BREATH AND LOVE TO FELL IN WELLNESS

[maria angelica sassone]

Brahmari means Bumble Bee. In this breathing practice your lips are supposed to be shut, and you are supposed to gently and smoothly make a sound like a humming bee in your throat. This simple practice is very helpful in making the breath smooth and quieting the mind. It is also very good for releasing anger.
Pranayama cultivates a deep connection with the flow of life force (Prana) throughout your body. Further, Brahmari helps reduce stress and anxiety, expand joy and let you to relax both physically and mentally. Moreover, the inhalation clears and vibrates the throat.

Procedure
1) Sit cross-legged on the mat. If you can sit in the Padmasana Lotus Pose or Sukhasana Easy Pose that would be ideal. But if you cannot, then you may simply sit cross-legged in a way that you find comfortable.

2) Make your spine erect and place your head squarely on your shoulders

3) Move your arms forward and place your palms on your thighs. Open your palms and touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger.

4) Make your mind free of thoughts by concentrating on any single benign thought. Or if your mind still wanders then concentrate on your inhalation and exhalation. This will help you to keep your mind away from the normal wandering from one thought to another. Now you are ready to do the Bhramari Pranaya.

5) Raise your arms and place your palms on the sides of your head. Place your thumbs on your ears and block your ears. Place a finger on either side of your nose and partly block your nostrils. Take a deep, long, and deliberately slow breath. A nasal sound is created when you inhale this way.

6) Hold the inhaled air within your lungs for some time.

7) Exhale forcefully from the pit of your abdomen, raising your diaphragm, drawing your stomach as inside as you can. Your stomach should fall back to your back, pushing up the diaphragm and throwing the inhaled air out of your lungs.

8) While forcefully breathing out this way force all the air out of your lungs at one go through a slow sustained and long exhalation. The sound that is created is like that of a humming of a bee.

9) Repeat Steps Three and Four ten times, or for two to three minutes.

Tips
■There should be no strain involved with the humming yoga breathing exercise. Do not force your lungs to inhale or exhale any deeper or longer than is comfortable.
■Always breathe through your nose. It not only warms the air to your body temperature, but also helps promote deeper, longer breathing.
eBook
A downloadable eBook on Bhramari Pranayama, Breathing Meditations – Bhramari Pranayama, is available to Members of the Online University and can be found in the Spiritual Exercises section of the Online Resource Center.