Pranayama for beginners — 3 breaths to learn first
Before any technique, the breath teaches itself. Three foundational pranayamas you can practise tonight, in five minutes or less.
If yoga is the practice of paying attention to the body, pranayama is the practice of paying attention to the breath. And the breath, paid attention to, changes everything.
You don't need to master forty techniques to feel the benefit. Three will do — practised consistently for two weeks, they shift how you sleep, how you respond to stress, how easily you focus.
1. Ujjayi — the victorious breath
Sit comfortably. Breathe in and out through the nose. Now gently constrict the back of your throat as if you were trying to fog up a mirror — but with your mouth closed. You'll hear a soft, oceanic sound. That's it.
Practise for two minutes. Notice how it slows the breath without you trying to slow it.
2. Nadi Shodhana — alternate nostril
Use your right thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale through the left. Switch — close the left with your ring finger, open the right, exhale. Then inhale right, switch, exhale left.
One round = inhale, switch, exhale, inhale, switch, exhale. Aim for five rounds. It balances the nervous system in a way no app can.
3. Bhramari — the bee breath
Inhale deeply through the nose. On the exhale, close your eyes and hum, low in your throat, for the full length of the breath. The vibration calms the mind almost immediately. Three to five rounds is plenty.
A word on consistency
The right time for pranayama is when you have time. Five minutes in the morning is worth more than thirty minutes once a week. We weave all three of these into our offline classes — and into the meditation modules of our online batches.