Breathe slow. Live long.

Breathwork superpowers, ujjayi breath, stepped breathing, alternate nostril breathing, energy work, and advanced breathwork.

Now you’ve been introduced to a few simple and effective breathwork practices, you may be curious to explore more advanced breathwork techniques. If you are new to breathwork or have any medical concerns, always check with your primary care provider. 

Part 3 of this guide highlights some of the more advanced yoga pranayama techniques you may come across as you progress in breathwork. They can be used to create and enhance a calming response, an activating response, or a balancing response as needed. The exercises can also be used to generate a warming or cooling effect on the body, harness prana energy to attain mental clarity, direct energy towards areas that need attention or healing, and be used to create harmony within the body.

There are many resources and tutorials freely available on the web, social media, YouTube, etc. It’s recommended you always take a common sense approach as you research and progress with different breathing practices. Ensure your information comes from credible and qualified sources, as it’s not always easy to assess someone’s experience or intentions online. 

Also take into consideration that some techniques may not be suitable for practicing alone or in a virtual setting, especially when more intense breathwork techniques can cause body imbalances, dizziness, and hyperventilation. It’s always safest to practice breathwork in person with an experienced coach who can guide you through the techniques to optimize your breathwork experience. 

Breathwork Superpowers

In Indian religions and yogic traditions, siddhis are ‘superpowers’ that can be attained through yoga, spiritual practices, and meditation. You may have heard about the ‘Iceman’ Wim Hof and how his breathwork method allowed him to push his mental and physical limitations to withstand cold exposure, climb mountains, and run marathons in extreme conditions. 

For now, there’s no need to unleash your deepest superhuman strength, jump in an ice bath, or take a cold shower—even though these are said to have immune-boosting health benefits! What you can do is use your breath to subtly change how your body feels or responds to temperature and tap into energy lines within your body to create a calming, activating, or balancing response.

Breathwork and Body Temperature

These yogic breathwork practices can be used to warm or cool the body down and introduce techniques that control the passage of air using the lips, restrict the throat, and apply mouth breathing as required in certain situations.

Sheetali – Cooling and Soothing Breath

Take a neutral, seated position. Become aware of your breathing and take a few balancing breaths. To practice sheetali breath, stick your tongue out and roll it into a tube. Inhale through your mouth, as if sucking in through a straw. Open your chest and hold your breath for a moment as you feel air expand your lungs. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat with 5–15 breath cycles, sucking air in through your mouth and exhaling out through your nose, to feel the effects of your breath cooling your body.

Sitkari – Hissing and Cooling Breath

This is another cooling breathwork practice and helpful for those who find rolling their tongue difficult. Take a neutral, seated position. Become aware of your breathing and take a few balancing breaths. To practice sitkari breath, flatten your tongue, pressing it slightly against the roof of your mouth or against your teeth. With lips slightly pursed and open, create a hissing or sipping sound, and you inhale and draw air in. Hold your breath for a moment, then exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat with 5–15 breath cycles, sipping air in through your mouth and out through your nose, to feel the effects of your breath cooling your body.

Ujjayi – Victorious Warming Breath – Ocean Breath

Ujjayi is a warming and balancing breathwork technique that lengthens the inhales and exhales, calms the mind, regulates body temperature, reduces tension, and strengthens the lungs. 

In Sanskrit, Ujjayi is derived from two words, meaning lifting upwards and victorious. As you breathe, you can lift and expand your chest, so that raises the flow of prana up to the head and the mind. Ujjayi balances, warms the body, and builds stamina. It can be integrated with your yoga practice asanas (positions) and also on its own as breathwork. It can be practiced when seated, lying down, walking, or when doing other mild physical activities.

• Sometimes it is called ‘Ocean Breath’ from the soothing rhythmic sound generated with each breath cycle—like the waves gently breaking on the shore.

When practicing Ujjayi, visualization can help you engage with the breathing pattern. Imagine you are by the ocean. As the wave rises up, breaks, and falls back, try synchronizing your inhale and exhale and the sounds from your breath.

• To practice Ujjayi, take a neutral, seated position, and become aware of your breath. Engage in yogic breathing or diaphragmatic three-part breathing. Exhale with a slight constriction of the throat, producing a soft rumbling sound in the back of the throat. Maintain the restriction, drawing air in through the nose, along the roof of the mouth, and then down the back of the throat. 

Ujjayi is practiced with the mouth closed while ensuring your inhales and exhales are deep, continuous, and soothing. To test your technique, open your mouth and, on the exhale, whisper a long, gentle ‘haaaaaa,’ and with the mouth still open, whisper a long, gentle ‘haaaaaa’ on the inhale. Repeat, but this time close your lips and mouth around the ‘sound,’ restricting your throat and breathing through your nose. Continue with deep, rhythmic breathing cycles. 

