Basic Pranayama Techniques
Given below are instructions for some of the basic pranayama techniques.
For all the breathing techniques given below, it is important to sit in a comfortable seated posture, keeping the spine upright and the body relaxed.
Ujjayi Breath
The word Ujjayi breath literally means the 'victorious breath'. Because of the benefits it provides (listed below), Ujjayi is highly recommended as the breathing technique to be used during the yoga practice (asana or pranayama) anytime that you need to breathe deeper than your natural breath. For example, while practicing Sun Salutation, it is recommended that each movement be made slowly and synchronized with the appropriate deep inhalation or exhalation. In this case, since the breathing is slow and deep, Ujjayi is used for each breath.
Ujjayi is practiced while breathing through the nose but narrowing the throat by half-closing the epiglottis (the piece of cartilage at the top of your voice box) thus producing a slight hissing sound (it may also be compared to a light snoring sound or the sound of an ocean wave). The sound should appear to come from the base of the throat and not from the friction of the air in the nostrils. Let that sound become your teacher. Listen to the tone of that voice as you inhale and exhale, and make that tone as even and smooth as you can, without any catches or wavering and without any change in pitch. Listening to the voice of ujjayi pranayama will give you greater sensitivity and control over the nuances of your breath.
At first, you may wonder exactly how to manipulate this epiglottal valve at the root of your throat. Here are a couple of methods which can help you learn this action.
- Just sigh, and notice the slight constriction in your throat that occurs. That's the area you need to control when you're practicing ujjayi.
- Open your mouth and inhale softly, noticing where the breath touches your throat. For most people, that will be deep down at the base and back of the throat. Again, that's the spot you need to constrict slightly to practice ujjayi. After you've zeroed in on this area, close your mouth and inhale, letting the breath touch your throat there. Once you can inhale in this way, practice exhaling with the same constriction of the epiglottis.
- Another technique that you can use to experience Ujjayi is to hold your hand up to your mouth and exhale as if trying to fog a mirror. Inhale the same way. Notice how you constrict the back of the throat to create the fog effect. Now close your mouth and do the same thing while breathing through the nose.
Benefits* of Ujjayi
Ujjayi is a tranquilizing breath and also has a heating effect on the body. This practice is used in yoga therapy to soothe the nervous system and calm the mind. It has a profoundly relaxing effect at the psychic level. It helps to relieve insomnia and may be practiced in shavasana just before sleep. The basic form without breath retention and bandhas slows down the heart rate and is useful for people with high blood pressure. Ujjayi alleviates fluid retention. It removes disorders of the dhatu, which are the seven constituents of the body: blood, bone, marrow, fat, semen, skin and flesh.
*(extracted from a book by Bihar School of Yoga)
Sectional Deep Breathing
The sectional breathing techniques are used as a preparation for the full, deep yogic breathing practice in Pranayama. These can correct the breathing pattern and also help to increase lung capacity by encouraging fuller breathing into different areas of the lungs. Because our attention is focused on different parts of the lungs, our overall awareness of the breathing process is enhanced. In the following breathing practices, keep the eyes closed so you can completely focus on the depth and quality of breathing as well as on the movement of the arms and shoulders.
There are three parts to the sectional breathing:
Abdominal Breathing
This is also known as Diaphragmatic Breathing in which we breathe into the lower region of the lungs.
For practicing this breathing, sit erect in any comfortable seated posture. Keep the thumbs on the waist and spread the hands with the middle fingers touching each other just above the navel. The palms are parallel to the floor, facing down. Begin deep, slow and continuous inhalation. As you inhale, your awareness is at the lower part of the lungs. With a gently downward pressure of the diaphragm, feel the abdomen filling up like a balloon. As the belly fills up, the middle fingers which were originally touching each other will begin to separate out. At the end of inhalation, pause for a brief moment and then start deep, slow, continuous exhalation. As you exhale, lift the diaphragm upward with the result that you can become aware of the cavity building up in your abdomen and the navel moves backwards toward the spine. In this position, your middle fingers will rejoin with each other. At the end of exhalation, pause for a brief moment and continue with the next cycle of inhalation/exhalation. Try about 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle.
Middle Chest Breathing
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In this breathing, there is a conscious effort in expanding the chest and the ribcage. This impacts the middle part of the lungs.To practice this breathing, bring your hands together, interlock the fingers and place the hands behind your neck. Inhale in place and as you exhale, bring the elbows together in front of you, softening the chest. As you begin to inhale, pull the elbows apart from each other, expand the chest closing the gap between the shoulder blades. Try to synchronize the movement of the arms with the appropriate breath. In this manner complete 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle.
