Breathwork 101
Your Simple Guide to the Most Popular Breathwork and Pranayama Types
What is Breathwork?
Simply put—a conscious way of working with your breath.
Breathwork is a set of conscious breathing techniques that can help us improve our physical, mental, and emotional health. If you're into yoga, you might call it Pranayama. However, Pranayama is just one branch of breathwork, originating in ancient Indian teachings.
You might also be familiar with the Wim Hof or Buteyko methods, which are yet other breathing methods.
Breathwork is a superpower each of us can learn to use—all we need is our breath.
Studies show that breathing exercises can help you manage panic attacks, regulate blood pressure, and combat seasonal affective disorder—among many other benefits. It's a natural remedy, helping you fall asleep faster at night and giving you an energy boost in the morning, without caffeine.
In this guide, we collected the most common breathwork types with a step-by-step instruction on how to do them. Enjoy!
Belly Breathing
Belly Breathing, or more accurately, diaphragmatic breathing, is about taking deep, full breaths that engage your diaphragm. By breathing into your belly instead of your chest, you can tap into a sense of calm and relaxation.
If you're not sure how to breathe into your belly, place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen, and make sure that your belly expands when you inhale.
Ideally, we should use belly breathing more than shallow chest breathing even in our day-to-day life, even when we're not practicing intentionally.
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. This will help you make sure you're breathing into your belly, and not into your chest (shallow breathing).
- Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth or nose, feeling your belly fall.
- Repeat this process for 3-5 minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of your belly.
Belly Breathing...
- helps reduce stress and anxiety
- improves oxygen delivery to the brain and muscles
- promotes relaxation and better sleep
- lowers blood pressure
- enhances digestion and respiratory efficiency.
You might be a chest breather without even realizing it—most people are!
Chest breathing often becomes our default pattern due to bad education, stress, poor posture, or habit.
Here's how to check:
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, then observe for a few minutes how you breathe naturally. Do you feel your chest rise instead of your abdomen? Bad news: you too are a chest breather. (But don't worry: I was, too!)
Why is this an issue?
Chest breathing, also known as shallow breathing, can lead to inefficient oxygen exchange, increased stress levels and various health issues. It’s a vicious cycle—stress leads to shallow breathing, which then exacerbates stress and health problems.
This pattern is a modern, subconscious habit reinforced by our fast-paced, stress-filled lifestyles. Just look at a peaceful newborn and you'll notice their belly rises with each inhale—not their chest. We’re born as belly breathers, but over time, many of us shift to unhealthy chest breathing. Subconsciously, of course.
Switching to belly breathing not only optimizes your lung capacity by fully engaging your diaphragm but also activates your body’s relaxation response. This can help lower blood pressure, improve digestion, and even enhance mental clarity. Making this simple change in how you breathe can have a profound impact on your overall well-being, helping you feel more grounded, centered, and at ease.
Tip: set yourself reminders throughout the day so you will remember to breathe into your belly
Box Breathing
Box Breathing is a simple yet powerful technique where you breathe in a steady, rhythmic pattern.
It's simple: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold your breath again for 4.
It helps you stay focused and calm, especially when you feel stressed or disconnected from yourself. It can be a great tool for finding balance.
Follow along this animation to get started with box breathing
- Sit upright and comfortably.
- Imagine a box in front of you. You can close your eyes if you want.
- Inhale through your nose for a count of four. Imagine moving along from the bottom left to the top the corner of the box.
- Hold your breath for a count of four. Now picture moving from top left to top right while your holding your breath.
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of four. In your imagination, move down on the right side of the box.
- Hold your breath again for a count of four. Picture moving across to the bottom left corner of the box, where you started.
- Repeat this cycle for at least a minute or until you reach the benefits
Box Breathing...
- reduces stress and anxiety
- enhances focus and mental clarity
- regulates the autonomic nervous system
- improves lung function, and promotes a sense of calm
You might find it particularly useful in stressful situations or before sleep.
Right Nostril Breathing
Right Nostril Breathing, or Surya Bhedana, focuses on inhaling through your right nostril to boost your energy levels. By blocking your left nostril and breathing deeply, you can activate the sympathetic branch of your autonomic nervous system, responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Doing so can increase your vitality and wake up your body and mind.
