yoga.com

Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari: The Quiet Practices

5 min read Updated July 2, 2026
A woman with eyes closed, thumb resting by her nostril, dusk light

Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari: The Quiet Practices That Settle the Mind

Some of the most soothing breathing techniques in yoga are quiet and unhurried. They work by moving the body into a relaxed, settled state. The best-known of these is alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodhana. You breathe in through one nostril and breathe out through the other, and you go back and forth.

It’s not an accident that the practice leaves you calm and clear. The breath is a powerful lever on the autonomic nervous system, and this slow, nasal breath is a reliable way to wind yourself down.

Think of the autonomic nervous system as a control board with a brake and an accelerator. The brake is the parasympathetic nervous system. It slows you down. The accelerator is the sympathetic nervous system. It speeds you up. As you exhale, you shift toward the parasympathetic brake, and a long, unhurried exhale does much of the calming work.1 When your exhales are slow and easy, you wind down.

The yogic tradition describes it differently: nadi shodhana is said to balance the opposing energy channels of the body. That account is experiential rather than a proven physiological mechanism. The physiology is simpler — slow, nasal, attentive breathing eases you off the sympathetic accelerator and onto the parasympathetic brake, and you feel settled as a result.

How to Do Alternate Nostril Breathing

Follow these steps:

  1. Rest your left hand in your lap. Rest your right thumb on your right nostril and your right ring finger on your left nostril, folding the middle and index fingers out of the way.
  2. Close your right nostril and inhale slowly through the left.
  3. Close the left nostril, release the right, and exhale slowly through the right.
  4. Inhale through the right, then close it, release the left, and exhale through the left. That's one full round.
  5. Continue smoothly for five to ten rounds, and don’t rush any breath.
Nadi shodhana hand position at the noseThumb closesthe right nostrilRing finger closesthe left nostrilIndex and middle fingers stay folded toward the palm
Rest the thumb on the right nostril and the ring finger on the left, folding the index and middle fingers out of the way.

This is a classic preparation exercise for meditation for a reason. It balances and clears your mind, and it does so by using the nasal passage to slow and deepen your breath. A daily session before your practice or meditation works well, and five to ten rounds takes only about three to five minutes. The hand choreography is the hard part at first, and it’s normal to lose track of which nostril is next. The breathing itself is easy and gentle.

Nadi Shodhana Safety

The practice is a low-risk one. There is one important safety concern: If one of your nostrils is congested or blocked, skip the technique for the day rather than straining to move air through the congested passage. Don’t force the breath at any point, and keep it slow.

The Humming Bee Breath, Another Quiet Practice

The humming bee breath, or bhramari (pronounced brah-MAH-ree, named for a black bee), pairs a slow nasal inhale with a long, steady humming exhale. Here too the breath slows and deepens. You inhale through the nose and then close your lips and hum the exhale. The humming causes a vibration in your face and head, and the hum itself makes the exhale naturally long and slow.

Bhramari position: lips closed, a soft steady hum on the exhaleIndex finger gentlyrests by the jawA low, steady humon the exhaleLips stay closed; the hum lasts the whole out-breath
Lips closed, hum gently through the whole exhale — the sound does the work, close the lips, and let a low hum carry the whole exhale.

It also has a unique benefit. Humming dramatically increases the amount of nitric oxide in the nasal airways compared with quiet breathing.2 That's a measured effect, even if its day-to-day benefits are still being studied.

How to Do the Humming Bee Breath

Follow these steps:

  1. Sit comfortably and take a slow and easy breath in through your nose.
  2. Close your lips and hum the exhale, keeping the hum low and steady like a soft bee, letting it last the whole out-breath.
  3. Feel the gentle vibration in your face and head.
  4. Inhale normally, then hum again on the next exhale. Repeat for five to eight rounds.

This is a breath for soothing an agitated mind. The humming feels a little silly for the first minute and then tends to become genuinely pleasant. Evenings are a natural time for it, and so is any moment when you feel agitated and need to settle. If what you want is a preparation for a focused seated meditation, alternate nostril breathing is the classic choice.

Humming Bee Breath Safety

Humming bee breath is gentle and well tolerated by most people. Don’t force the volume or the length of the hum. If your ears feel uncomfortable or if the hum feels too loud, make the hum gentler and quieter.

These are two of the most relaxing breaths you can learn, and both deserve a place in your yoga practice. With time and patience, you’ll find that they are effective tools for calming the mind.

References

  1. How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing (PMC)
  2. Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide (PubMed)

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Breathing practices affect everyone differently. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new breathing practice, especially if you are pregnant or have any medical condition.

← Ujjayi: Breathing Through Your PracticeThe Strong Breaths — and Who Should Skip Them →