Matsya Yoga · Knowledge
Prāṇāyāma – The Breath of Life
The art of guiding life energy through the breath
To the breathing techniques Prāṇāyāma in the teacher training
Introduction
What is Prāṇāyāma?
Prāṇāyāma – usually simply written pranayama – is the oldest yoga technique handed down to us. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad already describes the conscious guiding of the breath, long before there were postures (more on this in Roots of Yoga). On this page you will find the foundations of yogic breathing exercises as we teach them in our teacher training, and all articles on the individual techniques.
Prāṇāyāma, which means either “prāṇa-ayāma” (prāṇa, energy + ayām, expansion) or “prāṇa-āyāmaḥ” (āyāmaḥ, restraint, control, stopping), is the art of controlling life energy (prāṇa) through the conscious regulation of the breath.
In the yogic traditions, āsana is practised as preparation for prāṇāyāma. It is said that once a person is ready for prāṇāyāma, all the powers and positive effects of āsana can also be attained through prāṇāyāma alone. Prāṇāyāma is crucial for all yogic practices, especially for Kuṇḍalinī Yoga.
There are many different prāṇāyāma techniques that evoke different pranic movements and have specific effects on body and mind. Some generate fiery energy, others activate the energy in the abdomen. Others again cool the mind, while still others purify the channels through which this energy flows.
Among all breathing techniques, Nāḍiśodhana, alternate nostril breathing, is regarded as the most complete – more on this in the article on kumbhaka and alternate nostril breathing.
Other prāṇāyāmas offer specific beneficial effects, while Nāḍiśodhana offers all beneficial effects. As strong as your faith and devotion are, so strong will the effects of prāṇāyāma be. With devotion to the Lord Nārāyaṇa, one should always eat sattvic food.
Foundations
The basic terms of Prāṇāyāma
There are seven basic terms in prāṇāyāma that we should know:
- Pūraka – inhalation
- Recaka – exhalation
- Antara kumbhaka – retention after inhaling
- Bāhya kumbhaka – retention after exhaling
- Kevala kumbhaka – spontaneous, meditative retention of the breath
- Sahita kumbhaka – conscious, deliberate retention of the breath
- Samavṛtti – equal length of inhalation and exhalation
- Viṣamavṛtti – unequal length of inhalation and exhalation
What does Patañjali say about Prāṇāyāma?
Prāṇāyāma is defined by six essential attributes that outline its practice. Patañjali describes them in his Sūtras:
When the movement of each breath – inhalation, exhalation, retention – is observed with regard to duration, number and area of focus, the breath becomes extended in space and subtle.
— Pātañjalayogaśāstra 2:50
The first pillar is the focus on exhalation (bāhya), inhalation (ābhyantara) and retention (stambha). Every prāṇāyāma begins with the exhalation, since one must first be an empty vessel in order to be filled by the power of life. The inhalation fills the pure inner space with energy, and the retention is the timeless contemplation of this energy.
The breath should be long (dīrgha) and subtle (sūkṣmaḥ) – these are both the means and the goals for the expansion of consciousness. The expansion of the mind into its subtlety is made possible by the framework that mind and body create.
This framework consists of:
- Deṣa – the place of focus, both inner and outer.
- Saṃkhyā – the number of breaths and their proportions.
- Kāla – the time of practice, both the time of day and its duration.
According to Patañjali, prāṇāyāma becomes effective when consciousness is directed towards these attributes and rooted in them.
Prāṇāyāma is the fourth limb of Patañjali’s eightfold path – more about it in the article on the classical era of yoga.
Practice
How do you practise pranayama correctly?
Prāṇāyāma is not simply breathing. Focus, or attention in the breathing process, is the key to prāṇāyāma. Without attention, prāṇāyāma is useless. As the Yogakuṇḍalinī Upaniṣad says: “prāṇa and citta are one. When one of them is controlled, both are controlled.” Mind and prāṇa must therefore form a unity in order to find stillness.
Attention can be painful at first, since it is usually the inner pains that tug at one’s own mind and prevent it from stepping into the centre. The art lies in keeping courage and calm and stepping through the pain of practice – at the end of the tunnel, beauty awaits.
When the mind wanders aimlessly, remember: one should do what one does completely, for what is being done if one does not do what one does?
So, do it completely.
Not force, but devotion
The awakening of energy can no more be forced than consciousness. Applying force means believing one can do what lies beyond doing. The good, however, is already there, and all it takes is to pause in order to recognise it.
