Friday Q&A: Recommended Pranayama Practices

Air Castles by Maxfield Parrish*

Q: Nina’s post Pranayama: A Powerful Key to Your Nervous System described how different pranayama practices work. That made me wonder. There are a lot of different pranayama practices out there. Which ones do you recommend for stimulating, calming and balancing? 

A: I’m going to start by listing the pranayama practices that I personally recommend (and teach). After that, Nina will say a few words about why we have such a small selection. 

Stimulating Pranayama Practices

1. Bastrika 
2. Kapalabhati (the forceful exhalation causes a longer inhalation) 
3. 2:1 ratio (inhalation twice as long as exhalation) for 1-2 minutes or longer 
4. 1 second inhalation:1 second pause:1 second exhalation for 1-2 minutes 

Calming Pranayama Practices

1. 1:2 ratio (exhalation twice as long as inhalation) for 1-2 minutes or longer 
2. 1 second inhalation:1 second exhalation:1 second pause, for 1-2 minutes or longer 
3. Brahmari Breath for 1-2 minutes or longer (see Pranayama for Everyone: Bhramari Breath Practice) 

Balancing Pranayama Practices 

1. 1:1 ratio (exhalation and inhalation the same lengths) 
2. 1 second inhalation:1 second pause:1 second exhalation:1 second pause (or 1:1 ratio and pausing equal amounts after both inhalations and exhalations) 
3. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing). See Balancing Your Nervous System with Alternate Nostril Breathing.

—Baxter 

Baxter and I were both trained in the Iyengar tradition, which takes a very conservative approach to pranayama. Because it is considered a very powerful practice, pranayama is generally introduced only to experienced asana practitioners. Other traditions teach pranayama to beginners, and they also teach practices that we’re not familiar with (although Baxter has some experience with the Viniyoga tradition). Therefore, when recommending pranayama, we tend to err on the side of caution. 

I asked Beth Gibbs, who a certified yoga therapist through Integrative Yoga Therapy, which practices she recommends, and she mentioned a couple of practices that Baxter did not include: Swana for stimulating, and Sitali (see Yoga for Menopause: Managing Hot Flashes) and Candle Breath for calming. 

In general, however, we think it’s wise to study breath practices with an experienced teacher before experimenting on your own. 

—Nina 

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