Upper Chest Breathing
Here, we engage the upper part of the lungs in the deep breathing cycle. To practice, interlock the fingers of the two hands and keep the hands, on top of the head, facing down. As you begin to inhale, turn the palms up and start lifting the hands up so the arms become vertical. While you are raising the arms up, pull the shoulders up and lift the collar bones. While exhaling, begin to lower the hands and finally turning the palms down, rest the palms on the head again. Try to synchronize the movement of the arms with the appropriate breath. In this manner complete 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle.
Deep (Yogic) Breathing (Deergha Shvaasam)
This technique teaches the body how to breathe again in a natural way (just watch an infant's breath - how the abdomen goes in and out with each breath). Our normal breath is shallow and engages only the top part of the lungs. With this deep breathing technique, we try to engage the entire lung capacity. This is considered to be a very calming breath and helps calm the nervous system.
To achieve a complete breath, breathe slow and deep through the nose with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. Breathe first into the diaphragm, filling the stomach with air. Continue to fill the chest cavity with air, expanding the chest. Finally, lift the shoulders and collar bones slightly to complete the breath, and pull the last bit of oxygen into your lungs. While exhaling, relax the shoulders, chest, and diaphragm expelling all air through the nose. At the end of exhalation, pull your stomach in as far as you can.
Try to maintain a very smooth, continuous and deep breathing pattern. Gradually you will notice an increase in your duration of inhalation and exhalation. After some practice, try to develop a ratio of 1:2 (inhale:exhale).
Breath of Fire or Skull shining (Kapalabhati)
In the classical Hatha Yoga text "Hatha Yoga Pradeepika", Kapalabhati is described as one of the six cleansing kriyas (shatkarma). However, because it involves manipulation of the breath and its well recognized benefits, it is widely practiced as a part of the pranayama techniques. The focus in this pranayama is on exhalation which is brisk, short and forced. Inhalation after each exhalation is passive and automatic with no effort. Simultaneous with the exhalation, the abdomen is pulled in with the navel moving back toward the spine.
Performing Kapalabhati is easy. The lungs, when opened, act as a vacuum. Therefore, you will not have to focus on breathing, merely moving your diaphragm. Using your abdominal muscles, move the diaphragm in and out while keeping your lungs open. As the diaphragm is forced in, air will be forced out of the lungs. As the diaphragm is allowed to relax, air will be drawn in to your lungs. Increase the speed of your contractions until you are rapidly breathing with emphasis on exhalation.
Detailed instructions on the Kapalabhati technique, benefits and contraindications are available here.
Alternate Nostril breathing (Naadi Shuddhi)
Sit comfortably with the spine erect in any sitting posture. Be calm and close your eyes. Make Vishnu Mudra (shown here) with your right hand - make a soft fist, open the thumb and the last two fingers, keeping the middle two fingers at the base of the thumb. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and exhale through the left nostril. Begin the round with an inhale slowly through the left nostril and fill your lungs. After complete inhalation, close the left nostril with the ring finger of the right hand. Open the right nostril and exhale slowly. After complete exhalation, again inhale through the right nostril and fill your lungs. Close the right nostril with the right thumb. After opening the left nostril, breathe out slowly. This completes one round of the Nadi Shuddhi breathing technique. The attempt again is to have deep and continuous breathing pattern. After some practice, attempt should be made to develop a ration of 1:2 (inhale:exhale) through each nostril. Slowly build up the capacity to complete up to ten rounds.
Rapid Breathing (Naadi Sanchaalana)
In this breathing technique, we increase the breathing rate to approximately 100 breaths per minute. Remember our normal breathing rate is between 12 and 15 breaths per minute.
Technique: Make Vishnu Mudra with your right hand (see picture above) and close the right nostril with the right thumb. Through the left nostril begin to breathe at a rate of approximately 100 breaths per minute. The breathing should be even, smooth and comfortable. Try to breathe for up to one minute (~100 breaths). Do not strain. If you cannot complete one hundred breaths, stop when you begin to feel uncomfortable. Take a couple of natural breaths and then repeat the process through the other nostril closing the left nostril with the last two fingers. Finally, repeat the process with both the nostrils open.