Your breath should not be strained or forced through the nostrils, the sound is not overly pronounced, and there should be no tension held in your throat, neck, or jaw. Start with 10-15 Ujjayi breath cycles, building up to 5 minutes or longer as you build stamina.

Breathing Imbalances

Our body’s ability to breathe is an automatic function that we don’t have to think about. We also have the ability to consciously control our breathing. How we breathe influences the exchange and shifting dominance of oxygen and carbon dioxide of gases within the body, which in turn causes the body to respond in different ways.

• When suddenly shocked, we may gasp for air and hold our breath as part of an automatic response to take in more oxygen, which gears the body to ‘be ready’ to react—take flight or fight. 

Hyperventilation is rapid breathing or ‘overbreathing’ usually caused by panic or anxiety. It can leave you ‘breathless’ as your body takes in more oxygen, exhales carbon dioxide, and disrupts the balance and composition of different gases found in your blood. When someone is hyperventilating, breathing into a paper bag can help calm them and restore normal breathing patterns.

When practicing breathwork, it is important that you stay attuned to how you are feeling and how your body responds. If you feel discomfort, become dizzy, or feel out of breath at any time, return to a normal and balanced breathing cycle.

Stepped Breathing – Viloma Krama

There are many different ways we can control our breathing. We have learned about managing the length of our breath and using a ‘hold’ or pause after an inhale or exhale. We can also apply ‘brakes’ to our breath cycle by adding ‘steps’ to intentionally interrupt either the inhale or exhale. Stepped breathing focuses the mind on the breathing pattern, and depending on how you apply the steps, it adds emphasis on either the calming, activating, or balancing effects of the breathwork practice. 

When practicing Viloma Krama, visualization can help you engage with the breathing pattern. Imagine that you are either climbing up or going down steps with your breath cycle.

• For a calming response, inhale smoothly through your nose, then break up your exhale into three parts. Imagine you are taking an elevator up to the top as you breathe in and fill your lungs. As you go down, exhale and take your first ‘step,’ expelling a third of your lungs, and hold for a count of two. For the next step, exhale another third and hold for a count of two. And then your final step: exhale, empty your lungs completely, and hold for a count of two. Repeat inhaling and then exhaling in steps for 10-15 breath cycles. To close the practice, return to a normal, balanced breathing pattern.

• For an activating response, breathe through your nose and break up your inhale into three parts. As you take each step, fill your lungs by a third and hold for a count of two. Imagine you are climbing up steps, expanding your lungs, and when you get to the top, take an elevator all the way down as you exhale smoothly and completely. Repeat by inhaling in steps and exhaling smoothly for 10-15 cycles. To close the practice, return to a normal, balanced breathing pattern.

For a balancing response, ‘steps’ are applied equally to both the inhale and exhale. Repeat for 10-15 cycles, and close the practice by returning to a normal breathing pattern.

Energy Work

Many cultures and religions identify with universal life force energy, and it has many different names. In Indian and Hindu traditions, this vital energy in Sanskrit is called prana. The Hebrew word ‘rauch’ means wind, breath, or spirit—similar to ‘pneuma’ used by the ancient Greeks. The Polynesians speak of ‘mana’ as a life force, and Native American cultures identify with the Great Spirit as a source.

Throughout yogic practice, it is thought we are all connected to prana, and this energy reaches into every part of our existence. Our mind, body, and spirit engage with prana through channels or pathways, energy centers, and layers that make up our conscious and subconscious selves. Similarities can be found in traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese Reiki, and martial arts, which also identify with ‘chi’ energy and meridians within the body. 

Recent studies into these ‘ancient wisdoms’ have found these energy lines correspond to certain physiological bodily functions, the bioplasmic flow of blood and lymphatic systems, the release of hormones and chemical reactions, electromagnetic activity, and the transmission of nerve energy through neural networks, etc. 

Engaging Prana – Life Force Energy

Whatever our current level of scientific understanding or belief system may be, we can all agree that practicing breathwork can aid our general wellbeing. 

Yoga practice believes pranayama breathwork engages and harnesses prana energy that exists all around us. Prana energy enters and circulates internally through the channels within the body and then transfers out of the body to reconnect with the universe in an ongoing, continuous cycle. Like the law of physics, it cannot be created or destroyed; energy can only be transferred from one form to another.

When practicing pranayama, visualization techniques can be used in conjunction with specific breathwork practices to ‘see’ the flow of prana through the channels within the body, focus prana into the energy centers, and send prana to different parts of the body that need attention or healing.

In addition to prana, you may have heard of other yogic terms such as the chakras, vayus, nadis, bandas, and koshas. These different forms of prana energy are interconnected and can be complex in nature. For now all you need to thing about is to keep that good prana energy flowing.

