Viloma Breathing

We will practice a pranayama technique called Viloma Breathing. Viloma means "against the hair" in Sanskrit. Due to the interrupted nature of the breath, it brings more awareness to your breathing and your body than a normal, every day breath. This breathing technique will help calm or cool you down. It can help you increase relaxation, decrease anxiety and get ready for a good nights sleep. For Viloma breathing you break the entire breath into 3 parts. You can practice this on an inhale or exhale or both. I would recommend starting with just one direction if you are just beginning a breath work practice. Below I will describe the inhalation sequence. If you prefer to practice on the exhale, then just reverse the directions below!

Now we practice:

• Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down in Savasana. (I find lying down works best for me.) Hands can be at your side or touching your stomach and chest so that you can feel the breath move.

• Take a few natural breaths just to settle into your body.

• Sip in some air through your nose and imagine it filling your abdomen/lower ribcage area and then stop, holding the breath for a few seconds.

• Continue to breath in until you feel that your breath is up to the middle of your chest, stop again, holding the breath.

• Finish inhaling as much breath as possible until you feel completely full of air and then again stop and hold your breath.

• When you have held it as long as possible, let a slow exhale happen, releasing all of the air through your nose.

• Repeat as many times as you choose.

If you ever feel light headed or nauseous in any pranayama, please return to your natural breathing until the feeling has passed before continuing any breath work exercise.