Yogic Breathing Techniques

Yogic Breathing Techniques

Breath is a link between yoga and meditation. When doing yoga postures or meditating, your breath is one place to focus your mind.

The Sanskrit (Indian language) word for breathing techniques is pranayama.

Prana = breath (or energy)

Yama = control

pranayama = control of breath

Pranayama can be used for relaxation, opening, stimulation, balance, or creativity. Just as there are many yoga postures and meditation techniques, there are many different pranayama techniques. Below are 5 beginners pranayamas.

The natural breath or abdominal breath

The way the body is designed to breathe. Imagine the way a baby breathes on her back in a crib. When the baby inhales, her belly expands to hold the breath. When the baby exhales and expels the breath, her belly relaxes down.

You can practice this breath lying down, seated on the floor, or seated in a chair. Often, it is best learned on your back so you can more easily see and feel the belly expanding and contracting.

To practice: Inhale let your belly expand, Exhale let your belly relax. Inhale the belly expands like a balloon. Exhale the belly relaxes down. Continue at your own pace.

Abdominal breathing is for relaxation.

3-part breath or the Complete Breath (Dirgha Pranayama)

One continuous inhale and exhale which you feel, notice, or visualize in 3 parts. Can be done seated or on your back.

Inhale feel or visualize the breath in the belly, then in the mid-chest, then in the upper chest. Exhale, release the breath from the upper chest, mid-chest, and belly. Inhale, belly, mid-chest, upper chest; exhale upper chest, mid-chest, belly.

A way to think about this is to imagine a glass filling with water from a pitcher. The glass fills from bottom to top. Now pour the water out the glass, the glass empties from the top to bottom. Your breath moves in and out of the body, from the belly to the upper chest and then back again, the same way.

The 3-part breath is for relaxation and increasing lung capacity.

Ocean sounding breath or “So-hum” breath (Ujayi Pranayama)

Same as natural breath except add silently saying to yourself “So” on the inhale and “Hum” on the exhale. This is the breath mantra: The natural sound you make when breathing. By consciously and internally making the “so-hum” sound, you are lengthening the breath and drawing air to the bottom of the lungs. The mind can become absorbed and focused by the sound which can induce meditation. This breathing technique can also open throat, heighten awareness, enhance creativity and promote relaxation.

Alternate Nostril Breath or Channel Purification Breath (Nadi Shodhana)

Sit up as straight as possible and still be relaxed. You use the right thumb and right ring finger for this breath.

Start by closing off the left nostril with the right ring finger. Inhale through the right nostril. Hold both nostrils closed for as long as you wish, then open the left nostril and exhale. Then inhale through the left nostril, hold both nostrils closed for as long as you wish, then exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril and repeat the cycle. Continue for as long as you wish with smooth, deep breathing through alternating nostrils. End with an exhalation from the right nostril.

This breathing technique can promote balance and creativity.

Skull Polishing Breath or Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati Pranayama)

Sit up as straight as possible and still be relaxed.

While contracting the abdominal muscles (pulling in the belly), forcefully exhale through your nostrils. Immediately relax the abdomen and let the inhalation happen passively. Repeat slowly at first to make sure the belly is relaxing after the contraction, then pick up the pace finding your own rhythm. The breath is in the abdomen, the chest is relaxed.

Start slowly with 10-20 repetitions; over time progress to 70-100 repetitions per round. If you fell short of breath, slow down to allow more time for the inhalation.

To do Alternate Nostril Breath of Fire, close the right nostril with the right thumb, exhale sharply. Close the left nostril with the ring finger, exhale sharply. Continue.

This breathing technique can increase energy and alertness. Done through alternating nostrils it can also have a balancing effect.

Menstruation, pregnancy, colitis, recent surgery, emphysema, hernia, and unmedicated high blood pressure are contraindicated for this pranayama.

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After you learn one or more of these breaths, you can then see if they have the intended effect on you. So for example, if you feel low energy in the afternoon, before drinking coffee or soda, try a few rounds of the Breath of Fire. Or, if you have some work to do that requires creativity and you feel blocked, try a round of Alternate Nostril Breathing. Keep practicing what works and discard the rest.