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Pranayama is the Cinderella of yoga practice, says Max Strom, yoga teacher and creator of A Life Value Respiration. There are numerous ways to breathe in yoga, but pranayama is usually ignored while asana gets all the eye in yoga studios. “Pranayama has really been left behind,” he says. But give respiratory a likelihood, and also you’ll know it’s truly a noble practice.

Ancient practitioners of yoga understood breathwork as an important a part of a yoga practice. In her book, Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision, yoga instructor Indu Aora writes, “Breath is the reflection of life in a human body. …Through the discipline of breath, more prana [subtle energy] is taken and stored within the body.”

Contemporary research reinforces the effectiveness of yogic respiratory techniques. A 2021 study found that participants who practiced Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) breathwork practice, reported less stress, anxiety, and depression, and had improved sleep. The SKY method includes Ujjayi, Bhastrika, and Sudarshan Kriya respiratory, and chanting om with a give attention to prolonged exhalation.

A 2020 review of 18 research studies found evidence that that breathwork also improved symptoms in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Other studies suggest the importance of “slow yoga respiratory” for improved memory, attention, and other cognitive functions.

To reap the benefits of working together with your breath in yoga, listed here are five transformative techniques to try. But don’t just wait until yoga class. These could also be helpful as you face challenges in each day challenges as well.

5 Ways to Breathe in Yoga (and in Life)

1. Basic Breath Awareness

Begin by noticing where you already are together with your breath, says Bo Forbes, PsyD, clinical psychologist and integrative yoga therapist. Practicing a difficult yoga pose may cause you to carry your breath; anticipating a difficult conversation may cause you to breathe rapidly. When and why is your breath shallow? What makes it speed up? “This is de facto worthwhile information in creating stress resilience,” she says. Plus, becoming aware of your breath tends to slow it down, which might reduce blood pressure, pain, and anxiety, and improve concentration and sleep.

Try it anytime, anywhere. Respiration through your nose, observe the inhalations and exhalations. Which happens faster? Which is longer? Don’t manipulate your breath. Just notice what it appears like in your body. Proceed for two–3 minutes.

2. Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath or Ocean Breath)

This classic pranayama practice, known for its soft, soothing sound much like breaking ocean waves, can enhance the relief response of slow respiratory, says Patricia Gerbarg, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Recent York Medical College and co-author of The Healing Power of the Breath. Her theory is that the vibrations within the larynx stimulate sensory receptors that signal the vagus nerve to induce a chilled effect.

Try it to focus your attention during asana practice. As you breathe in yoga, inhale through your nose, then open your mouth and exhale slowly, making a “haaa” sound. Do this a couple of times, then close your mouth and exhale through your nose, keeping the identical feeling behind your throat you used to make the “haaa” sound.

3. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate-Nostril Respiration)

This practice of alternating between the appropriate and left nostrils as you inhale and exhale “unblocks and purifies the nadis, which in yogic belief are energy passages that carry life force and cosmic energy through the body,” says Roger Cole, PhD, an Iyengar Yoga teacher and physiology researcher in Del Mar, California. While there is no such thing as a clear scientific evidence to support the impact of yogic respiratory on energy and life force, a 2008 study found that right, left, and alternate nostril yoga respiratory influence blood pressure in other ways. One other small study found that practicing Nadi Shodhana lowered blood pressure amongst participants.

Try it at the tip of an asana sequence to organize the mind for meditation. Take a snug seated position. Close your right hand in a delicate fist in front of your nose, then extend your thumb, ring finger, and pinky. Gently close your right nostril together with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it together with your ring finger. Open your right nostril and exhale slowly through it. Inhale through the appropriate nostril then close it. Open your left nostril and exhale slowly through it. That completes one cycle. Repeat 3–5 times.

4. Kumbhaka Pranayama (Breath Retention)

Whenever you inhale fully after which wait 10 seconds, you’ll have the opportunity to inhale a bit more, Strom says. Why? Holding your breath increases pressure contained in the lungs and provides them time to totally expand, increasing their capability. In consequence, the blood that then travels to the guts, brain, and muscles can be more oxygenated.

Try it after asana to organize for meditation. Inhale, inflating the lungs as fully as possible. Hold the breath for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, inhale just a little more. Then hold it for so long as you possibly can. One caveat: For anxious people, breath retention may be difficult. Strom suggests starting with holding the breath for 3 seconds, or so long as feels comfortable, and dealing your way up. Individuals who have a history of seizures, heart problems, hypertension, brain aneurysms, or vision problems should avoid this sort of respiratory in yoga.

5. Kapalabhati Pranayama (Breath of Fire or Skull-Shining Breath)

This rapid respiratory technique is energizing and prompts the sympathetic nervous system. A 2022 study found that, during and after kapalbhati, participants experienced useful changes in heart rate variability, which regulates autonomic functions including heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. Researchers also noted a rise in gamma-wave activation after the practice, which suggests improved focus and concentration.

Kapalabhati is an intense practice and never advisable for everybody. “For people already under stress, I don’t think Breath of Fire is idea,” Strom says. “You’re throwing gasoline on the hearth.”

Try it to jump-start your asana practice whenever you feel lethargic, or to spice up your brainpower whenever you’re foggy. To begin, take a full, deep inhalation and exhale slowly. Inhale again, and start exhaling by quickly pulling within the lower abs to force air out briefly spurts. Your inhalation can be passive between each lively, quick exhalation. Proceed for 25–30 exhalations.

This text has been updated. Originally published June 17, 2015

More on this topic:  Doctor Pioneered a Respiration Technique for COVID-19 Patients

About our contributor

Jessica Levine is a former digital editor for YogaJournal.com. She currently splits her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Telluride, Colorado.