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02 / Breath · Pranayama

Let attention
follow the breath.

Start by noticing. These introductory practices use a comfortable breath, without force or breath holds.

Begin with natural breathing ↓

Explore hand gestures and traditional mudras

Begin with natural breathing, or choose one of the other introductory guides. Open one at a time and stay with what feels comfortable.

Stay with natural breathing if controlling the breath feels uncomfortable. Stop for dizziness, anxiety, or breathlessness, and let breathing settle. Read the general guidance before practicing.

Context from the full practice guide

A gentle start, a clear understanding

Meeting your own breath

The breath is always with you, and the leisure to check on it almost never is. In the yoga tradition prana carries a wide meaning, and calling it only the air that comes in leaves most of that meaning out. Begin with the experience that is available right now: sitting comfortably, recognizing the breath as it is, and letting go of effort that has nothing to do.

What comes after posture

In Yoga Sutra 2.49 and 2.50, once posture is settled, the text turns to the movement of the in-breath and the out-breath and to its regulation by place, by time and by number. That order says something: pranayama is a discipline to be learned with attention, in sequence. For the introductory practices a steady chair and a comfortable seat have been chosen as the posture.

Puraka, rechaka and kumbhaka

Breathing in is called puraka, breathing out rechaka, and holding the breath kumbhaka. Even when the words are familiar, the length of a hold is never something to decide on your own. All three introductory practices are done without kumbhaka.

Respect for the count, and for ease

Where an even count is given, it helps you follow the sequence. Stretching the breath or sitting through discomfort to complete the count serves nothing. Whenever you need to, lower the hand and let the breath return to its own flow.

Yoga Sutra 2.49 to 50, and the hatha yoga and modern teaching references below.

Stay with natural breathing if controlling the breath feels uncomfortable. Stop for dizziness, anxiety, or breathlessness, and let breathing settle. Read the general guidance before practicing.

Natural Breath Awareness
01

Begin here

Natural Breath Awareness

Settle into your seat and notice the breath you already have.

Set up

Sit comfortably with your feet supported. Rest your hands on the thighs. Keep your eyes open or softly lowered.

How to practice

  1. Notice the next inhale and exhale without changing their depth or speed.
  2. Let the shoulders and jaw soften. You do not need to take a bigger breath.
  3. When attention wanders, gently return to the feeling of breathing.
  4. Finish by noticing your feet and the support of the chair.

Breath & pace
Stay for a few comfortable breaths. There is no target count and no breath hold.

Understanding the practice

Sooner or later the mind wanders off, and you will see it go. Noticing that and coming back belongs to this beginning practice. Nothing here asks you to produce a special experience, a sense of emptiness, or a state free of thought.

An original introductory attention practice, written for beginners.

Background and sources
An open circle for attention, without a prescribed pace
An open circle for attention, without a prescribed pace.

Why begin here

The first task is simply to notice. The practice below leaves the breath at its own depth and speed. Attention may return to the chair or the feet whenever watching the breath feels uncomfortable. Nothing needs to be achieved before you finish.

Attention and regulation

Breath awareness and a deliberately regulated breath are different activities. The Bihar teaching begins its discussion of prana with awareness of breathing; the ICYER account likewise places awareness within contemplation. Natural breath awareness is that modest starting point. Ordinary breathing and the many classical forms of pranayama remain distinct.

An optional circle for attention

Move the point yourself if it helps you notice the breath. The circle does not set a breathing pace or measure your breathing.

Sources and scope

Main edition

YOGA, October 2020

Passage for this reading

  1. YOGA, October 2020

    “Importance of Breath Awareness,” printed pp. 36 to 38.

    Bihar School of Yoga. “Importance of Breath Awareness,” pp. 36 to 38; “Bhramari,” pp. 49 to 50. Teaching statements are not adopted as medical claims.

  2. Basic Practice of Some Pranayamas

    “Pranayamas for contemplation and meditation,” PDF p. 5.

    Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, International Centre for Yoga Education and Research. Source page numbering refers to the PDF; hand descriptions compared independently.

What this edition covers

A modern introductory adaptation with complete guidance and source comparisons.

Limits and differences

The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.