In prāṇāyāma above all, force is harmful. Whoever has the misfortune of trying to control prāṇa with a great deal of willpower will get burned by it. The power of the subtle cannot be tamed by the limited mind. Whoever wants to find harmony with the subtle must sacrifice the mind in devotion and stillness. All good things are already there – there is nothing to do.
Either one is ready to embrace them, or one is not. But whoever uses force to reach the goal faster will only discover their own pain behind this force.
When you practise prāṇāyāma, give yourself completely to the practice. Instead of straining, fix your posture in beauty. The āsana in which you perform prāṇāyāma is the throne of the Goddess, the throne of the Highest. Imagine how the Goddess would sit – that is how you should practise.
Instead of wanting, observe the flow of your breath. All your strength flows into the observation alone.
Four things are necessary for the practice of prāṇāyāma: a good place, a suitable time, moderate food and the purification of the nāḍīs. Yoga should not be practised in a distant land (loss of faith), not in the forest (no protection), not in a city or in the midst of a crowd (distraction). If one does so, one loses success.
Preparation
How do you sit for Prāṇāyāma?
Begin by practising āsana before you start prāṇāyāma. Often 10 minutes of āsana are enough to open the body and release tension – for example with the gentle joint series Pavanmuktāsana 1.
Choose a comfortable sitting posture and sit like the Goddess; then you are a vessel for the great power. Make sure your body is strong and open.
Avoid unnecessary movements such as fidgeting or scratching. The stiller you are physically, the deeper you can dive into the subtle levels. Even the smallest movement can throw your consciousness back from the subtle into the physical.
Imagine a butterfly sitting on you, and any movement could scare it away; total stillness.
So sit still and look inward into the flow of prāṇa. Your whole posture should reflect beauty and lightness. If, however, pain arises while sitting, one should move, shake it out and then return to the position.
Suffering brings nothing, since it only disturbs attention, especially for those who have difficulty focusing. Conversely, if one can focus properly, moving a painful leg does not impair concentration. Therefore one should always sit comfortably.
Intensity is decisive
There are many rules and restrictions for the practice of intensive prāṇāyāma, since controlling the breath is a way of penetrating into the depths of the human psyche, where the foundation of your being lies. Fears, impulses and powers slumbering in prāṇamaya kośa can be awakened and transformed. The rules of prāṇāyāma are the framework that protects the practitioner on the journey into the innermost.
One can roughly distinguish between normal and intensive practice. Intensive practice requires a pure life focused on spiritual transformation, while normal daily practice does not. Such a daily practice does not exceed two hours. It energises, calms and makes the mind radiant. The energy that prāṇāyāma awakens can be used by the psyche to live more fully, and it strengthens the essence of mind and body.
A practice that lasts longer than two hours or is performed more than twice a day awakens the fire of prāṇa, which can dissolve the foundation of the human psyche. Then the path to complete personal transformation is open, and a protective framework for the psyche is indispensable.
Serious prāṇāyāma should only be attempted when one is determined to transform one’s own being. Once this decision has been made, a vegetarian diet and a simple life without distracting social contacts should no longer be an obstacle.
Thought, speech and action must be in harmony.
Place and time
When and where is the best place to practise Prāṇāyāma?
The ideal time for prāṇāyāma is early morning before sunrise, during brahmāmuhūrta. Alternatively, one can also practise at midday or at sunset. Prāṇāyāma should not be performed less than two hours before going to bed, since its stimulating effect can make sleep difficult.
Prāṇāyāma should be practised in a quiet room free from distractions, so that one can dive deep into the Self. The surroundings should be clean and well ventilated. Prāṇāyāma should be protected from insects and not practised in direct sunlight, except at daybreak, when the gentle rays of the morning sun can envelop the practitioner.
Four times a day we should practise kumbhaka: early in the morning, at midday, in the evening and at midnight, until we can perform 80 rounds [at a time].
In the first stage sweat breaks out, in the second stage the body trembles, and in the third stage prāṇa reaches the centre of the head through the sushumna. In this way pranayama should be practised. (...)
Just as lions, elephants and tigers are tamed [gradually, with patience and energy], so prāṇa should be controlled. Otherwise it can kill the practitioner.
