Breath Practices for Balance

by Nina

by Melina Meza

Yoga breath practices (pranayama) allow you to self regulate. When you need soothing, you can use calming breath practices. When you need uplifting or energizing, you can use stimulating breath practices. And when you need just a moderate amount of calming or stimulating, you can use balancing practices. A balancing breath, such as when you make your inhalations and your exhalations the same length or practice Alternate Nostril Breath, you are only very subtly affecting your nervous system, maybe only slightly stimulating or calming it (depending on your current state).

So these breath practices are good for times when you feel like you need “balancing” such as in the morning when you first wake up and want just a bit of stimulation or when you’ve just left work and want just a bit of calming. And if you’re anxious and having mild breathing problems, practicing an equal breath (sama vritti) can help you get your breathing back under control, making it more steady and even. 

You can also use these practices when you wish to do a formal breath practice that will harness your mind in the present moment without having a strong effect on your nervous system. Finally, two of the practices, equal breath with gradual lengthening and equal breath with equal pausing are good for improving lung capacity and fostering the respiratory system health. 

Caution: Anyone with active asthma should avoid all these breath practices, though if you are on medication and stable, you could give them a try, stopping immediately if they cause any breathing problems. And since all these practices require breathing through your nose, if you’re congested due to illness or allergy, you should skip the practices until you can breathe normally. 

You can practice these in any comfortable seated position on the floor (see Learning to Sit on the Floor, Part 2) or on a chair, or in a reclined position where your chest is supported, such as Savasana or Reclined Cobbler’s pose with a bolster. 

Equal Breath (Sama Vrtti)

For this breath, always practicing by breathing through your nose.

1. Practice simple breath awareness (see A Balm for the Soul: Practicing Simple Breath Awareness) for one or two minutes. Without changing your breath, count the natural length of your inhalations and exhalations in seconds to see which part of your breath is longer, your inhalation or exhalation. 

2. Consciously make both parts of your breath last the same number of seconds, by making whichever part of your breath is longer the same number as the shorter part. As an example, let’s say that your inhalation is naturally around three seconds while your exhalation is around two seconds. To practice an equal breath, you would make both your inhalation and exhalation two seconds long.

3. Practice for 2-3 minutes or 24-36 rounds. If your breath becomes labored or uncomfortable in any way, or you start feeling agitated or panicky, stop and return to your natural breath.

4. When your practice is complete, return to your natural breath and practice simple awareness for one to two minutes.

Gradual Lengthening of Equal Breath

Besides quieting your nervous system, this valuable breath practice can improve your ability to breathe, increasing your “vital capacity.” In general, a large vital capacity is associated with excellent lung function. For this breath, always practicing by breathing through your nose.

1. Start by practicing equal inhalations and exhalations, as described above, for four rounds of breath. In our example, we’ll assume you’re practicing a two-second inhalation and a two-second exhalation. Continue for four rounds of breath.

2. Add one second to both your inhalation and exhalation, for example, practicing a three-second inhalation and exhalation. If this is comfortable, continue for four rounds. If this is not comfortable, you could try increasing by half a second instead (approximately the length of a one syllable word) or return to step 1 and have that be your practice. After four rounds, if you feel ready, you can proceed to the next step of increasing by another second. If this seems like it’s going to be too much, simply continue with at the last comfortable maximum for four more cycles and then return to step 1.

3. Try adding another second to your inhalation and exhalation for four rounds of breath. If this is still comfortable, lengthen both by another second, proceeding in this fashion until you pass your comfortable maximum. For example, when you attempt a six-second practice, you might realize that you can only comfortably inhale for five seconds while exhaling for six seconds, or vice versa. At this point, step back to your comfortable maximum and repeat for four more cycles. For example, if you found that a six second breath practice was too much, you would step back to a five second equal breath for four rounds.

4. Now, start reversing the process by dropping one second for four rounds. For example, if you were practicing for five seconds, you’d return to four seconds for four rounds of breath. Continue in this way until you reach the length you started with in step one, practicing that for four rounds.

5. Return to your natural breath and practice simple breath awareness for one to two minutes. Make a note of your comfortable maximum for the day, and gradually work towards extending its length over time. 

Equal Breath with Equal Pausing 

At the end of each inhalation, your breath naturally pauses, very briefly, before your exhalation begins. Likewise, at the end of your exhalation, there’s a brief pause before your next inhalation begins. So every breath cycle naturally has four stages: inhalation, pause, exhalation, pause.

