Bhramari pranayama: humming for better health

Although you may not have heard of nitric oxide (NO), it is a powerful substance within your body that helps to dilate blood vessels, kill viruses and bacteria, lower blood pressure, bolster the immune system, and much more. Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, this happens mainly in the nasal passages and sinus cavities.

Breathing through your nose, increases the nitric oxide in the airways six-times as much as does mouth breathing. When you hum, as in bhramari pranayama (the bee breath) it increases the nitric oxide 15-times as much as does silent nasal exhalation.

Bhrahmari also stimulates and purifies your throat chakra. If you practise regularly, you will probably find yourself developing the ability to listen deeply, as well as being able to communicate on a more profound level. The exercise tends to free your mind from its “chatter” and prepares you to discover your own inner voice and enables you to measure your words. It encourages your voice to become sweet and melodious. And, if you are prone to throat problems, hoarseness or have a weak voice, you will find that practising brahmari regularly may greatly improve these conditions.

I look forward to delving into bhramari, as well as other forms of yoga breathwork, in the upcoming Pranayama Teachers Training. This is a 3-month course that will be starting on Tues, 5 March. Click here for full details of the course.