Pranayama: The magic of breath.

“When the breath wanders, the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still.” (Hatha Yoga Pradikipa)

Following the yamas, niyamas & asana, pranayama is the fourth of the 8 limbs. 

Pranayama is usually practiced via breathwork, however, to truly understand the purpose of pranayama, we must understand the origin of the word itself. Pranayama can be translated in two different ways, both as the combination of the words “prana” (meaning life force energy) & “yama” (to control), or as “pran” (life force energy) & “ayama” (expansion or freedom).

In this light, we can see pranayama as a practice both to control and to free & expand our own internal energy system.

The breath, being our most obvious connector to our own energy system & life force, is one of the most rapid & powerful ways we can change our mood, our mind, alter our nervous systems & enter altered states of consciousness.

Within a dynamic class (rocket, ashtanga, vinyasa), ujjayi breath, also referred to as oceanic breath, becomes our point of meditation, it’s slow rhythmic sound focuses our attention inwards and calms the mind. 

Ujjayi breath, along with other types of breathwork, has been shown to improve vagus nerve tone. High vagal tone creates resilience in body & brain systems against stress by appropriately activating the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for lowering heart rate & inducing more restful states. 

On the other hand, low vagal tone is associated with increased sensitivity to stress & disease along with digestion issues, increased heart rate & difficulty in managing emotions.

A marker of high vagal tone is balance between the sympathetic nervous system (energising, creates alertness, also fight or flight response) & the parasympathetic nervous system (calming, resting, flow states, necessary for healing, linked to vagus nerve), allowing us to return to a calm state after stress.

The best way to understand this, is to feel it in your body! Below are two pranayama practices for you to try out at home.

Before beginning either of these practices, take a few moments just to set up a comfortable space for you to sit undisturbed, sit up tall with the spine lengthened & the shoulders relaxed. From here, take a few moments simply watching your natural breath, noticing it’s depth & rhythm. 

Once you have done this for a minute or two, you can begin one of the pranayamas below.

Nadi Sodhana (alternate nostril breathing)

This practice will balance the two sides of the nervous system & lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

We’re going to be using our fingers to block off nostrils, we will be using our right thumb to block off the right nostril & our right ring finger to block off our left nostril. With your index & middle finger, you can either curl them in or rest them on your forehead.

Start by taking an inhale through both nostrils.

From there, close your right nostril using your right thumb, exhale to a slow count of four through your left nostril.

Now inhale to a slow count of four through your left nostril.

Next close your left nostril using your right ring finger & exhale through your right nostril to a slow count of four.

Now inhale through your right nostril to a slow count of four.

This is one round, continue for 5-10 rounds to start, eventually you can build up to more or even increase the breath count (e.g. to five or six).

4, 6, 8 breath.

*note: as this pranayama includes breath holds, it is not suitable during pregnancy or for people with very high blood pressure. You can instead focus on making your exhales longer than your inhales, eventually moving towards making your exhales twice the length of your inhale.

This practice will activate the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a state of deep relaxation.

Inhale to a slow count of four.

Hold to a slow count of six.

Exhale to a slow count of eight.

This is one round, repeat for 5-10 rounds to start, if you’re comfortable, feel free to go for more.

You can incorporate these into your regular practice or utilise them when you feel they’re particularly needed.

Happy practicing!