Pranayama Practice: Bhramari
/
Pranayama
There are 8 limbs of yoga beginning with the yamas and niyamas and ending with samadhi. Pranayama is the 4th limb. It is the practice of harnessing the power of your breath, the life force of your being. Prana is that life force. It is the means by which the mind and body connect. Pranayama is used in Ayurveda to calm the mind from stress, anxiety and worry.
There are many forms of pranayama in Ayurveda. Some increase lunar energy like Adham Pranayama. While others increase solar energy like Kapalabhati Pranayama or Bhastrika Pranayama. Finally there are pranayama practices that balance both the lunar and solar energies like Nadi Shodana Pranayama or Bhramari Pranayama which we will discuss in this post.
In Ayurveda, pranayama is used as a treatment or chikitsa and depends on the dosha of the person and/or their current imbalances. Bhramari pranayama is used most often when people are experiencing the emotions of fear, worry, anxiety, and nervousness. These emotions are most often associated with vata dosha, so this breathing practice is recommended for vata individuals and people experiencing negative vata emotions. This form of pranayama connects us with the Divine Mother and the Divine Feminine within us all. It is associated with the ajna chakra or the third eye chakra. This is the chakra of divine intelligence and intuition. When you practice bhramari breathing, you vibrate the vocal cords and create a resonate sound in the body, mind and spirit which works to calm the nervous system and relax the body.
Bhramari Pranayama (Bumble Bee Breath or Humming Breath)
Bhramari Pranayama is also known as “bumble bee breath” or “humming breath.” To practice this breathing technique follow these steps or listen to our audio recording of how to practice Bhramari Pranayama:
Sit comfortably with your hips elevated on a pillow to help keep your spine straight.
BHRAMARI MUDRA: You will use the fingers on both hands to cover or close a sense organ. This enables the mind to draw inward while practicing this mudra and pranayama. If this mudra is too difficult to practice or is uncomfortable, just allow your hands to rest on your thighs or in jnana mudra or chin mudra.
the thumbs will plug the ears
right thumb in right ear
left thumb in left ear
the index fingers will cover the closed eyelids
right index finger over right closed eyelid
left index finger over left closed eyelid
the middle fingers will plug the nostrils
right middle finger closes right nostril
left middle finger closes left nostril
the ring fingers cover the closed lips
right ring finger covers the right side of the closed lips
left ring finger covers the left side of the closed lips
the pinky fingers rest on the jawline
right pinky finger rests on the right side of the jawline
left pinky finger rests on the left side of the jawline
You can also practice mulabandha in this posture by engaging the root lock.
To inhale, release the middle fingers over the nostrils to allow the breath to flow freely.
To exhale, press all the fingers into their corresponding sense organ and begin humming the exhale out of your lungs.
Inhale and repeat the humming breath again. Practice for 5-10 rounds.
After you have completed your bhramari pranayama practice. Sit in silence, breathing deeply and evenly for a few minutes. Use these moments to connect with the ajna chakra, the seat of intuition to see if your mind has become clearer and lighter.
Do not worry about the amount or volume of your humming exhales. Remove self-consciousness and allow your breath to flow freely and intuitively. You don’t want the ego to influence your practice of bhramari pranayama.
Music by Fried Coffee.
“It [bhramari breath] balances the immunological and nervous systems; strengthens prana breath that flows to the heart and brain; and resonates in the ajna chakra. In this age-old meditation practice, the vibration activates the nervous system and brain, bringing the mind into a state of balance. The buzzing process also purifies the Shakti prana and helps to raise its energy from the base of the spine up into the ajna chakra, thereby heightening intuition.”