10/2/2016 5WaystoBreatheLikeaYogaMasterwikiHow

HowtoBreatheLikeaYogaMaster
FiveMethods: LearningDirgaPranayama PracticingBhramariPranayama LearningUjjayiPranayama EngaginginShitaliPranayama
PracticingKapalabhatipranayama

Mosttechniquesandposesinyogarevolvearoundyogicbreathing.Pranayama,whichroughlytranslatesto"expandinglife
force,"istheyogicartofbreathing.[1]Whenexecutedcorrectly,yogicbreathinghasbeenshowntoimprovemood,reduce
anxietyandstress,andhelppeoplewhosufferfromposttraumaticstressdisorder.[2]However,whenyogicbreathingis
improperlyperformed,itmaycausestressanddiscomforttothelungsanddiaphragm.[3]It'simportanttoperformallyoga
techniquescarefully,andifyou'reeverunsureofapositionorbreathingpatternyoushouldaskaqualifiedyogainstructor.
LearningthePranayamabasicsofyogicbreathcanhelpyoufeelbetterandcanputyouonthepathtoyogicexpertise.

Method
LearningDirgaPranayama
1

1 Inhaletothethreeabdominaltargets.DirgaPranayamaisoftencalledthethreepartbreath,duetoitsfocuson
breathingintoandoutofthreeseparateregionsintheabdomen.[4]Itmaysoundsimple,butitcanbequite
difficulttoperfect.
Inhalethroughthenostrilsinonelong,continuousbreath.[5]
Breatheintothefirstabdominaltarget,thelowbelly.[6]
Withthesamebreath,breatheintothesecondtarget:thelowerchest,atthebottomoftheribcage.[7]
Continuingthesameinhalation,breatheintothethirdtarget,thelowerthroat.Youshouldfeelitjustaboveyour
sternum.[8]

2 Exhaleinreverseorder.Onceyou'veinhaledintoeachofthethreetargetareas,you'llbeginexhaling.Onthe
exhalation,focusonthethreeabdominaltargets,butinreverseorder.
Exhalethroughthenostrilsinonelong,continuousbreath,justlikeontheinhalation.[9]
Focusonthelowerthroatfirst,thenfeeltheexhalationmovedownintothelowerchestandthelowerbelly.[10]

3 Practiceyourtechnique.Learninghowtobreatheintoandoutofthethreeabdominaltargetsmaybedifficultfor
beginners.Whenstartingout,it'sbesttoisolateeachindividualabdominaltarget.Youcandothisbyusingyour
handstotrackthemovementofyourbreath.[11]
Restoneorbothhandsoneachofthethreeabdominaltargets.Focusyourbreathintoandoutofeachtarget.
Youshouldfeelyourhand(s)moveupanddownontheinhalationandexhalation.[12]
Onceyou'velearnedhowtofocusyourbreathintoeachofthethreeindividualabdominaltargetswithyour
hands,practiceeachtargetwithouttouchingyourabdomen.[13]
Whenyou'vemasteredbreathingintoandoutofeachtargetareawithoutusingyourhands,connecteachstep
andpracticetheentireprocessinonefluidbreath.[14]

Method
PracticingBhramariPranayama
2

1 Inhaleadeepbreath.TheBhramaripranayama,oftencalled"thebeebreath,"focusesonasmoothnasal
inhalationandasteady,vocalexhalationthroughthenostrils.[15]
Breatheinslowlyanddeeplythroughbothnostrils.[16]

2
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2 Exhalewithathroatyvocalization.Asyouexhale,youshouldtrainyourthroattomakeasoft,elongatedhumof
theletter"e."Thisshouldproducethecharacteristicbuzzingsoundassociatedwith"thebeebreath."[17]
Exhaleslowlythroughbothnostrils.[18]
Startoutwithasoft,silent"eee"buzz,andgraduallyincreasethevolumeasyoubecomemorecomfortable
withthisbreathingroutine.Donotstrainyourthroat.Thebuzzingshouldfeelsomewhatnatural.[19]

3 Addvariancetoyourtechnique.Onceyou'vesufficientlypracticedthebeebreath,youcanaddsomevarietyto
yourtechnique.ThiscanhelpgiveyouadeepersenseofcalmasyouperfecttheBhramaripranayama.
Extendyourfingers,andusethethumbofyourrighthandtoblockyourrightnostril.[20]
Performthesameinhalationandexhalationasbefore,butpushallofyourbreathinandoutofyourleftnostril.
[21]

Switchsides,usingyourlefthandtoblockyourleftnostril.Pushallofyourbreathinandoutofyourright
nostril.[22]

Method
LearningUjjayiPranayama
3

1 Whisperan"h."TheUjjayipranayamaisoftencalledthe"victory"or"oceansoundingbreath,"becausethegoal
istoreplicatethesoundofcrashingwaves.Todothis,practicecontractingthevocalcordsuntilyoucanproduce
asteady,drawnout"h"sound.[23]
Youshouldfeelaslightcontractioninyourthroatasyouwhisperthe"h"sound.Itshouldnotbepainfulor
uncomfortable.[24]

