Pranayama
Yogic Breathing (Foundations)
Dīrgha Prāṇāyāmaदीर्घ प्राणायाम· DEER-gah prah-nah-YAH-mahthe complete/long yogic breath (three-part breathing)
Yogic breathing (the complete or three-part breath) is the foundation of all pranayama: a slow, full breath that fills the belly, then the ribs, then the upper chest, and empties in reverse. It teaches you to breathe fully and calmly, and prepares you for every other breathing practice.
Step by step
- 1
Sit or lie comfortably
Settle with a tall, relaxed spine, one hand on the belly and one on the chest.
- 2
Fill the belly
Inhale slowly through the nose, letting the belly rise first.
Breath: Belly rises
- 3
Fill the ribs and chest
Continue the same inhale into the ribs and then the upper chest, so the breath is full and smooth.
Breath: Ribs, then chest
- 4
Empty in reverse
Exhale slowly, releasing the chest, then the ribs, then drawing the belly gently in.
Breath: Slow, complete exhale
- 5
Continue
Keep the breath slow, quiet and even for several rounds.
Benefits
- Teaches full, efficient breathing
- Calms the mind and body
- Builds breath awareness for all pranayama
- A simple daily practice for everyone
About this practice
Before any specific technique, yoga teaches you to simply breathe well. The complete yogic breath moves in three stages — belly, ribs, chest — so you use the whole capacity of the lungs slowly and smoothly. Master this and every other pranayama becomes easier; it is also a calming practice in its own right.
Joshna Ramakrishnan opens our beginner breathwork series with the foundations: what pranayama actually is and why the breath is its vehicle. Prana means life-energy, and ayama means to extend or lengthen it; because we breathe many thousands of times a day, learning to breathe fully and consciously is the simplest way to work with that energy. This is the place to start before any of the more active breathing techniques.
Related practices
Video transcriptIn this session, Joshna Ramakrishnan teaches correct diaphragmatic yogic breathing (Dīrgha Prāṇāyāma) through hand placement, a baby's breathing pattern, and a balloon and book exercise.
Hi, welcome to Yoga & You. I am Joshna Ramakrishnan, and I am a yoga instructor. Today, I am going to take you through the right breathing technique.
Most of us think we know how to breathe right, but to make sure you are breathing right, you need to place your hand on your abdomen. And you have to ensure that as you inhale, your abdomen expands, and as you exhale, it contracts. If you do this, you will notice that most people tend to breathe the reverse way — as you inhale the abdomen contracts, and as you exhale, it expands. So, it is completely the opposite of what you should be doing.
If you look at a baby, if you observe a baby, and look at the baby's abdomen, as it inhales, the abdomen will go up, and as it exhales, the abdomen will come down. So, let's make sure you are breathing right. Place your hand on your stomach.
Inhale, exhale, let's try that a few more times. Inhale, your abdomen expands, and exhale, it contracts. Again, inhale, it expands, and exhale, it contracts.
So, if you get confused, just think of a balloon. When you fill a balloon up, what happens? It expands. So, the same logic applies here as well. When you take in air, your abdomen should expand, and as you let air out, it should contract.
And why am I saying abdomen and not your chest? Because you are focusing on deep, yogic breathing, which starts from right at the base of your abdomen, and going all the way up, not just your chest.
On a normal basis, people tend to use just 30% of your lung capacity, and that's exactly the reason why you get tired — because you're not breathing right, because your body is not getting the oxygen it requires. And none of us really focus on breathing. It's a natural part of us, and we do it without realizing, and we don't emphasize on it at all.
But the right breathing technique is very important, because through your breath, you can control your mind. The calmer you're breathing, the more relaxed you are, the better your decision-making skills, the better your reaction to situations, and the right breathing technique forms the very basis of yoga.
If you find this difficult to practice while sitting, you can even lie down. Place a very heavy book on your abdomen, and make sure as you inhale, you push the book up, and as you exhale, let the book push your abdomen down. That'll ensure that you're breathing right, and practice this every day till it becomes a normal way of breathing.
Thank you.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the complete yogic breath?
- A slow, full breath that fills the belly, then the ribs, then the upper chest, and empties in reverse. It's the foundation of pranayama and teaches you to breathe fully and calmly.
- How is yogic breathing different from normal breathing?
- Everyday breathing is often shallow and quick. Yogic breathing is slow, deep and deliberate, using the diaphragm and the full lungs, which calms the nervous system and builds awareness.
Keep exploring
References
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 2 (Pranayama) · Classical text — Classical Hatha source describing yogic breathing practices.