Breathe slow. Live long.

Pranayama and yogic breath, box breathing, ratio breathing, humming bee breath, the vagus nerve, and focusing your senses.

Part 2 of this guide introduces yogic breathing techniques that can be used by beginners to further develop their breathwork and yoga practice. Many ancient traditions, including yoga from India, and martial arts from China, have practiced breath and energy work as a part of their belief systems. In yoga, there are many different breathwork techniques, and it uses the Sanskrit language to describe them. You may have heard of some of them before or experienced them in a yoga class. 

It is possible to practice these techniques at home, but it’s always more effective to work with an experienced teacher who can guide you and ensure they are done correctly. If you are new to breathwork or have any medical concerns, please check with your primary care provider.

Diaphragmatic Breathing. Yogic Breathing or Three-Part Breath (Dirgha Pranayama)

Diaphragmatic breathing is very similar to belly breathing, but the movement is intentional and emphasized—being more pronounced and controlled. It is balancing and warming, and with each breath, the exchange of gases in the air we breathe is optimized in the lungs and then circulated around the body. 

• Take a neutral, seated position. As you inhale through the nose, draw air down into the belly and then into the chest cavity, expanding the rib cage. When exhaling through the nose, air is expelled first from the chest, then the belly, and as the abdominal muscles contract, push out any residual air. 

The inhale and the exhale make up one full breath cycle. To feel the ‘three parts’ of each inhale or exhale, visualize the lower, middle, and upper parts of your torso. Inhaling smoothly, take in a third of your lung capacity into the diaphragm and belly; the next third expands the rib cage; and the final third into the upper chest area. Exhaling smoothly and also breathing out in thirds. 

You can place a hand on each part and notice how differently they move in all directions and are interconnected by your airflow. Each cycle engages the abdominal muscles, thoracic muscles, and diaphragm, and the motion massages all the internal organs. 

Practice yogic breathing for 10-15 cycles to feel its balancing effects. 

The three-part breath technique can be practiced independently to balance your breath and body. It can also be used within the yoga practice to connect breathwork (pranayama), positions (asanas), meditation, the self (mind, body, and spirit), and engage with life force energy as detailed the eight limbs of yoga. (if you are familiar with this progressive pathways that encompass this yoga concept)

Pranayama Yogic Breathwork

‘Pranayama’ describes yogic breathwork practice. In Sanskrit, ‘prana’ means life force or universal energy; ‘ayama’ means to control; and ‘yama’ means to expand or extend. The breath can be symbolic of prana, and breathwork can help harness this energy. 

Many breathwork and meditation techniques originate in India from various Hindu, tantric, yogic, and Buddhist traditions and are documented in their ancient scriptures, such as the Pantanjali Yoga Sutras. These outline an eight-step system for physical, emotional, and mindful evolution. And these stages, or ‘limbs,’ include internal and external reflections or disciplines, guidelines and observances, breathwork, yoga asanas, meditation, and a path leading to attaining ‘Samadhi’—a state of bliss, enlightenment, or oneness. 

Ratio Breathing and Our Nervous System

We can use breathwork to create activating or calming responses and override our current bodily state. We can control our inhale (puraka), exhale (recaka), and breath retention or pauses (kumbhaka) between the inhales and exhales. Ratio breathing is counting the length of the breaths and making either the inhale or the exhale longer than the other or making them both equal. These techniques have different effects on the body.

• The sympathetic nervous system is the body’s fight-or-flight response to stress. This activating response is associated with the inhale.
• The parasympathetic nervous system is the body’s rest and digest response. This calming response is associated with the exhale. 

Equal Ratio Breathing – Sama Vritti – Box Breathing

Box or square breathing is a ‘balancing’ breathwork technique where each part of the breath cycle is intentionally equal. It can be practiced for five minutes for beginners and up to twenty minutes for more experienced practitioners. It encourages healthy breathing patterns, a slower resting breath rate, increases lung capacity, lowers stress hormones, relaxes the body, and restores balance. 

