Bramhari - The Humming Breath
The word bramhari translates to mean bee. It takes its name from an Indian Black Bee. Bramhari is a well-practised pranayama. This breathing promotes good feelings and a general sense of well-being (humming is something that signifies happiness). It would be unusual to hum if you felt unhappy.
How to Perform Bramhari
Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine such as sukhasana. Take your time to develop a smooth steady flow of breath, slowly in and out through the nose. Once a smooth steady flow of breath is established, the technique can begin. During the inhalation the hands lightly rest on the knees, during the exhalation the index fingers are used to block the ears by pressing lightly to the tragus, the elbows lift out to the side and a gentle humming sound is created that lasts for the duration of the exhalation. Repeat for ten or more breaths.
This pranayama can also be practiced by using the thumbs to close the tragus, the index fingers to lightly cover the eye lids (whilst the eyes are closed), the middle fingers then rest on either side of the nose, the ring fingers are just above the mouth and the little fingers rest on the chin.
This blog article was written by Sue Fuller creator of the Yoga 2 Hear range of audio yoga classes and yoga teacher training courses.