This technique can also aid digestion, making it useful after meals to warm up your body and support a healthy digestive process. James Nestor mentions practicing 2x12 rounds of this technique after eating to help with digestion and increase body warmth. It’s a fantastic way to shake off that mid-afternoon slump.
- Sit comfortably with a straight spine. This also allows you to use the full capacity of your lungs, which is crucial for high-quality breaths.
- Close your left nostril with your finger.
- Inhale deeply and slowly through your right nostril. Hold it for a moment.
- Exhale slowly through your right nostril.
- Repeat this process for 2 x 12 rounds, while keeping your left nostril closed. Focus on deep, rhythmic breaths.
Right Nostril Breathing...
- increases energy and alertness
- enhances digestive function
- promotes mental clarity
- warms the body
- balances the autonomic nervous system.
This technique can be very useful after meals to aid digestion and increase body warmth.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate Nostril Breathing, or Nadi Shodhana in Sanskrit (which translates to "channel purifying breathing"), involves switching your breath between nostrils to create balance in your flowing energies. This practice can help you feel more centered and relaxed, perfect for those moments when you need to reset and find your inner calm. In yoga, this is a cleansing, purifying technique aimed to balance our flow of energy.
- Gently place your index finger and middle finger between your brows for rest, your thumb on your right nostril, and your finger on the left nostril.
- Close your right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Hold the breath.
- Close the left nostril, open the right, and exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale through the right nostril, then close it and exhale through the left.
- Continue this pattern for several minutes, focusing on the flow of air and balancing of the right and left side. Don't worry if the air doesn't flow equally well on both sides–it's normal.
- For a more advanced version of this practice, hold both of your nostrils for a few seconds after inhaling and before exhaling.
Alternate Nostril Breathing...
- balances the nervous system
- reduces stress and anxiety
- enhances respiratory strength
- promotes mental clarity
- helps balance your left and right side, the flow of energy.
I often use this technique when I need to find a sense of equilibrium and calm.
4-7-8 Breathing
The 4-7-8 breathing technique, created by Dr. Andrew Weil, is designed to help you relax and unwind. The practice is simple: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. It’s a natural way to soothe your nervous system and is especially helpful for falling asleep. I often use this breathwork technique when my mind is racing at night.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- Breathe in quietly through your nose to a count of four.
- Hold your breath in for a count of seven.
- Making a whoosh sound, breath out through your mouth for a count of eight.
- This is one round. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Visit Dr. Andrew Weil's page where he explains his 4-7-8 breathing in further detail.
The 4-7-8 Breathing helps you...
- reduce anxiety
- fall asleep faster
- manage cravings (as you slow down and bring intention to your day)
- control or reduce anger responses
Left Nostril Breathing
Left Nostril Breathing, or Chandra Bhedana, is all about cooling and calming your nervous system.
By focusing on breathing through your left nostril, you can stimulate the parasympathetic branch of your autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion. James Nestor recommends doing 2x12 rounds of this technique before meals to help calm your body and mind, promoting a smooth digestive process.
- Sit comfortably with a straight back, so you can use the full capacity of your lungs. This is essential for high-quality breaths.
- Close your right nostril with your index finger.
- Breathe in deeply and slowly through your left nostril only. Hold it for a moment.
- Breathe out slowly through your left nostril.
- Repeat this cycle for 2 x 12 rounds, keeping your right nostril blocked.
Left Nostril Breathing...
- reduces stress
- enhances digestive function
- promotes relaxation
- cools you down
- helps you get into a calm state of mind
- is particularly useful before meals to help calm your body and mind, promoting a smooth digestive process.
Skull Shining Breathing
Skull Shining Breath, or Kapalabhati–and also knows as the Breath of Fire–involves short, powerful exhales to clear your mind and energize your body. This dynamic technique can help you feel more awake and focused. It’s like a morning cup of coffee without the side effects of caffeine!
- Sit in a comfortable posture with a straight spine.
- Take a deep breath in.
- Exhale forcefully through your nose by contracting your lower belly.
- Let your lungs fill back up without any effort. The inhalation should be automatic and passive.
- Continue this cycle at a rapid pace, completing 30 breaths in one round.
After one round, breathe normally and notice the sensations in your body.
Perform 2-3 rounds, increasing the breaths per round as you get more experienced.
