Breathing Bee-autifully: The Art of Bhramari Pranayama
According to the ancient sage Patanjali, there exists what he terms the “Ashtanga” (eight branches of yoga). One of these eight branches is Pranayama. The name of this practice is a combination of the Sanskrit words “Prana” (life force) and “Yama” (control). To understand this better, one needs to dig into a deeper definition of Prana. While it can be understood as a lifeforce, it is also understood as breath in a way (hence Pranayama being a breathing exercise). This lifeforce or breath, whichever you’d like to call it, is believed to regulate our bodily functions. Furthermore, it is believed to be linked to our health. Each portion of our body, however, is governed by a different form of Prana. Known as the “Vayus” (winds), these five forms of Prana are assigned different areas of the body. To control these, based on yogic philosophy, gives one better control of their body.
What is Bhramari Pranayama?
There are many forms of the practice of Pranayama, and one of these is known as Bhramari Pranayama. To understand this form, one needs to understand “Bhramari”. Many texts translate this word as “bee”, hence “Bhramari Pranayama” is translated as “bee breath”, however the word may have a more interesting meaning. According to ancient Hindu scriptures, Bhramari is the name of the goddess of the black bees. She was an incarnation of another goddess who came down to slay a demon who had waged war against other divine beings. Thus, it’s possible her name became the name of bees later on due to the association. Whatever the original word meaning, the word, in Pranayama context, relates to the sound of bees. In yogic philosophy, Vishuddhi chakra (energy center of the throat) is said to be activated by the practice of Bhramari Pranayama. This is due to the bee-like humming technique used during the breathing exercise. By activating the chakra through the bee-humming, breathing, and posture, balance is brought to the Vishuddhi chakra. It is believed that by bringing balance to the chakra in the throat, the person who found this sense of balance will be able to communicate better than they did when the chakra was out of balance.
Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama
While the yogic philosophy has its own beliefs centering around the positive effects of Bhramari Pranayama, it’s also important to look at the practice from another angle. Does this type of Pranayama actually help one’s well-being, scientifically speaking? Thanks to the efforts of various researchers, the following benefits were found:
· Helps relieve chronic rhinosinusitis when used alongside conventional management.
· Can be used to manage blood pressure.
· Helps soothe the nervous system by shifting it toward parasympathetic (rest and digest) dominance.
· Minimizes the effects of stress and strain on the body systems.
· Increases self-esteem, optimism, and happiness.
How to do Bhramari Pranayama
1. Find a quiet place to stay.
2. Sit down, keeping your back straight.
3. Close your eyes or lower your gaze.
4. Place one thumb or index finger on each tragus (the cartilage between your ears and cheeks). Gently press down to block out external sounds.
5. Inhale.
6. Exhale with closed lips, pressing the cartilage softly, while humming like a bee. You may feel a slight vibration in your cheek, jaw, bones, teeth, or skin while doing this.
7. Continue 5-6 more times.
Sources:
Fondin, M. (2016, March 11). What Are the Eight Limbs of Yoga? Chopra. Retrieved from: https://chopra.com/articles/what-are-the-8-limbs-of-yoga
Kuppusamy, M., Kamaldeen, D., Pitani, R., Amaldas, J., & Shanmugam, P. (2017). Effects of Bhramari Pranayama on health - A systematic review. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 8(1), 11–16.
Etymologeek. (n.d.). Pranayama etymology. Etymologeek. Retrieved from: https://etymologeek.com/eng/pranayama
Anderson, S. (n.d.). The 5 Prana Vayu Chart. Yoga International. Retrieved from: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-5-prana-vayus-chart
Planet Bee Foundation. (2017, December 05). The Sacred Bee: Ancient India. Planet Bee. Retrieved from: https://www.planetbee.org/planet-bee-blog//the-sacred-bee-bees-in-ancient-india-and-china-7tmcx
Sanagala, N. (n.d.) Bhramari Devi. Hindupad. Retrieved from: https://hindupad.com/bhramari/
Baker, N. (n.d.) The Throat Chakra: Everything You Wanted to Know. Yoga Practice. Retrieved from: https://yogapractice.com/yoga/the-throat-chakra/
Manjunatha U, Bhat JS, Radish KB, Bajaj G, Shruthi P, Suresh Nayak P, Rasheeka SM. Effect of Bhramari. (2018). Pranayama on the Acoustic and Aerodynamic Parameters of Voice in Normophonic Females. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med: 4176803.
Abishek, K., Bakshi, S. S., & Bhavanani, A. B. (2019). The Efficacy of Yogic Breathing Exercise Bhramari Pranayama in Relieving Symptoms of Chronic Rhinosinusitis. International journal of yoga, 12(2), 120–123.
Satyanand, V., Reddy, B., Lilly, N., Mahaboobvali, S., Shaik, A.B, and Aditya, M. (2014). Studying the role of yogic pranayama in the management of blood pressure. International Journal of Biomedical And Advance Research, 5(12).
Srivastava, S., Goyal, P., Tiwari, S.K. (2017). Interventional effect of bhramari pranayama on mental health among college students. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(2).
Kalimukti. (n.d.) Humming bee breath. Kalimukti. Retrieved from: https://www.kalimukti.com/pose/humming-bee-breath
The Art of Living. (n.d.). Bhramari Pranayama – Humming Bee Breathing. The Art of Living. Retrieved from: https://www.artofliving.org/yoga/breathing-techniques/bhramari-pranayama
Article by: Jonathan A. Watson