Take a neutral, seated position. After becoming aware and connecting with your breath, notice and count the length of the exhale, make the length of the inhale the same, and find an equal rhythm in your breath cycle. In for one, out for one, etc.

When you feel comfortable, you can slow down your breath cycle by increasing the lengths of each inhale and exhale. Apply a pause or hold in between each inhale and exhale. You have the ability to control the length of these ‘holds,’ suspending airflow and lengthening your breath cycle as you choose to.

Think of a square or a box. Imagine the ‘equal side’ with each part of your breath cycle. Visualize your exhale, hold, inhale, hold, exhale, hold, inhale, and so forth. Starting with a count of one for each side, progress to a count of four for each breath part or side of the ‘square’, to slow down and elongate your breath cycle. As long as it’s always equal, you can also count for longer, deepening your practice as needed. 

• Square or Box Breathing Ratio  4 : 4 : 4 : 4
  • Inhale-hold-exhale-hold

Practice box breathing for 10-15 cycles to feel its balancing effects. Build up to five minutes or longer as you gain stamina. Anytime you feel uncomfortable, return to a normal and a natural breathing rhythm.

Engaging Prana Energy

As you breathe life-force energy, each hold or pause (kumbhaka) allows you to ‘connect’ with prana. Drawing in the energy as you inhale, the following pause connects internally with the energy as it moves within the body. As you exhale, you surrender this energy back, and the following pause connects externally with the life force or universal energy outside of your body and all around you. 

• Kumbhakas can be used as a powerful tool by using the ‘hold’ to clear your mind, set intentions, and focus or direct energies towards different areas of your body. 

Part 3 of the breathwork guide will also introduce prana energy, layers, pathways, and energy centers in more detail.

Unequal Ratio Breathing – Vishama Vritti

Unequal ratio breathing is used to relax or activate, depending on the length or flow of the exhale vs. the inhale.

• When the exhale is lengthened, it’s a ‘calming’ breathwork technique that engages the parasympathetic nervous system, the resting response. When we take longer exhales than inhales, the vagus nerve sends a relaxing response to the nervous system.
• When the inhale is lengthened, it’s an ‘activating’ breathwork technique that engages the sympathetic nervous system, energizing the body’s alert response.

Take a neutral, seated position. After becoming aware and connecting with your breath, start first with equal ratio breathing to balance the body before progressing to uneven breathing techniques. Depending on the situation and the result you wish to achieve, you can choose to direct your focus to either your exhale or your inhale.

• Calming ratio – inhale 2 : exhale 4 

Practice a long exhale for a calming response (langhana breathing out slowly and gently); double or more the length of the exhale to the length of the inhale.

• Activating ratio – inhale 4 : exhale 2 

Practice a long inhale for an activating response (brahmana breathing in to expand and energize); double or more the length of the inhale to the length of the exhale. 

The recommended length of practice for unequal breathing is to build up slowly to five minutes, and then practice for no more than ten minutes, as this is not a natural breath pattern. Return to balanced and natural breathing to close the practice.

• Sleep Ratio, 4 : 7 : 8

You may have heard of the sleep ratio, a breathwork technique used to help overcome anxiety or induce sleep. It is a long, extended breathwork cycle that relaxes the body and calms the mind. It can be done in a neutral seated position or while lying in bed if you are using it to induce sleep. 

• Inhale through the nose for the count of four. Pause and ‘hold’ your breath for a count of seven (releasing any tension, clearing your mind of negative thoughts, and allowing prana to wash over you). Then a slow, controlled exhale for the count of eight, through the nose or the mouth, expressing all the air from the lungs. Practice for several cycles or until you feel relaxed or sleepy.

Although gentle, slow, and deeply relaxing, it is not a balancing technique and can make you feel dizzy if practiced for too long. Anytime you feel uncomfortable, return to a natural breathing cycle.

Good Vibrations – Brahmari Pranayama – Humming Bee Breath 

Brahmari is called humming bee breath because you create a humming sound like a bee on the exhale. It is a gentle breathwork technique that is therapeutic and calming. The extended exhale relaxes and engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which includes the vagus nerve pathway.