Koshas – The Five Layers of Our Being

According to Yogic philosophy, there are five layers of our ‘being,’ called koshas. These are:

• Annamaya kosha: the physical body (our appearance and abilities)
• Pranamaya kosha: the energy body (our prana in all its forms—the five vayus, chakras, nadis, etc.)
• Manomaya kosha: the mental or emotional body (our thoughts and feelings)
• Vijnanamaya kosha: the wisdom body (our intuition and values)
• Anandamaya kosha: this is our deepest layer where our soul resides (bliss body and spirit)

It is thought the Pranamaya kosha transcends and mediates across each layer that makes up our different levels of ‘self’, connecting our physical, internal, external, conscious, and subconscious bodies.

Prana and the Vayus – The Five Energy Movements

In yogic practice, as prana life-force energy is breathed into our body, this then circulates as five prana energies, moving internally in different directions or ‘winds’ called the vayus. These are responsible for bodily functions, balances, and activities: 

• Prana vayu is an inward movement (reception) from head to navel
• Apama vayu is a down-and-out movement (excretion)
• Udana vayu is an upward movement (of mind and growth) from navel to head
• Samana vayu is a centered circular movement (digestion)
• Vyana Vayu is outward-radiating movement (circulation) expanding

Nadis – Energy Pathways

Nadis are the channels or meridians in which prana energy moves within our body. There are hundreds of these pathways and many branches. The main ones are:

• Sushumna nadi: this runs deep through the center of the body and through all the chakras. It is also the path that the transformative kundalini energy takes as it rises up. A transformative female energy located in the base of the spine takes as it rises up through the chakras towards the crown, leading to higher states and spiritual enlightenment.
• Ida nadi: this runs from the left nasal passage through the left side of the body and is considered to be a feminine, moon energy. It is cooling, relaxing energy associated with the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Pingala nadi: this runs from the right nasal passage and through the right side of the body and is considered to be a masculine, sun energy. It is an activating, energizing energy associated with the sympathetic nervous system.

Interestingly, the body’s nasal breathing cycle naturally switches dominance from one nostril to the other. It varies from person to person, but on average it changes every 2-3 hours. Right nostril dominance stimulates the left side of the brain, and left nostril dominance stimulates the right side of the brain. 

When intentional single nostril and alternate nostril breathing is practiced, it engages the nadi channels and directs the flow of prana. The free flow of prana through the nadis is believed to support koshas (the different levels of self) and is necessary for harmony, good health, and spiritual development. 

Alternate Nostril Breathing – Nadi Shodhana the Purifying Breath

Alternate nostril breathing is called anulom villoma. When applying a pause (kumbhaka) after the inhale to intentionally hold the prana energy in, it is called Nadi Shodhana. Nadi Shodhana is balancing and calming; it clears and opens the mind, and is said to be the ‘Purifying Breath.’ The equalizing breath flow also opens the Sushumna nadi, allowing prana to take its course through this central pathway and connecting all the chakras.

Single Nostril Breathing – Chandra and Surya Bhedana

• Chandra Bhedana is breathing through the left nostril only. Prana takes its course through the Ida nadi. It is called the moon breath and is cooling and relaxes the body and the mind. 
• Surya Bhedana is breathing through the right nostril only. Prana takes its course through the Pingala nadi. It is called the sun breath and is warming and activating for the body and the mind.

It is recommended that alternate nostril breathing be practiced first before applying a single nostril breathing technique and then to return to alternate nostril breathing to rebalance and close the practice. 

An example of using single nostril breathing: if you want to summon strength so you are clear-minded and confident, you could try practicing Surya Bhedana, right nostril breathing, before making that important phone call, talking to your boss about a raise, getting up to speak publicly in front of an audience, etc. 

Chakras Energy Centers and Kundalini Energy

Chakras are spinning centers of energy within the body, and can be translated to mean wheels in Sanskrit. They are connected by the Nadi channels and act as energy gateways to regulate the flow of prana. 

There are many different chakras located throughout the body, but the seven main ones that are found running down the spine are:

• Root Chakra (Muladhara): Located at the base of the spine, it governs our physical body and represents our stability, security, and primal instinct. 
• Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana): Located in the pelvic region, it stands for our creativity, sensuality, emotional wellbeing, and ability to feel pleasure.
• Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura): Located just above the navel, it represents our willpower, strength of character, and self-confidence; it controls metabolism and digestion.
• Heart Chakra (Anahata): Located centrally in the body and in the middle of the chakras, it embodies love, compassion, and our ability to connect with others and ourselves.
• Throat Chakra (Vishuddha): It represents communication and self-expression and our ability to speak our truth.
• Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna): Located between the eyebrows, it is associated with the mind’s eye and the pituitary gland; it represents intuition, growth, and spiritual awareness.
• Crown Chakra (Sahasrara): Located at the top of the head, it is associated with the pineal gland and represents unity, consciousness, and divine connection.

