Hold
- Keep your lips together and your teeth slightly apart.
- Keep your body still and your face relaxed.
Steps
Exit
- Lower your hands and return to natural breathing.
- Remain seated for a few breaths, listening to the silence.
One round
- Inhale gently through both nostrils.
- Exhale slowly through your nose with a soft, continuous hum.
- Gaze
- Keep your eyes gently closed.
- Rhythm
- Inhale gently; exhale slowly with a hum, without breath holds.
- Rounds
- Begin with 5–10 rounds; one inhale and exhale constitute one.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Raised seatRaise your pelvis with a support.
- ChairSit upright with your feet resting on the floor.
- Hands restingRest your hands and hum without closing your ears.
- Elbows supportedSit: rolled blanket, feet flat; elbows on raised knees; thumbs close ears.
Variations
- With ṣaṇmukhī mudrā: thumbs close ears; fingers cover face (McCall).
- With retention after inhaling: antar kumbhaka (technique 2).
- Lie on your back, without retention.
Signals of effort
- Arms held raised for several rounds.
- Prolonged exhalation with a continuous sound.
- Breath retention in the antar kumbhaka variation.