Brahmari is a great tool for those who have busy minds, have difficulty meditating, or focusing solely on their breath. After overcoming self-consciousness or the amusement of making a humming sound, the rhythmic vibrations can be found to be deeply anchoring. It is also a safe and great breathwork practice to do with children to calm them or change their reaction to a situation. 

Humming stimulates the vagus nerve that runs through the throat, sending a message to slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress hormones. It also increases vagal tone—our body’s ability to respond, react, and recover to restore balance. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the brain and through vital organs such as the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines. It is also known as the brain-gut axis for its role in managing and connecting our cardiac, digestive, and immune systems.

• To practice Brahmari pranayama, take a neutral, seated position. With your eyes closed, become aware of your breath and begin with balanced breathing. Start lengthening your exhale and introduce a long ‘hummmmm’, keeping your jaw and face relaxed as you expel air through your nose. Continue with several breath cycles. Feel how the sound vibrates in your mouth, nasal cavities, sinuses, brain, and cranial spaces. Prolong the hum and exhale for as long as it’s comfortable, without gasping for air on your inhale. 

Practice humming bee breath for 10-15 cycles to feel its calming effects. Build up to five minutes or as needed. To release the practice, return to normal and balanced breathing, bring your attention back to the present moment, and open your eyes. Notice how your mind and body now feel.

Enhance Your Sensory Perception and Hand Mudras

To develop your practice further, you can try removing all external distractions and practice connecting ‘internally’ with the sounds and vibrations of your breath and body. 

• In yoga, this withdrawal is called Pratyahara. You can choose to sit or lie down to do this. Once you are settled and have found your breath cycle, close your eyes.Try using your hands to block your ears and/or your eyes to help you withdraw from the outside world. You can also use an eye mask if you find that helps.

Yoga also uses symbolic hand gestures called mudras, which can be used with pranayama breathwork, asana positions, and meditation to expand and facilitate the flow of prana energy. 

The Shanmuki mudra (six gates) places fingers on the face at certain points to close the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It can be used with Brahmari pranayama to intensify the senses and prepare for the yoga stages of Pratyahara (withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), and Dhyana (meditation).

When used in conjunction with your chosen pranayama exercise, it can enhance the effects of your practice, allowing you to concentrate on your breath, prana energy, visualization, and directing your point of focus. Using hand mudras is optional at this stage of your practice, but you may come across them in meditation and yoga classes.

About Breathwork 1-2-3

This breathwork guide introduces different breathwork techniques that you can use to restore balance, activate, and relax the body when needed. 

» Breathwork Part 1: breathwork introduction
» Breathwork Part 2: yogic breathing techniques, ratio breathing, response mechanisms
» Breathwork Part 3: developing your breathwork practice, energy work, advance techniques

Balancing Breathwork Techniques

• Yogic Breathing: full diaphragmatic chest to abdomen breath
• Sama Vritti: equal ratio breathing
• Ujjayi Breath: victorious or ocean breath
• Krama Breathing: equal steps on the inhale and exhale 
• Nadi Shodhana: alternate nostril breathing
• Bandha Pranayama: using energy locks 

Activating Breathwork Techniques

• Vishama Vritti: unequal ratio breath with elongated inhales
• Krama Breathing: applying steps to the inhale
• Surya Bhedana: right-side nostril breathing
• Bhastrika Pranayama: bellows breath forced inhale and exhale
• Kapalbhati Pranayama: skull shining breath forces exhale, passive inhale

Relaxing Breathwork Techniques

• Belly Breathing : breath naturally like a baby
• Vishama Vritti: unequal ratio breath with elongated exhales
• Sleep Ratio Breathing
• Sheetali and Sitkari Breath: the cooling and hissing breaths
• Krama Breathing: applying steps to the exhale
• Brahmari Pranayama: humming bee breath
• Chandra Bhedana: left-side nostril breathing