Kundalini is a dormant transformative energy located in the base of the spine and is located just below the root chakra. Like a coiled-up serpent, it is thought that when this primal energy is awakened, it rises up through the central Sushumna nadi, connects with all the chakras, and reaches the crown and expands, leading to higher states and spiritual enlightenment.

Chakras are thought to correspond to bodily functions, different organs, glands, and the nervous system. Stress to the body can disrupt the flow of prana energy, creating energy blockages or depleting the energy in our chakras. Engaging in pranayama and other yoga practices can remove these blocks, restore and cleanse our chakras, and keep our prana energy flowing.

Advanced Breathwork Techniques – Bandha Pranayama, Bhastrika Pranayama, and Kapalabhati

The following pranayama practices are considered advanced and require some skill to perform correctly. You may also come across these breathwork techniques in your research or in a yoga class. You should only practice them once you have a solid understanding of pranayama and yogic energy work. Only a brief explanation about these advanced techniques is given in this guide, as it’s recommended you learn to do these in person and with an experienced breathwork coach. 

Given their intensity and ability to control prana flow, they are thought to be deeply energizing, cleansing, and stimulating—and may cause reactions such as dizziness and fainting. Only practice breathwork to a level that is comfortable for you and return to a normal breathing pattern whenever you need to. 

Bandha Pranayama and the Energy Locks

Bandhas arBandhas are energy locks located within the body. Bandhas are energy locks located within the body. Muscles can be engaged to contract and stop the flow of energy and to hold prana in that location. Bandhas can be used together with meditation, asanas (yoga positions), and pranayama breathwork. 

Bandhas are often practiced with Ujjayi and Bramari pranayama to enhance the focus and flow of prana energy. 

The main three bandhas are:

• Mula Bandha – the root lock engages the pelvic floor muscles and draws any impurities upwards away from the root chakra. It can be applied either after complete inhalation or after complete exhalation.
• Uddiyana Bandha – described as ‘upward flying’ in Sanskrit, the navel lock is achieved by drawing in and lifting up the abdomen, sucking it in under the diaphragm to create a hollowing at the base of the rib cage. It is said to hold impurities to be burned by ‘agni’, a digestive energy or internal fire located in the center of the body. It can be applied either after complete inhalation or after complete exhalation.
• Jalandhara Bandha – the throat lock is achieved by tucking the chin into the chest. It is thought to hold back ‘amrita,’ the nectar of life, from falling from the brain and into the fire below. It can only be applied after a complete exhalation.

• Maha bandha – the ‘great lock’ is achieved when all three bandhas are applied at the same time, and it can only be applied after a complete exhalation.

These can be found at internal junctions or sphincters within the body and have an influence on the chakras located close by. Interrupting the flow of prana energy allows it to be suspended in place for internal exchanges to happen, and on release, prana can flow again, flushing out impurities and used energy matter.

Bhastrika Pranayama – Fire or Bellows Breath

Bhastrika in Sanskrit means bellows, and the breathing action mimics the fanning of a fire through the forced movement of air. Bellows breath is a form of deep diaphragmatic breathing through the nose, where both the inhalation and exhalation are equal and forced. The movement involves rapid and short bursts of breath to pump air into the lungs and stomach while engaging all the muscles in the chest, abdomen, and belly in a pronounced way.

It is thought to energize and shake off sluggishness by warming and cleansing the body, as it increases and maximizes the flow of life force energy. Additional techniques include moving the arms and shoulders with each breath to intensify the bellows movement, using vocal sounds or a metronome to maintain a consistent fast rhythm, engaging energy locks, and applying alternate nostril breathing as needed.

Bhastrika pranayama should be practiced with caution, as fast breathing does not have the same benefits as slow breathing practices.

Kapalabhati Pranayama Kriya – Skull-Shining Breath

In Sanskrit, kapala means skull, and bhati means to shine. Kapalabhati Pranayama is a breathwork technique that is also considered a ‘kriya,’ performed to deeply cleanse and detoxify the body. It also stimulates and energizes the body, leading to mental clarity and stamina—hence the skull-shining breath.

Kapalabhati is another form of pronounced diaphragmatic breathing through the nose where the inhales are passive and the exhales are powerful, rapid, and forced. The abdomen and belly are contracted and squeezed to expel any residual air from the body and then suddenly released, which creates an automatic intake or inhale of air. Additional advanced techniques include using hands to push in on the stomach to encourage expulsion (then relaxed on inhalation), use of kumbhakas (breath holds), and engaging bandhas energy locks. 

Kapalabhati Pranayama should be practiced with caution, especially for extended rounds, as unequal and fast-paced breathing can lead to hyperventilation and increased heart rate.

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
• 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