Bhramari means "large bee" so this is also called bumble bee breath. Bhramari breath is one of the eight pranayama practices that appear in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and has a unique aspect that the other pranayama practices lack. Bhramari breath has the ability to pull our awareness inward with little effort, and can be a seamless transition into a deep meditative state of mind. This benefit is huge for people that have trouble with overactive minds. The vibrations of the breath allow us to settle a mind filled with chatter. They allow us to drop the thoughts and feelings that seem to hold our awareness captive so that we can allow space to open for us to experience the moment as it is. Bhramari clears out the mind and allows it to become one pointed. The stillness and silence that follow the humming can be profound. The vibration of the breath clear out the mess that inhabit the mind and with that cleared away the mind is stilled and ready for new experience. As you practice, notice how your awareness move in toward the center of the head. 

​

​

How to Practice Bhramari Breath

Find a comfortable seated position.

Close your ears with your thumbs, index fingers at the third eye, middle fingers lightly over the eyes and ring fingers on each side of the nose.

Exhale all of the air from the lungs. Gently close the ears, eyes, nose and mouth and hum as you exhale.

Do your best impression of the sound a bumble bee makes.  

Feel the vibrations as they ring through the body and mind.

Feel your awareness moving inward, toward the middle of the head. 

​

Don't Force Anything! It is in our nature to try and perfect things, so when you first begin a pranayama practice you may feel the urge to try and perfect it right away. If we approach pranayama in this way it can lead to injury, so it's important to approach each practice with an idea of using the least amount of energy possible. If a noise is too loud, this shows that there is an excessive inner struggle going on. It requires the use of various muscles for exhaling, and for controlling the breath to make the sound. When practicing, it is important to use the muscles gently, so that the internal energy flow is gentle so that stress isn't created