Do you ever wish there was a simple way to calm your mind on demand? Well, there is—and it starts with your breath.

Yoga is often misunderstood as just a form of exercise when it is actually so much more! It’s an ancient spiritual practice that incorporates many different elements, such as movement, mindfulness, and breath, as outlined the 8 Limbs of Yoga:

1. Yama: Restraints, moral disciplines or moral vows
2. Niyama: Positive duties or observances
3. Asana: Posture
4. Pranayama: Breathing Techniques
5. Pratyahara: Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana: Focused Concentration
7. Dhyana: Meditative Absorption
8. Samadhi: Bliss or Enlightenment

Today we’ll be focusing on, you guessed it, Pranayama. In his book 'Light on Pranayama', famous yoga teacher B.K.S Iyengar says:

“Pranayama is the manipulation of breath. A conscious prolongation of inhalation, retention and exhalation”.

Ancient yogis figured out there were ways to control our breath to bring about certain benefits, one of them being a steady mind or state of calm.

Below are our favourite methods of pranayama breathwork techniques for instant calm:

Left Nostril Breathing (Chandra Bhedana Pranayama) - Kundalini Yoga version

In Yoga, the left nostril is associated with Ida nadi (a yin energy channel), the moon (chandra) and the parasympathetic nervous system. When we breathe through the left nostril, it signals to our nervous system that it’s safe to move from a state of “fight or flight” (sympathetic nervous system) into a state of “rest and digest” (parasympathetic nervous system).

1. Find a comfortable seated position with a straight or supported spine (cross-legged, against a wall, in a chair etc).
2. Close down your eyes or gaze softly in front.
3. Inhale and exhale through both nostrils once to begin.
4. Then block off the right nostril using the side of your right thumb, with the rest of your fingers pointing towards the sky. The left hand can rest on your left knee.
5. Begin to inhale and exhale deeply through the left nostril. Try to expand the breath down into the belly.
6. Let go of this breath when you’re ready. Let your right hand rest on your knee and breathe naturally through both nostrils.

• Option to add a small breath retention between the inhale and exhale and between the exhale and inhale (do not retain the breath if you’re pregnant).
• Practice this for as long as you’d like. We recommend 5-10 breaths minimum for a quick stress circuit breaker or a couple of minutes to drop in a little deeper. Start small and build up when/if you feel ready to.
• If at any point this doesn’t feel good for you or your nostril is blocked, let go of the practice and breathe naturally through both nostrils. It’s normal to need to blow your nose so having a tissue handy can be a nice idea.
• This breath is also lovely at the end of the day to help you drift off into a restful sleep.

Square/Box/Equal Breath (Sama Vritti Pranayama)

The box/square breath has become popular in recent years thanks, in part, to James Nestor author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. He’s also to thank for the rise in popularity of mouth-taping while you sleep (that’s a whole other article!).

Box breathing is a pranayama technique called Sama Vritti. Sama means equal, identical or in the same manner. It involves inhaling, retaining, exhaling and retaining the breath for the same amount of time.

It helps to calm the nervous system, ground the body and mind and promote clarity of thinking. By retaining the breath we increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the brain which has a calming effect. Even the U.S. Navy SEALs use this technique in high-stress scenarios where calm and clarity are vital.

1. Find a comfortable seated position with a straight or supported spine (cross-legged, against a wall, in a chair etc) or lie down on your back.
2. Close down your eyes or gaze softly in front.
3. Inhale and exhale through both nostrils once to begin.
4. Then inhale deeply into the belly for a count of 4.
5. Hold your breath for a count of 4.
6. Exhale for a count of 4.
7. Hold your breath for a count of 4.
8. Continue breathing in this way for 5-10 breaths or work your way up to a couple of minutes.
9. Let go of this breath when you’re ready and breathe naturally through both nostrils.

• You might like to imagine drawing a square in your mind so that each part of the breath is one side of the box or square.
• If you’re pregnant do not hold your breath. Instead, inhale for 4 and exhale for 4.
• It may feel strange at first to retain your breath and it can take a little practice to build up your tolerance to the increased carbon dioxide levels created by holding your breath. If this is the case try lowering the breath counts and work your way up when/if you’re ready or ditch the retentions and inhale and exhale equally instead.
• When/if you feel ready to you can gradually increase the number of seconds of breath, e.g. 5, 6, 7 etc counts.

4-7-8 Breath (Visamavritti Pranayama)

Another popular breathing technique with yogic origins is the 4-7-8 breath or Visamavritti. Visama means irregular. The inhalation, retention and exhalation for this breath are uneven making this technique a little more challenging. It’s recommended to practice this method of breathing when you’ve been practising pranayama, specifically retention, for some time. So give the techniques above a go, and see how holding your breath feels, before trying this one.

1. Find a comfortable seated position with a straight or supported spine (cross-legged, against a wall, in a chair etc) or lie down on your back.
2. Close down your eyes or gaze softly in front.
3. Inhale and exhale through both nostrils once to begin.
4. Then inhale for a count of 4.
5. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
6. Exhale for a count of 8.
7. Continue breathing in this way for 5-10 breaths or work your way up to a couple of minutes.
8. Let go of this breath when you’re ready and breathe naturally through both nostrils.

• Do not retain the breath if you’re pregnant. Instead, inhale for 4 and exhale for 8.
• It may feel strange at first to retain your breath and it can take a little practice to build up your tolerance to the increased carbon dioxide levels created by holding your breath. If this is the case try lowering the breath counts and work your way up when/if you’re ready or ditch the retentions and inhale and exhale equally instead.
• If it doesn’t feel good for you to breathe in this way, inhale for 4 and exhale for 8 instead.

Once you’ve finished practising your preferred breathing technique, gently bring your awareness back to the room and blink your eyes open. When you’re ready move slowly and mindfully back into your day with a sense of ease and clarity. You can revisit these breathwork practices whenever you need a dose of instant calm.

Happy breathing!