. I would instantly feel blood rush to my head and extremities. In retrospect, I see that this meant that there wasn't enough blood and circulation in my stomach. That would explain the sudden cramping and intense diarrhea I get whenever I am going through something anxiety related.
Usually, I do deep breathing on the spot, but I guess I would breathe too hard (meaning I wasn't doing it properly), most likely because I was rushing to get "better." Now I realize that when a bad anxiety attack hits, I don't cause further panic within myself, but allow myself to float and wait to hear what exactly my body is telling me. I then ask myself, "What do I feel?" It wasn't until recently that I would feel panic run up and down my spine, to the point that I was getting a strange buzzing sensation in my back. I would acknowledge my discomfort and then allow myself to breathe. There's the difference. I no longer force myself to breathe, but I let myself take in oxygen after I tell myself that there's really no point in holding my breath. I'm not in danger, I continue to say to calm myself down. Then I breathe. Before I used to say that deep breathing was no good. It made me feel as if I was hyperventilating. However, as I've described in this paragraph, the timing of and the self talk prior to taking in those deep breaths is quite important.
That said, the proper way to breathe is through the belly. Put one hand on your chest and another on your belly. When you breathe in, your belly should move up and down, but your chest should more or less stay the same. The best time for me to do this is when I'm meditating in a dark room, that's when I begin to see long-lasting results in my being. That's because it has become a practice that I incorporate into my life, not some emergency fix. I think it allows me to learn what the sensations in my body are, where they exist throughout my body. That makes them more tangible and not some vague forces that overpower me. I am beginning to know them and am therefore getting to know myself.