Style guide

Breathwork and pranayama

Pranayama is the yoga word for working with the breath on purpose. It is the quietest part of a practice and often the one people feel first. Nothing here treats an illness — if you are pregnant, have a heart or lung condition, or feel faint, keep the breath easy and talk to a doctor first.

Six practices and when to use them

Coherent breathing
Slow, even breaths at about five to six a minute, in and out through the nose.
Good for: Everyday steadiness. A good first practice if you've never done any of this.
Try: Breathe in for five counts, out for five counts, for ten minutes.
Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril)
Breathing through one nostril at a time, closing the other with your thumb and ring finger.
Good for: Scattered, wired or before you sit to meditate.
Try: In left, out right, in right, out left. That's one round. Do ten.
Extended exhale
Making the out-breath longer than the in-breath.
Good for: Winding down, before sleep, after a stressful call.
Try: In for four, out for six or eight. Five minutes is plenty.
Ujjayi
A soft ocean sound made by narrowing the back of the throat.
Good for: During a vinyasa or ashtanga practice, to keep rhythm.
Try: Breathe through the nose and whisper 'haaa' with the mouth closed.
Kapalabhati
Short, sharp exhales through the nose with a passive inhale.
Good for: Morning fog, low energy. Not before bed.
Try: Thirty pumps, then rest and breathe normally. Two or three rounds.
Box breathing
Equal in-breath, hold, out-breath, hold.
Good for: Nerves before something that matters.
Try: Four in, four hold, four out, four hold, for a few minutes.