Breath

Prāṇāyāma: selected techniques and how to practise them.

These pages support what is taught in class. Go gently and stop if there is any discomfort. If you are pregnant, recovering from illness or injury, or living with a medical condition, check with your doctor and tell your teacher before practising.

Prāṇāyāma प्राणायाम

Prāṇāyāma is the yogic practice of working consciously with the breath and prāṇa, the vital energy described within the yoga tradition. Begin gently. The breath should never feel forced.

The practices below are the ones we begin with. Breath retention (kumbhaka) and stronger practices such as Kapālabhāti are taught in class, where they can be adapted to each person.

Breath awareness & abdominal breathing

The foundation

What it is: Observing the natural breath, then learning to breathe with the abdomen so that the diaphragm moves freely. Every other practice rests on this.
How to practise: Lie in Śavāsana or sit comfortably with the spine straight. Rest one hand on the abdomen. Breathe naturally and simply watch the breath for a while. Then let the abdomen rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale, keeping the chest quiet. Slow, deep and even, without effort.
Breathing rhythm: Natural. Let the exhalation lengthen by itself.
Suggested duration: Five minutes, and a few rounds before any other breathing practice.
When to practise: Any time. Before other prāṇāyāma, before Yoga Nidra, or on its own whenever you need to settle.
Precautions: None. If you feel light-headed, return to normal breathing.

Nāḍī Śodhana

नाडीशोधन

Alternate-nostril breathing

What it is: A balancing practice: the breath alternates between the two nostrils. In the tradition it is said to purify the nāḍīs, the subtle channels, and it settles the mind quickly. The version here is an early stage, without breath retention.
How to practise: Sit in a comfortable meditation posture with the spine straight; the left hand rests on the knee. Raise the right hand in nāsāgra mudrā: the index and middle fingers rest lightly at the eyebrow centre, the thumb closes the right nostril and the ring finger closes the left. Close the right nostril and inhale slowly through the left. Close the left, open the right, and exhale through the right. Inhale through the right, close it, and exhale through the left. That is one round.
Breathing rhythm: Equal inhalation and exhalation to begin (1 : 1). When that is comfortable, lengthen the exhalation (1 : 2). No retention at this stage.
Suggested duration: Five to ten rounds to begin; gradually up to ten minutes.
When to practise: Morning or evening, before meditation, or whenever the mind needs settling.
Precautions: Never force; the breath stays silent and comfortable. Skip it with a blocked nose or a cold. Retention is learnt later, with a teacher.

Bhrāmarī

भ्रामरी

Humming-bee breath

What it is: A slow exhalation with a soft, steady humming sound, like a bee. The vibration is felt in the head, and the mind quietens almost immediately.
How to practise: Sit comfortably with the spine straight, eyes closed, lips gently closed and the teeth slightly apart. If you like, close the ears with the index fingers. Inhale slowly through the nose. Exhale slowly, making a smooth, even humming sound for the whole length of the breath.
Breathing rhythm: Natural inhalation; a long humming exhalation, only as long as it stays comfortable.
Suggested duration: Five to ten rounds; more with practice.
When to practise: Early morning or late evening, before sleep, or when the mind is restless.
Precautions: Practise sitting, not lying down. Avoid with an ear infection. Do not strain the exhalation.

Śītalī

शीतली

Cooling breath

What it is: A cooling breath drawn in through the rolled tongue. It lowers heat in the body and softens agitation.
How to practise: Sit comfortably. Extend the tongue a little and roll its sides upward into a tube. Inhale slowly through the tube, as through a straw. Close the mouth and exhale slowly through the nose.
Breathing rhythm: Slow inhalation; a slightly longer exhalation.
Suggested duration: Nine or ten rounds to begin.
When to practise: In hot weather, after a strong practice, or when you feel agitated. It may follow other breathing techniques.
Precautions: Not in cold weather or polluted air. Avoid with low blood pressure, asthma, bronchitis, a cold or excessive mucus, or chronic constipation. If you cannot roll the tongue, Śītkārī, breathing in through the teeth, gives a similar effect.

Sources

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (Yoga Publications Trust)
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Prana and Pranayama (Yoga Publications Trust)

Aura Shanti draws on these teachings with gratitude and is an independent practice, not an official Satyananda Yoga or Bihar School of Yoga centre.