Open the individual guide

Next guide

Alternate-Nostril Breathing
02

Gentle practice

Alternate-Nostril Breathing

anuloma viloma

Alternate airflow between the nostrils with Viṣṇu mudrā and no retention.

Set up

Sit upright and rest the left hand on the thigh. Form Viṣṇu mudrā with the right hand: fold the index and middle fingers inward, keep the ring and little fingers together, and use the thumb and the last two fingers at the nostrils.

How to practice

  1. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left.
  2. Close the left nostril with the joined ring and little fingers; release the thumb and exhale through the right.
  3. Inhale through the right; close it with the thumb, release the ring and little fingers, and exhale through the left.
  4. This completes one round. Keep the touch light and the breath quiet.

Breath & pace
Begin with 4 rounds at an even, comfortable count.

Understanding the practice

Different teaching lineages use the names Nadi Shodhana and Anuloma Viloma for several sequences that differ from one another. What you have here is the simple form alone: the breath moves from one nostril to the other and back. Do not treat it as a stand-in for the full traditional sequence, with its set ratios, its bandhas or its kumbhaka.

Modern teaching context: Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Nadi Shodhana section. This version uses no retention.

Background and sources

What this version includes

The practice below alternates the nostrils without retention. One round returns you to the side where the cycle began. Its four-round suggestion belongs to this library’s introductory guide; it is not a quotation from the Common Yoga Protocol, which gives five rounds.

Names and hand positions

The Common Yoga Protocol groups Nadi Shodhana and Anuloma Viloma together. Other teaching traditions distinguish stages and methods under these names. The finger shape used here is called Vishnu mudra in the Sivananda teaching and Nasagra mudra in the 2026 protocol. Learn the hand position and the breath sequence together instead of relying on the name alone.

Sources and scope

Main edition

Common Yoga Protocol (2026)

Passage for this reading

  1. Common Yoga Protocol (2026)

    Nadishodhana / Anuloma Viloma, printed pp. 41 to 42.

    Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Modern teaching protocol.

  2. The Sivananda Companion to Yoga

    “The Vishnu Mudra,” printed p. 73.

    Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, 1983, “The Vishnu Mudra,” printed p. 73. Edition scan hosted by Friends of Tibet.

  3. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

    Sanskrit verse 2.10; classical method includes retention.

    Svātmārāma; Sanskrit with Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. Verse numbers follow the Sanskrit.

What this edition covers

A modern introductory adaptation with complete guidance and source comparisons.

Limits and differences

The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.

Open the individual guide

Next guide

Shitali
03

Gentle practice

Cooling Breath

śītalī

Draw air through a curled tongue, then exhale gently through the nose.

Cooling Breath: Draw air through a curled tongue, then exhale gently through the nose.
Inhale gently through the tongue opening, then close the mouth and exhale through the nose. Do not force the tongue shape.

Set up

Sit tall with hands relaxed. Curl the sides of the tongue into a tube if that shape is naturally available.

How to practice

  1. Extend the curled tongue slightly through the lips.
  2. Inhale slowly through the tongue tube.
  3. Close the mouth and exhale gently through both nostrils.
  4. If the tongue does not roll, use Hissing breath (sītkārī): rest the tongue behind lightly parted teeth and inhale through the teeth.

Breath & pace
Begin with 4 rounds.

Understanding the practice

The names Shitali and Sitkari describe two different ways of drawing the air in through the mouth. The classical hatha yoga description then goes on to a held breath, kumbhaka. This beginning form leaves that step out. Do not take it as a treatment for any illness or for fever.

Historical context: Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.54 to 58. This modern introductory version omits the retention described in traditional practice.

Background and sources

A shape, a sensation, a name

Shitali gives the incoming air a passage through the rolled tongue before the outgoing breath returns through the nose. The name and the traditional cooling description help identify the practice. They do not establish a treatment for fever, diabetes, or another medical condition.

Read the method beside its source

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika places Shitali after Sitkari and includes retention. The Common Yoga Protocol presents a modern introductory sequence. This library’s introductory version omits retention and suggests four rounds. Its Sitkari alternative remains below; the separate Sitkari page explains why the two names deserve their own entries.

Sources and scope

Main edition

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

Passage for this reading

  1. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

    Sanskrit verses 2.54 to 58.

