Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath)

Bhramari Pranayama, also known as Humming Bee Breath, is a breathing technique. Find how to practice step by step and its benefits. Pranayama is known as vital energy control or breath control. It is a core part of yoga. Among the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga pranayama is in 4th place. The main aim of pranayama is to gain control over the breath. We try to make it as slow as we can. This is because the slower we breathe, the longer we live.

We only use 10-20 % of the total capacity of our lungs when we breathe without thinking (shallow breathing).

What is Bhramari Pranayama

Yoga texts name many pranayama practices that focus on one’s physical and mental well-being. One such pranayama practice is known as Bhramari– “the humming bee breath”. Bhramari pranayama is a very popular practice. People around the world follow it, as it has countless benefits. A huge number of people used these beautiful pranayama practices during Covid-19. This practice showed great results for them. It was also recommended by the Indian government to everyone across the country. This also help for stress relief.

In Bhramari pranayama one takes deep breaths in. While making the out-breath longer, one makes a humming sound like a bee. This creates strong, soothing vibrations in the whole body, especially in the brain. Hence it soothes the nervous system. This yoga practice greatly slows down our breathing rate. This is because it is easy to exhale for longer while humming than without humming.

How to Practice Bhramari Pranayama

1. Sit on a comfortable mat or cushion.
2. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
3. Keep the lips gently closed, with the teeth slightly apart, all through the practice.
4. Raise the arms to the sides and bend the elbows. Bring the hands to the ears.
5. Use the index or middle finger to plug the ears. Or press the flaps of the ears without putting the fingers in.
6. Bring awareness to the center of the head, where the third eye chakra is. Keep the body fully still.
7. Inhale through the nose.
8. Exhale slowly and with control. As you do, make a deep, steady humming sound like that of the black bee.
9. The humming should be smooth, even, and unbroken for as long as you breathe out.
10. The sound should be soft and mellow, so that the front of the skull vibrates.
11. The in-breath and out-breath should be smooth and controlled.
12. Repeat this several times.

Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama / Humming Bee Breathing

• Bhramari relieves stress and cerebral tension. So it helps ease anger, anxiety, and insomnia.
• Bhramri can be used as a meditation practice. It greatly releases unneeded thoughts from the mind and brings them to the present moment.
• Humming increases the amount of nitric oxide in the body. This in turn helps reduce inflammation, regulates blood pressure, and even helps our bodies fight off bacteria.
• It boosts the healing power of the body.
• It strengthens and improves the voice and helps get rid of thyroid imbalances.
• Bhramari brings on a meditative state. It brings the mind into harmony and turns the awareness inward.
• The vibration of the humming sound creates a soothing effect on the mind and nervous system.