2 Breatheinthroughthemouth.Drawinalong,deepbreaththroughyourpartedlips.Focusoncontractingthe
vocalcordswhileyouinhale,soyouproduceasoft"oceansound"asyoubreathein.[25]

3 Exhalethroughthemouth.Asyouexhalethroughyourpartedlips,focusoncontinuingtocontractthevocal
cordstoproducethesustained"h"soundassociatedwithUjjayipranayama.[26]
Onceyou'veperfectedtheexhalationthroughyourmouth,practicebreathingoutthroughyournostrilsinstead.
Withsomeexperience,youshouldbeabletoproducethe"h"soundwhilebreathingoutthroughthenosejust
asyoudidthroughthemouth.[27]

Method
EngaginginShitaliPranayama
4

1 Rollyourtongue.Insteadofbreathinginandoutthroughyournostrils,thisyogicpracticeinvolvesbreathingin
througha"tube,"madebyrollingyourtongue.Ifyoucannotrollyourtongueintoaperfecttube,trytoshapeyour
tongueintoasmuchofacylinderaspossible.[28]
Formatube(orasmuchofacylindricalshapeaspossible)withyourtongue.Pushthetipofyour"tonguetube"
outjustpastyourlips.[29]
Ifyoucannotrollyourtongueonyourown,youmayneedtouseyourhandsto"shape"thetongue.

2 Inhalethroughthetube.Drawaslow,deepinhalationthroughyourrolleduptongue.Trytokeepyourlipstightly
wrappedaroundyourtonguetoforcealloftheairthroughthe"tube"you'veformedwithyourtongue.[30]
Asyouinhale,tiltyourheaddownandholdyourchinagainstyourchest.[31]
Feelthebreathenteryourlungsandholdthebreathforapproximatelyfiveseconds.[32]

3 Exhalethroughthenostrils.Pushthebreathoutofyournostrilsinaslow,controlledexhalation.Trytoexhale
asyoudidduringtheUjjayipranayama.Focusonyourchestandcontractthevocalcordsasthebreathleaves
yourbodythroughthenose.[33]
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DonotpracticetheShitalipranayamaunlessyouarephysicallywarm.SomeyogisbelievethattheShitali
pranayamacoolsthebody,whichcouldbedangerousifyouarecoldorifyoupracticeduringthewinter.[34]

Method
PracticingKapalabhatipranayama
5

1 Inhalethroughthenostrils.Drawinaslow,steadybreaththroughthenose.Makesureitisanadequatelydeep
breath,astheexhalationwillrequireasteadysupplyofair.[35]

2 Practiceactiveexhalation.Asyoubreatheout,itshouldbeinarapid,"pumping"pulseofexhalation.Itmaybe
helpfulforbeginnerstoputonehandonthestomachtofeeltheactivebellybasedpumpingaction.[36]
Releaseshort,controlled"snorts"(withoutemittinganysound)throughthenostril.Itmaybehelpfultoimagine
thatyouareblowingoutacandlewithyourbreath.[37]
Practicereleasingrapid,silent"snorts"inquicksuccession.Beginnersshouldaimforapproximately30
exhalationsina30secondperiod.[38]
Keepyourstaccatoexhalationssteadyandcontrolled.Aimforconsistencybeforeyoutrytoincreaseyour
exhalations.[39]

3 Graduallyincreaseyourexhalations.It'sbesttostartslow,butonceyou'vecomfortablypumped30exhalations
in30seconds,youcangraduallyincreasetheexhalations.Slowlyworkyourwayupto45to60exhalationsover
a30secondperiod.Don'tpushyourselftoohardortoofast.It'sbesttobeginwithtwotothreeroundsofwhatever
numberofexhalationsiscomfortablebeforeattemptingtoincreasetheexhalations.[40]

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Tips

Eachinhalation/exhalationcycleshouldrequireseveralsecondstocomplete.Useapacethatiscomfortableforyou,but
thedeeperandsloweryouareabletobreathe,thebetter.
Itcanbetrickytogetthehangofthisatfirst,butithelpstoimaginethebreathingcycleasacircle.Duringeachcycle,the
chestandabdomenriseandfallinasmooth,uninterruptedmanner.

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Warnings

Consultaqualifiedyogainstructorifyou'reunsureaboutanyyogicbreathingtechniques.
Ifyoubegintofeellightheadedorexperienceotherunusualphenomena,discontinuetheexercise.Yogicbreathingshould
feelrelaxingyetenergizing.Itshouldneverbepainfuloruncomfortable.

SourcesandCitations

1.http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Pranayama_Yoga_Ayurveda
2.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19735239
3.http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Pranayama_Yoga_Ayurveda

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