BHRAMARI (BEE) BREATH
Steps
1. Sit up straight and close your eyes. Breathe normally and relax your whole body.
2. Your mouth should be closed, your jaw relaxed, and your upper and lower teeth slightly apart.
3. Close your ears by pressing your thumbs on the tragus and gently rest your little fingers on the edge of your eyelids. Your other fingers should rest lightly on your forehead.
4. Take a slow, deep breath through both nostrils.
5. Then exhale slowly through your nose, making a continuous humming sound from your throat. The sound will reverberate in the head. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for about 5 minutes. After you are proficient and feel no discomfort, the time can be longer.
6. The sound should be deep, stable and smooth.
7. Feel the vibration of the sound in your head. Focus on the continuous buzz and vibration that the sound produces. This drone is similar to the buzz of a bee.
Bhramari breathing can be practiced at any time, but preferably on an empty stomach, and several times a day if desired. It is especially beneficial if you feel stressed or anxious, and it still helps the mind in meditation. You can also practice bhramari breathing while lying on your back.
Benefits
• Soothes and calms the mind
• Relieves tension and anxiety
• Helps reduce high blood pressure
• Effective for insomnia
• Improves concentration
• Increases self-confidence
precautions
This breathing technique should be practiced only if it is comfortable for you and should never be forced. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop practicing it and return to normal breathing.
ALTERNATE NORSAL BREATHING (NADI SHODHANA)
Alternate nostril breathing is a form of pranayama (control of life force (vital energy) through breathing techniques) and has many physical, mental and spiritual benefits. It’s safe to do so as long as you follow these instructions carefully, but if you have heart or lung problems, you should check with your doctor first. Start by sitting up straight with your eyes closed and relax. With the palm of your right hand facing you, your thumb and ring and little fingers extended, and the other fingers curled toward your palm, pinch your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril. Pinch your left nostril with your ring and little fingers and hold your breath. Then lift your thumb from your nose, exhale through your right nose, and pause. Next, inhale through your right nostril, press down on it with your thumb, and hold your breath. Then raise your ring and little fingers, exhale through your left nostril, and pause before inhaling through it to start a new round. Continue doing rounds like this for about five minutes, taking a break halfway through if necessary. After each exhalation, pause and then inhale through the nostril you just exhaled through. Practice two or three times a day, preferably in a quiet place and at least three hours after eating. If you wish, support your arm with a firm cushion.
The next step is to practice as above, beginning and ending each round with the left nostril and pausing after each exhalation, but timing the inhalation, retention, and exhalation. Inhale for a mental count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 4, then pause before inhaling again. Practice full rounds for about five minutes, two or three times a day, for a week. If this is comfortable for you, practice daily for about a week inhaling for 4, holding for 8, exhaling for 8, and pausing before inhaling again, as long as you feel comfortable doing so.
Gradually extend the count to 4-12-8 and then 4-16-8 if that’s comfortable for you and practice every day. Do not hold your breath to the point of discomfort, or try to accelerate the benefits of alternate nostril breathing by practicing for more than 5-10 minutes per session. This could be harmful. If you feel fine and experience no ill effects practicing on 4-16-8 for several weeks, increase the length of each session if desired, as long as you continue to feel fine and without discomfort. This alternative nostril breathing technique, nadi shodhana, practiced alone or with bhramari breathing, can be used to draw the mind inward in meditation. Purifies the nadis (vital energy channels) and
• helps you breathe smoothly and deeply
• Calms the mind, relieves stress and improves health
• Increases the flow of vital energy in the nadis and chakras
• Balances the flow of energy in the ida and pingala nadis on each side of the spine
• Relaxes nerves and improves digestion and other involuntary functions
• Awakens dormant spiritual faculties in the head and spine
• Improves concentration and meditation
COMBINATION OF NADI SHODHANA AND BHRAMARI BREATHING
The following technique combines nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) with bhramari (bee) breathing. By practicing these two techniques together as one, they reinforce each other in their ability to purify the channels (nadis) and swirling vortices (chakras) of vital energy in our spiritual body. Blockages and conscious and unconscious thought patterns that restrict and cause imbalances in the flow of healing and life-sustaining energies within us are gradually removed. The latent faculties of higher awareness in our main chakras in the head and spine begin to function, we become free from many limitations and more loving, our health improves and we can go deeper when we meditate.
In a quiet place where you can be alone, sit up straight, close your eyes, and relax. Your mouth should be closed, your jaw relaxed, and your upper and lower teeth slightly apart. Gently rest the index fingers on the edge of the eyelids, the middle fingers on each side of the nose, the thumbs on the tragus of each ear, the ring fingers on the face just above the upper lip, and the little fingers just below the lower lip. . lip. Close your right nostril with your middle finger and inhale through your left nostril. Pinch your left nostril with your left middle finger and hold your breath. Then lift your right middle finger from your nose, press your thumbs into the tragus of each ear, and exhale through your right nostril. As you exhale, make a continuous humming sound from your throat and focus on the sound reverberating through your head. Try to make it stable and smooth.
Then reverse the process. Slightly raise your thumbs so they no longer close your ears, inhale through your right nostril, then press with your right middle finger and hold your breath, then lift your left middle finger from your nose, press your thumbs into the tragus of each ear , and exhale through the left nostril. As you exhale, make a continuous humming sound from your throat and focus on the sound reverberating through your head. For about five minutes, continue to inhale, hold your breath, and make the sound as you exhale. After you exhale, always inhale through the nostril you just exhaled through. Alternate between the left and right nostrils, taking a break when you need to, and finish with the exhalation through the left nostril.
The inhalation should always be to the (mental) count of 4, and the retention to the count of 4 or 6, gradually increasing it over a period of weeks or months to 12 or 16. For the exhalation, simply do the long humming. As you get used to this technique, pause after each exhalation. When you hold your breath, instead of always counting to regulate its duration, only count occasionally, and you will be able to focus more fully on the peace that can be felt when you are not inhaling or exhaling and the breath is still. Practice two or three times a day, preferably at least three hours after eating, and if you wish, support your arms with a firm cushion. As you perform the technique, gently raise your eyes and focus on the forehead just above the midpoint between the eyebrows. If you see a beautiful light, focus on it, and it may get brighter.
Practice every day and gradually increase the length of each session to 10-15 minutes. Blockages in the energy channels must be cleared slowly, and trying to speed up this purification process in the hope of quick results can be detrimental. Also, you should not use this technique if it causes you discomfort, but if you feel comfortable with it, it can bring you many blessings.