Enter
- Sit in Siddhāsana; relax your body and notice your breathing.
- Raise both hands toward your face, with your elbows pointing outward.
Steps
Support
Lower heel and knees in Siddhāsana; hands provide no support.
Hold
- Keep your head and spine upright.
- Keep your touch light on your eyelids.
Exit
- Open your nostrils and complete your exhalation.
- Lower your hands onto your knees; keep your eyes closed.
- Notice your body and external sounds before opening your eyes.
One round
- Release your middle fingers and inhale slowly and deeply.
- Close your nostrils; hold your breath while comfortable.
- Open your nostrils and exhale slowly; begin again.
- Breathing
- Hold after inhaling; open your nostrils whenever you breathe.
- Gaze
- Eyes closed.
- Duration
- Initially 5–10 minutes; hold each breath while comfortable.
- Rounds
- Repeat throughout the session.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Easy seatReplace Siddhāsana with Sukhāsana, sitting with your legs comfortably crossed.
- CushionRaise your buttocks on a small cushion.
- Padded anklesIn Siddhāsana, place folded cloth between both ankles.
- Short sessionPractice for brief periods.
Variations
- Bhrāmarī: exhale humming, keeping your nostrils open.
- Lotus variation: lotus; index/middle on eyelids; ring fingers narrow nostrils; pinkies, upper lip.
- Thumbs-at-ears variation: close your ears with your thumbs and listen inwardly.
Signals of effort
- Arms held in front of your face.
- Breath held with both nostrils closed.