Pranayama for beginners: breathing practices explained

In every class at our school, pranayama comes second: after the opening relaxation has settled the body, and before any posture. It is often the part beginners least expect to matter, and the part most worth keeping up at home.

Breath is also where yoga meets meditation. If you are interested in that side of practice, our guide to meditation in Fort Kochi explains how the two connect.

What pranayama is

Prana means vital energy or life force, and ayama means extension or regulation. Pranayama is the conscious regulation of the breath — its length, pace, pauses and path. In Patanjali’s framework it is the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga, the bridge between the body-based practices and the inner practices of concentration and meditation.

Before you start

• Empty stomach. At least two to three hours after a meal.
• Sit upright, on a cushion or a chair, spine tall but relaxed.
• Breathe through the nose unless a practice says otherwise.
• Never strain or force. Pranayama should feel steadying, not effortful.
• Stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or anxious, and breathe normally.
• Skip breath-holding if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure or a heart condition.

Six practices, step by step

1. Full yogic breath

The foundation for everything else. Lying or sitting, breathe in slowly so the belly rises first, then the ribs widen, then the upper chest lifts. Breathe out in reverse: chest, ribs, belly. Do this for eight to ten breaths, keeping it smooth and unforced.

2. Alternate nostril breathing — Nadi Shodhana

1. Fold the index and middle fingers of your right hand into the palm.
2. Close the right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through the left.
3. Close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the thumb, and breathe out through the right.
4. Breathe in through the right, close it, and breathe out through the left. That is one round.
5. Practise five to ten rounds, keeping the in-breath and out-breath equal to begin with.

It is calming and balancing, and suitable for almost everyone. Breath retention is added only later, with a teacher.

3. Humming bee breath — Bhramari

Sit upright and breathe in through the nose. With lips closed, breathe out slowly while making a steady, low humming sound. You can gently close your ears with your thumbs to feel the vibration. Repeat five to seven times. Many people find it one of the most calming practices of all, and it is often used before sleep. There is a fuller guide to bhramari, including what the research actually shows.

4. Ocean breath — Ujjayi

Breathe in and out through the nose while slightly narrowing the back of the throat, as if fogging a mirror with your mouth closed. The breath makes a soft, even sound. It slows the breath and holds attention, and is often used during postures.

5. Cooling breath — Sheetali and Sheetkari

For sheetali, roll the tongue into a tube, breathe in through it, then close the mouth and breathe out through the nose. If you cannot roll your tongue, use sheetkari: breathe in through closed teeth with the lips parted, then out through the nose. Both cool the body and calm the mind, which makes them especially useful in Kerala’s heat. Avoid them in cold weather or when you have a cold.

6. Skull-shining breath — Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati uses short, forceful exhalations driven by the abdomen, with passive inhalations. It is energising and demanding, and best learnt with a teacher. Do not practise it if you are pregnant, or have high blood pressure, a heart condition, a hernia, or recent abdominal surgery.

A ten-minute routine to start

1. 2 minutes: sit quietly and let the breath settle.
2. 2 minutes: full yogic breath.
3. 4 minutes: alternate nostril breathing.
4. 1 minute: five rounds of humming bee breath.
5. 1 minute: sit still and notice how you feel.

Pranayama in our classes

Every daily class at Santhi Yoga in Fort Kochi includes pranayama, after the opening relaxation and before the Sun Salutation, so you learn it with a teacher watching. We also run workshops focused on pranayama, and private sessions can centre on the breath. Classes run every day at 7:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Using the breath to settle an anxious mind is covered in yoga for anxiety and stress.

Common questions