Extra Pranayama Practices

Simple Pranayama Practices Video Tutorial

Additional Pranayamas

Candle Breath

Benefits

Calms the emotions and focuses the mind.

Procedure

Sit in easy pose. Breathe in deeply through the nose; feel the breath drop into the heart or navel center. Relax the palette and the shoulders, and exhale through a rolled tongue or pursed lips as though whistling. With a long, slow exhalation through tongue or lips, imagine that you are flickering a candle about a foot ahead of you. Repeat this practice for 3-5 rounds and return to a natural breath to observe the inner effects.

Sitali Breath

Benefits

Cooling to the mind and body. May be used anytime one feels overheated. An effective pranayama for hot flashes. Sitali’s cooling effect is accomplished via the inhalation passing over the wet tongue, which in turn cools the throat and the entire system.

Procedure

Sit in ease pose. Curl the tongue into a tube shape. If this is not possible, breathe in through an open mouth with the tongue touching behind the upper teeth. Breathe in deeply through allowing the prana entering the body to be cooled as it interacts with the wetness of the mouth. Exhale freely through the nose with a relaxed palette. Repeat this practice for 3-5 rounds with awareness of the cooling effect.

Robin’s Breath

Benefits

Heart-opening. Coordinates the movement with the breath. Warms the spine and opens the shoulders.

Procedure

Sit in easy pose. Place the hands in Anjali mudra (Namaste) at the heart. Inhale to lengthen the spine. Exhale, pull the navel in as you round the spine, reaching forward with the hands. Inhale, open the arms wide like wings and stretch the front body with a toned abdomen. Exhale, bring the hands back together, opening the back body. Inhale, breathe the hands back to Namaste. Repeat 3-5 rounds and relax to feel the effects.

Simhasana (Lion’s Breath)

Benefits

Relaxes and opens the throat and upper chest area. Warms the spine, hips and shoulders.

Procedure

Sit in Vajrasana or easy pose. Rest the hands palms down on the thighs and lift up through the crown of the head to lengthen the spine. Inhale here and begin the exhalation by sliding forward onto the hands. Press into the hands and extend the spine to gaze up towards the ceiling. Complete the exhalation by rolling the eyes to look up, extending the facial muscles and tongue as you expel the breath all at once in a guttural “roar.” Inhale and push back to your comfortable seat. Exhale, press back to your seat, relaxing the face into a smile. Repeat 3-5 rounds and pause to observe the openness in the throat and heart.