    Svātmārāma; Sanskrit with Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. Verse numbers follow the Sanskrit.

  2. Common Yoga Protocol (2026)

    Shitali, printed pp. 43 to 44.

    Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Modern teaching protocol.

  3. The Science of Pranayama

    Chapter Four, “Sitali”.

    Swami Sivananda; Divine Life Society, sixteenth edition 1997, authorized web edition 2000. Traditional teaching, not clinical evidence.

What this edition covers

A modern introductory adaptation with complete guidance and source comparisons.

Limits and differences

The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.

Open the individual guide

Next guide

Sitkari

The introductory version here

The cooling-breath guide offers Sitkari when the tongue does not roll naturally: the tongue rests behind lightly parted teeth and the incoming breath passes through the teeth. Close the mouth for the gentle nasal exhalation described in that guide. Keep its no-retention approach. There is no reason to force a tongue shape, a hiss, or a longer breath.

Keep the whole guidance together

The full cooling-breath instructions, easier option, and cautions are reproduced below so that this alternative is not separated from its context. Cold-air irritation, discomfort in the teeth or throat, asthma symptoms with open-mouth breathing, and dizziness remain reasons to stop or return to natural breathing. The traditional accounts are compared here for understanding; they do not supply a new schedule to follow.

The complete guidance

03

Gentle practice

Cooling Breath

śītalī

Draw air through a curled tongue, then exhale gently through the nose.

Cooling Breath: Draw air through a curled tongue, then exhale gently through the nose.
Inhale gently through the tongue opening, then close the mouth and exhale through the nose. Do not force the tongue shape.

Set up

Sit tall with hands relaxed. Curl the sides of the tongue into a tube if that shape is naturally available.

How to practice

  1. Extend the curled tongue slightly through the lips.
  2. Inhale slowly through the tongue tube.
  3. Close the mouth and exhale gently through both nostrils.
  4. If the tongue does not roll, use Hissing breath (sītkārī): rest the tongue behind lightly parted teeth and inhale through the teeth.

Breath & pace
Begin with 4 rounds.

Understanding the practice

The names Shitali and Sitkari describe two different ways of drawing the air in through the mouth. The classical hatha yoga description then goes on to a held breath, kumbhaka. This beginning form leaves that step out. Do not take it as a treatment for any illness or for fever.

Historical context: Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.54 to 58. This modern introductory version omits the retention described in traditional practice.

Background and sources

What makes it different

Sitkari draws the breath in through the teeth; Shitali draws it through a tongue rolled into a tube. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes the mouth sound and nasal exhalation; Sivananda gives a more particular tongue position. ICYER describes another mouth-and-tongue arrangement and a more active ending. These are material teaching differences, not interchangeable steps.

Sources and scope

Main edition

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

Passage for this reading

  1. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

    Sanskrit verses 2.54 to 56.

    Svātmārāma; Sanskrit with Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. Verse numbers follow the Sanskrit.

  2. The Science of Pranayama

    Chapter Four, “Sitkari”.

    Swami Sivananda; Divine Life Society, sixteenth edition 1997, authorized web edition 2000. Traditional teaching, not clinical evidence.

  3. Basic Practice of Some Pranayamas

    “Cooling pranayamas: Sitkari,” PDF pp. 4 to 5.

    Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, International Centre for Yoga Education and Research. Source page numbering refers to the PDF; hand descriptions compared independently.

What this edition covers

A modern introductory adaptation with complete guidance and source comparisons.

Limits and differences

The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.

Open the individual guide

Next guide

Bhramari
A humming sound on the outgoing breath
A humming sound on the outgoing breath.

Try the shape of the breath

Sit comfortably with the body supported and the jaw at ease. Take a comfortable breath in through the nose. With the lips gently together, let the outgoing breath carry a quiet humming sound. Let the sound finish without squeezing out the last air, and return to ordinary breathing. Continue only while comfortable. There is no timer and no set number of rounds. Stop if the humming brings strain, breathlessness, dizziness, or anxiety, and let the breath settle on its own.

What the older text describes

Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.68 uses the sounds of bees for both phases and describes a more vigorous inhalation. Its method should not be silently equated with this modern introduction. The shared name establishes a relationship between the teachings, while the details establish their differences.

