What is pranayama?
Pranayama joins two Sanskrit words: prana, the life force that keeps us alive, and ayama, to stretch or extend. Put simply, it means slowly lengthening and steadying the breath.
The old yoga texts say to begin only once you're sitting steadily and comfortably, and to build up slowly, never forcing. One well-known teacher put the test for readiness simply: if you can breathe out slowly and quietly, you're ready to start.
Start here: three minutes, low and slow
- Sit upright or lie on your back. Somewhere safe and quiet. Let your hands rest.
- Notice your breath for a few rounds. Don't change it yet. Just feel the air come in and go out through your nose.
- Breathe in through your nose for about 4 counts. Let it start low, in the belly, then rise into the ribs.
- Breathe out through your nose for about 6 counts. Slow, smooth and quiet. No pause, no holding.
- Keep going for three minutes, then let the breath go back to normal. Notice how you feel.
Try it guided, free
The "Start here" session walks you through these three minutes with a soft voice, a glowing ring to follow and the sound of a river.
Start the 3-minute beginner sessionThe gentle practices beginners start with
- Breath awareness: simply watching the breath without changing it.
- Three-part breath (dirgha): filling the belly, then the ribs, then the chest, and letting go in the same order.
- Equal breathing (sama vritti): the same count in and out, for example five and five.
- A longer breath out: breathing out a little longer than you breathe in, the most calming of the simple patterns.
- Later, still gentle: alternate-nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) without holds, and humming bee breath (bhramari).
All five sessions in the Breathing Room are built on the first four: calm, sleep, focus and morning energy.
What to leave for later
Some well-known practices are not for beginners, and we don't include them:
- Breath-holding (kumbhaka). The old texts give holds only to students working with a teacher, built up over months.
- Fast, forceful breathing such as skull-shining breath (kapalabhati) and bellows breath (bhastrika). They are energising rather than calming, and forceful breathing is where most reported problems come from.
Never forcing is the one rule every tradition agrees on. If anything feels strained, light-headed or uncomfortable, stop and breathe normally.
How often, and how long?
A few minutes a day is plenty to start. Three to five minutes, at about the same time each day, does more than one long session once a week. Slow breathing at around five or six breaths a minute is also where modern research and the old texts meet: studies find it tends to shift the body toward its calmer, "rest" side.
Safety
For relaxation and general wellbeing, not medical advice. Pranayama is not a replacement for care from a doctor.
Only practise sitting or lying down somewhere safe, never while driving or in or near water. If you're pregnant or have a health condition, read the disclaimer first, and learn anything beyond these basics from a qualified teacher.