Here is a great explanation of the Kapalabhati technique from The Yoga Institute:
Skull Shining Breath...
- improves mental focus
- increases energy levels
- cleanses the nasal passages
- strengthens abdominal muscles.
It’s like a morning cup of coffee without the caffeine, helping you feel more awake and focused!
Ujjayi Breathing
Ujjayi Breath, often called the ocean breath, creates a soothing sound as you breathe by slightly constricting your throat. This practice helps you stay grounded and present, making it a popular practice during yoga.
I feel very centered and grounded whenever I practice Ujjayi Breathing during yoga, even though I sound alarmingly similar to Darth Vader during the process!
- Sit or stand with an elongated spine.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- Constrict the back of your throat slightly and exhale through your nose, making a soft hissing sound. If you sound like Darth Vader, you're doing it right!
- Continue this breathing pattern, keeping the breath long and smooth.
Use this breath during yoga practices or as a standalone grounding practice.
Ujjayi Breath...
- increase oxygenation
- builds up internal body heat (this is also believed to purifiy the body).
- aids in maintaining focus
- calms the mind in stressful situations
- helps you feel grounded and centered
2-to-1 Exhale Breathing
The 2-to-1 Exhale technique focuses on exhaling for twice as long as you inhale. This slow, deliberate breathing can help you enter a state of deep relaxation. If you’re feeling stressed, need to wind down, and maybe even want to fall asleep, this breathwork method can be incredibly effective.
- Sit comfortably with your back straight.
- Inhale slowly through your nose for four seconds
- Exhale slowly through your nose for eight seconds
- Repeat the cycle for several minutes, focusing on making the exhale smooth and twice as long as the inhale.
If you find 8 seconds too long, you can reduce it to 6 seconds or even 4. The important part is that your exhales are twice as long as your inhales.
The 2-to-1 Exhale technique...
- helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system
- calms the mind and body
- reduces stress levels
- helps with insomnia.
Bhramari Breathing
Bhramari Breathing, or Bee Breath, involves making a humming sound as you exhale. This simple yet powerful technique can help you relieve anxiety and improve concentration.
You might find it a bit unusual or awkward at first, but the calming vibrations will likely convince you within a minute.
- Sit comfortably with closed eyes.
- Cover your ears with your thumbs and place your fingers over your eyes.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- As you exhale, make a humming sound like a bee. Feel your lips vibrate
- Repeat five to ten times, focusing on the sound and vibrations created.
Hard to imagine how this pranayama technique works? Watch the video below!
Bhramari Breathing (Bee Breath) is not only calming but also has significant physiological benefits. Research indicates that humming during exhalation produces nitric oxide in the nasal passages, which has a relaxing effect on the body, while supporting better oxygen uptake and respiratory health.
This practice helps reduce stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves concentration.
The vibrations created during Bhramari can help soothe the nervous system, making it an effective technique for alleviating anxiety and enhancing mental clarity.
Lion’s Breath
Lion’s Breath, or Simhasana, is a fun (although initially a bit odd) and expressive way to release tension.
By inhaling deeply and exhaling forcefully with your mouth wide open and tongue out, you can let go of stress and feel more energized. It’s a refreshing, playful breathwork technique.
- Sit in a comfortable position, preferable on your heels or cross-legged, with staight back.
- Press your palms against your knees with fingers spread wide.
- Breathe deeply through your nostrils.
- Here comes the fun part: open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue towards your chin, and exhale forcefully, making a "HAAA" sound.
- Repeat several times to release tension and invigorate your body.
Lion’s Breath helps...
- relieve tension in the chest and face
- improve circulation
- detoxify the organs
- relieve stress
- make you feel refreshed and energized
Three-Part Breathing
Three-part Breathing, or Dirga Pranayama, involves fully engaging your lungs by breathing into your belly, rib cage, and upper chest. Engaging the full capacity of your lungs in such a controlled way helps you relax deeply, and it improves your overall breathing efficiency. It’s a gentle and effective way to connect with your breath.
"Full Yogic Breath" is another name for this breathing exercise.
Three-part Breathing...
- enhances lung capacity
- improves the efficiency of oxygen uptake
- reduces stress and anxiety
- promotes relaxation
- helps stabilize emotions.
This breathwork type is a gentle and effective way to connect with your breath and achieve a state of deep relaxation.