Background and sources

Begin with the simple form

The Common Yoga Protocol gives a basic humming practice and a second form with the hands at the face. The guidance here follows the first form. The Bihar teaching also identifies humming on the outgoing breath as the defining feature. The hands can remain at rest; this introduction does not add ear closure, pressure on the eyes, or breath retention.

Sources and scope

Main edition

Common Yoga Protocol (2026)

Passage for this reading

  1. Common Yoga Protocol (2026)

    Bhramari Type 1 and Type 2, printed pp. 45 to 46.

    Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Modern teaching protocol.

  2. YOGA, October 2020

    “Bhramari pranayama,” printed pp. 49 to 50.

    Bihar School of Yoga. “Importance of Breath Awareness,” pp. 36 to 38; “Bhramari,” pp. 49 to 50. Teaching statements are not adopted as medical claims.

  3. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2

    Sanskrit verse 2.68.

    Svātmārāma; Sanskrit with Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. Verse numbers follow the Sanskrit.

What this edition covers

A modern introductory adaptation with complete guidance and source comparisons.

Limits and differences

The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.

Open the individual guide

Explore all twelve topics

Choose a breathing topic

12 topics: five introductory practices and seven references, including the vocabulary of Kumbhaka.

03 / Introductory practice

Shitali

Explore the curled-tongue cooling breath and its source traditions.

04 / Introductory practice

Sitkari

Meet the hissing breath separately from Shitali.

05 / Introductory practice

Bhramari

A comfortable humming exhalation, with the source differences made clear.

06 / Traditional reference

Ujjayi

Read the throat-shaped breath across classical and modern teaching.

07 / Traditional reference

Kapalabhati

A cleansing practice whose forms need to be distinguished.

08 / Traditional reference

Bhastrika

Understand the bellows comparison and the sequence around it.

09 / Traditional reference

Surya Bhedana

The direction of the breath defines this named practice.

10 / Traditional reference

Murchha

A historical account of an altered state, not a goal for a beginner.

11 / Traditional reference

Plavini

Read a striking floating claim as a claim in a specific text.

Learn with a teacher

Forceful practices need
individual guidance.

Kapalabhati and Bhastrika appear as traditional context, outside any beginner follow-along sequence. Their rounds, speed, and duration are for a qualified teacher to set in person.

NCCIH advises beginners to avoid forceful breathing. Read its yoga guidance.

Kapalabhati

kapālabhāti

A cleansing practice commonly taught with brief active exhalations and passive inhalations. It differs from Bhastrika, where both phases are active.

Take care if you have hypertension, heart disease, hernia, pregnancy, recent abdominal surgery, glaucoma, dizziness, reflux aggravated by pressure, or pelvic-floor symptoms. Skip the practice unless your physician and instructor approve it.

Historical context: Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.35 and Gheranda Samhita 1.55 to 60. The latter describes several forms, including water-based practices; these are not interchangeable instructions.

Bhastrika

bhastrikā

A forceful breathing practice with active inhalations and exhalations, traditionally compared with a bellows. Learn the technique and any pacing in person from a qualified teacher.

Take care if you have hypertension, heart disease, hernia, pregnancy, recent abdominal surgery, glaucoma, panic symptoms, dizziness, or respiratory illness. Skip the practice unless your physician and instructor approve it.

Historical context: Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.44 and 2.59 to 67. Traditional versions include elements that go well beyond beginner breathing practice.

Sources & teaching context

Exercise guidance and traditional references serve different purposes. Traditional descriptions are not clinical evidence.

  1. Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety

    NCCIH. General guidance on yoga, beginners, modifications, and safety.

  2. Hatha Yoga Pradipika

    Svātmārāma; Pancham Sinh translation. Chapter 2, especially verses 35, 44, and 54 to 67. Online typeset translation; traditional context, not clinical evidence.

  3. Gheranda Samhita

    SanskritDocuments transcription, 1.55 to 60. Describes several kapalabhati forms.

  4. Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha

    Swami Satyananda Saraswati, 4th revised edition, 2009. Nadi Shodhana section; publisher teaching context.

Download the practice guide PDF · 3.2 MB · September 2026