With Equal Breath with Equal Pausing, you consciously lengthen the two pauses for a given amount of time, sometimes for a brief moment and other times for 1, 2, or 3 seconds (or more, in more advanced practices). This pausing should be a soft suspension of your breath, not a gripped “holding” as you might have done holding your breath under water.

Lengthening the pause at the end of the exhalation can enhance the quieting effects of a longer exhalation, and lengthening the pause at the end of the inhalation can enhance the stimulating effects of a longer inhalation. When you lengthen both pauses, the effect is balancing. In addition, lengthening the pauses may help strengthen your muscles of breathing. For this breath, always practicing by breathing through your nose.

1. Start by practicing equal inhalations and exhalations, as described above, for four rounds of breath. In our example, we’ll assume you’re practicing a two-second inhalation and a two-second exhalation. Continue for four rounds of breath.

2. On your next round of breath, gently lengthen the pauses after your inhalations and exhalations by one-half second (or the length of a one syllable word). If this is comfortable, continue for four rounds. After four rounds, if you feel ready, you can proceed to the next step of increasing your pauses to a second. If this seems like it’s going to be too much, simply continue with at comfortable maximum for four more cycles and then return to step 1.

3. Try lengthening the pauses to one full second for four rounds of breath. If this is still comfortable, lengthen both by another half-second, proceeding in this fashion until either your pauses are either equal to the length of your inhalations and exhalations or you have passed your comfortable maximum. For example, if you are breathing two-second inhalations and exhalations, stop when you have two-second pauses if you are comfortable there. But if your comfortable maximum is 1.5 seconds for pausing, return to that timing.

4. Repeat for four more cycles. If at any time your breath becomes labored or uncomfortable in any way, or you start feeling agitated or panicky, stop and return to your natural breath.

5. Return to your natural breath and practice simple breath awareness for one to two minutes. Make a note of your comfortable maximum for pausing for the day, and gradually work towards extending its length over time. 

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana)

With this breath practice, you breath through a single nostril at a time, alternating between sides with each exhalation. The classic way to do this is by using your right hand to gently close the nostril you’re not using, typically with your right thumb closing your right nostril and your right ring finger closing your left nostril. But not everyone can do this comfortably. For these people, you can practice mental alternate nostril breathing, where you simply imagine the air going in and out of one side at a time. We’re going to offer instructions for both methods. Use whichever you prefer. 

Traditional Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana)

There are many different hand positions that you can use for traditional alternate nostril breathing. We’re providing instructions for just one of these. Feel free to use any other method you’ve been taught.

1. Practice simple breath awareness (see A Balm for the Soul: Practicing Simple Breath Awareness) for one or two minutes.

2. With your left hand relaxed in your lap, bring your right hand in front of your face with your palm facing your head and your fingers are facing directly up. Curl your index finger and middle finger toward your palm. Then gently rest your thumb on your right nostril and your ring and pinky fingers on your left nostril (don’t block either nostril yet).

3. Inhale and exhale completely through both nostrils.

4. Pause and gently close your right nostril with your thumb.

5. Inhale through your left nostril. 

6. Pause and gently close your left nostril with your ring and pinkie fingers and open your right nostril. Exhale through your right nostril. 

7. Inhale through your right nostril.

8. Pause and gently close your right nostril with your thumb and open your left nostril. Exhale through your left nostril. You have now completed one cycle of Nadi Sodhana. 

9. Repeat the cycle 6-12 times. If at any time your breath becomes labored or uncomfortable in any way, or you start feeling agitated or panicky, stop and return to your natural breath.

10. Finish on an exhalation through your left nostril, release your hand, and return to your natural breath.

11. Practice simple breath awareness for one to two minutes.

Mental Alternate Nostril Breathing 

1. Practice simple breath awareness (see A Balm for the Soul: Practicing Simple Breath Awareness) for one or two minutes. 

2. Inhale and exhale normally through both nostrils. 

3. As you take your next inhalation, imagine you are inhaling through your left nostril alone. 

4. For your next exhalation, switch to your right nostril, imagining you are exhaling through your right nostril alone. Then inhale still imagining you are breathing through your right nostril alone. 

5. For your next exhalation, switch to your left nostril, imagining you are exhaling through your left nostril alone. Then, to start your next cycle, inhale still imagining you are breathing through your left nostril alone. 

6. Continue switching sides on your exhalation for 6-12 cycles. If at any time your breath becomes labored or uncomfortable in any way, or you start feeling agitated or panicky, stop and return to your natural breath. 

7. Finish on an exhalation and return to your natural breath.

8. Practice simple breath awareness for one to two minutes.

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