Find a practice for this breath.

A quiet practice that alternates the breath between the left and right nostrils. This page guides an equal, unforced rhythm without breath retention; classical and advanced forms add ratios, mantra, and retention and are best learned with a qualified teacher.

A gentle nasal inhale followed by a long, comfortable humming exhale. The sound creates a clear inward focus without requiring breath retention; this page guides the simple hands-free form and documents the more demanding textual and lineage variations separately.

A steadying practice built on one idea: make the parts of the breath equal in length. This page guides a gentle four-count rhythm in which the pauses are kept soft and optional; the firmer "box" form with full retention, and unequal (viṣama) ratios, belong to a teacher-led progression.

A gentle narrowing at the throat gives the breath a soft, ocean-like sound and naturally slows and lengthens it. This page guides a light, no-retention version with an equal in-and-out rhythm; classical forms add retention (kumbhaka) and jālandhara bandha and are best learned with a qualified teacher.

A slow, unforced breath that fills the body in three overlapping parts—belly, side ribs, then upper chest—and empties in reverse. It is the foundation most other pranayama is built upon. This page guides the gentle form only: smooth, comfortable, and with no breath retention.

A modern relaxation breath — popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil — that pairs a short inhale, a held breath, and a longer, complete exhale. Because it includes a breath-hold (retention), it asks for more care than a simple long-exhale practice: sit or lie down, begin with only a few rounds, and let the counts be loose. This page keeps the rhythm gentle; the hold is optional and any light-headedness means stop.