Humming Bee Breath
A long humming exhalation with the ears closed. The fastest-acting calming practice in yoga — most people notice the difference within three rounds.
Meaning of the name
Bhramara is the black bee. The sound made on the exhalation is its humming.
How to practise
- 1
Sit upright. Close the ears with the thumbs — press the flap of the ear gently inward rather than pushing into the canal.
- 2
Rest the index fingers above the eyebrows and the remaining fingers lightly over the closed eyes.
- 3
Inhale through the nose.
- 4
Exhale slowly with the mouth closed, making a steady humming sound, and feel the vibration in the skull.
- 5
Do five to eleven rounds, then sit quietly and notice the silence afterwards.
Benefits
- Relieves anxiety, anger and agitation faster than almost any other practice
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate measurably
- Helps insomnia; excellent as the last practice before sleep
- Relieves tension headache and migraine for many people
- Improves the voice and helps in stammering
- Safe and effective during pregnancy
What happens in the nervous system
Humming raises nasal nitric oxide roughly fifteen-fold compared with quiet exhalation — nitric oxide is a vasodilator and has antimicrobial action in the sinuses. The vibration also stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which supplies the skin of the ear canal and is the target of clinical vagal nerve stimulation devices.