Breath Characteristics of Volitional Yoga Breathing and Breath Awareness

Each of five pranayama techniques changes breathing in a distinct way. In 23 yoga practitioners, high-frequency yoga breathing increased breath rate by 373.3%, while bumblebee, hissing, and alternate-nostril breathing decreased it by 75.3%, 63.0%, and 55.3%, respectively. Depth of breathing increased across all five techniques, most markedly in bumblebee (307%) and high-frequency (275%) breathing. The ratio of inspiration to expiration rose during high-frequency breathing (177%) and fell during bumblebee (74.3%) and alternate-nostril (39.0%) breathing. Breath awareness produced no changes. These results support earlier findings that high-frequency breathing is activating and enhances attention, whereas bumblebee and alternate-nostril breathing are calming and may increase vagus nerve activity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Changes in breathing during pranayama (yoga breathwork) are usually inferred from practice guidelines in traditional texts or contemporary writings. These changes point to understanding the effects of pranayama and indicate applications of pranayama in health. Previously, a pilot study on a single participant suggested that each pranayama changes breathing uniquely. To extend this research in the present study, 23 yoga practitioners (mean age 28.1 ± 3.8; 12 men, 11 women) who were able to practice the pranayama consistently were each studied in a 48-minute session with five pranayama practices—(1) alternate-nostril yoga breathing, (2) bellows yoga breathing, (3) bumblebee yoga breathing, (4) high-frequency yoga breathing, and (5) hissing yoga breathing—as well as (6) breath awareness for 3 minutes each. From strain gauge–recorded respiratory movements, the breath frequency, depth/amplitude of breathing, and inspiration:expiration were obtained. Compared to the baseline, breath rate increased during high-frequency breathing (373.3%) and decreased during bumblebee breathing (75.3%), hissing breathing (63.0%), and alternate-nostril breathing (55.3 %). The depth of breathing increased in alternate-nostril breathing (141.0%), bellows breathing (136.0%), bumblebee breathing (307%), high-frequency breathing (275.0%), and hissing breathing (95.0%). The inspiration:expiration increased in high-frequency breathing (177.0%) and decreased in bumblebee breathing (74.3%) and alternate-nostril breathing (39.0%). There were no changes during breath awareness. The changes in breathing (although limited by the small sample size) support previous reports of high-frequency breathing as being activating while enhancing attention, and of bumblebee and alternate-nostril breathing (hissing and bellows breathing to a lesser extent) as calming, with increased vagus nerve activity.