— Haṭha-yoga-pradīpikā 2:11-12,15
Mantra
Prāṇāyāma with mantra
Prāṇāyāma can be performed very effectively with the help of mantras or bījas. The Yoga-Rahasya even describes all prāṇāyāmas performed without mantras as “inferior” compared to those practised with mantras. The mantra in the breathing process of prāṇāyāma is used to keep the breath even or to measure and maintain the ratio between inhalation and exhalation.
In addition, the mantra vibrates in the mind and helps the practitioner focus on the higher goal within. It thus has several functions that are useful at the same time. Some use the gāyatrī mantra to measure the length of inhalations and exhalations. Oṃ is also typically used to structure the breath.
For example, at first one can silently repeat Oṃ five times while inhaling and five times while exhaling. This fixes the mind on the highest goal and balances the breath. Of course, various other mantras such as “Oṃ Namah Śivaya”, “So-Haṃ”, “Oṃ Yaṃ Ma” or “Oṃ Mā” can be used as well.
Prāṇāyāma exists in two forms: one without mantras and one with mantras. One should choose the mantra suited to one’s individual needs. Sagarbha is prāṇāyāma with mantra and vigarbhā is without mantra. The smṛtis say that prāṇāyāma with mantra is praiseworthy, while that without mantra is regarded as inferior.
— Yoga-rahasya 1
The breathing techniques
Prāṇāyāma in detail
Yogic anatomy
Nāḍīs and Prāṇas – the channels of the breath
Iḍā, piṅgalā and suṣumnā: the three great channels through which prāṇa flows – and the five prāṇas that move body and consciousness.
The map without which no breathing technique can truly be understood.
Alternate nostril breathing
Kumbhaka and Nāḍī Śodhana
The moments between the breaths are sacred – in kumbhaka the suṣumnā awakens.
Plus the full yogic breath and alternate nostril breathing, which purifies the channels and unites all beneficial effects.
Calming breath
Ujjāyī, Bhrāmarī and Śītalī
The victorious breath, the humming bee and the cooling breath.
Techniques that gather the mind, open the heart and soothe the inner fire.
Breath of fire
Kapālabhāti and Bhastrikā
The shining skull and the blacksmith’s bellows: the fiery breathing techniques of Kundalini Yoga.
With Ajagarī, which safely leads the awakened power back into the centre – and the difference to the “Breath of Fire”.
Bandhas
Mūla Bandha and the three locks
If Kuṇḍalinī is the key to the divine, then bandha is the key to Kuṇḍalinī.
Mūla, Uḍḍīyāna and Jālandhara Bandha – the inner gestures that bind the breath.
Origin
Roots of Prāṇāyāma
The very first yoga technique ever described was a breathing technique.
A journey to the Upaniṣads and to why, as long as 3,000 years ago, the breath was regarded as a bridge between body and mind.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about pranayama
Is pranayama suitable for beginners?
Yes. The normal daily practice – calm, attentive breathing, simple techniques such as alternate nostril breathing or Bhrāmarī – is suitable for everyone. Start with about ten minutes of āsana, sit comfortably and observe your breath instead of forcing it. Powerful techniques such as Bhastrikā and long breath retention are best learned under the guidance of an experienced teacher.
How long and how often should you practise pranayama?
A normal daily practice does not exceed two hours and is not performed more than twice a day. A few minutes are enough to start – what matters is not the duration but the attention.
When is the best time for breathing exercises?
Early morning before sunrise, the brahmāmuhūrta. Alternatively at midday or at sunset – but not in the two hours before going to bed, as prāṇāyāma is stimulating.
Which breathing exercise is calming?
Gentle techniques such as the humming bee breath Bhrāmarī, the cooling Śītalī or the even Ujjāyī breath gather the mind and calm the nervous system. You will find them in the article on Ujjāyī, Bhrāmarī and Śītalī.
Are there contraindications?
Fiery techniques such as Bhastrikā place heavy demands on the circulation. If you have cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure, are pregnant, or are older and without experience in intensive prāṇāyāma, talk to your doctor before practising powerful breathing techniques and longer breath retention. If you become dizzy, simply return to the natural breath.
Learn and practise
Learning Prāṇāyāma – teacher training and downloads
Prāṇāyāma is best learned in direct contact with a teacher who embodies the energy of a practice and can reveal its secrets. In our 200-hour yoga teacher training, the breath is one of the supporting pillars alongside āsana, mantra and meditation – just as we teach it in Hatha and Kundalini Yoga.
For your own practice, you will find a prāṇāyāma handout as well as kriyās and mantras in our download section – all illustrated by hand.