The list below offers some techniques and tips so that you may get the most out of your pranayama practice.

•    Make sure you are not breathing from your chest. Your abdomen should rise and fall naturally with each breath.
Tip: You can see if you are a “chest breather” by placing one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. As you breathe, see which hand rises more. If your chest is rising more, you are a “chest breather.” When you take a deep breath in, the hand on the abdomen should rise higher than the one on the chest. This insures that the diaphragm is pulling air into the lungs.


•    Make sure you can hear yourself exhale. Used pursed lips to embellish the motion of exhaling.

•    Slowly exhale through your mouth.
Tip: gently contract your abdominal muscles to completely evacuate the remaining air from the lungs. It is important to remember that we deepen respirations not by inhaling more air but through completely exhaling it.

•    Find a focus point.
Tip: Scan your body with your mind by focusing your attention one body part at time. Focus on the way each part of your body feels without labeling the feeling.

•    Be sure when you exhale to release every drop of air.

•    Don’t breath in so much that you’re about to explode. Breathe in 80 to 85% of your capacity so that you have room to relax when you pause.


Other Important Reminders:

•    The most important part of this practice is to make sure your inhale and exhale are smooth and consistent. In other words, it is not a competition to see how much air you can breathe in.

•    Breathe diaphragmatically and if you feel unwell then choose a lower setting.

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