Bhramari pranayama: Bee’s breath | Yoga
Since ancient times, the Hindu Gods have been associated with the Bees.
The Gods Vishnu, Krishna and Indra, were called Madhava — those born of nectar — and their symbol is associated with the Bee.
Vishnu is represented as a blue bee on a lotus flower, symbol of life, resurrection and nature
The bee is blue because blue is the color of the sky from which the gods come. They say that: where Vishnu steps, a spring of mead appears.
Another fundamental God of Hinduism, Shiva, the Destroyer, has a form called Madhuri, which means sweetness. In this form, his symbol is an inverted triangle with a bee resting on it.
There is even a Hindu goddess of bees, called Bhrami, a word that means “bees” in Hindi.
Brahmi, or Brahmari, is believed to reside in the heart chakra and emit the buzzing of bees. This deep and constant humming is often imitated in Vedic chants and represents the essential sound of the Universe, the more than known Om.
Krishna, one of Vishnu’s incarnations, is often depicted with a blue bee on his forehead.
Bhramari pranayama: Bee breath
The yogis of India developed a set of breathing techniques, called pranayamas, with the aim of purifying the physical body and the energy body, increasing and balancing the prana (vital energy) and calming the mental processes.
Brahmari pranayama, or bee breath, is widely used in Nāda yoga नादयोग (Yoga of Sound) and serves to connect with our internal sound, in order to intervene in vital signs and brain activity.
First, sit on a cushion on the floor, with your legs crossed and your back completely straight. This posture is called sukhasana, translated as easy posture or pleasure posture. Place both hands on the knees in chin mudrā — mudra of knowledge — joining the thumb and index fingers in a circle and keeping the rest of the fingers straight pointed towards the Earth. Focus on breathing calmly and focus on the upright posture of your body and your presence within it.
Next, as consciously as possible, breathe in deeply, filling the lungs completely, from the abdomen to the upper chest, hold the air for about five seconds while contracting the throat — jalandhara bandha, close energy of the vishudda (purity) chakra, considered capable of destroying old age and eliminating death — and also in the anus — mula bandha, or perineum key, which energetically closes the mulhadara (root) chakra at the base of the spine vertebral.
Then you relax those contractions (bandha), raise your arms until they are horizontal at shoulder height, and bend your elbows to cover your ears with the tips of your index fingers. You should not insert your fingers into the ear but only press on the tragus (external cartilage located just above the ear hole), making sure that they are well sealed.
Breathe out slowly through your nose emitting a buzzing sound imitating that of bees, evenly and slowly, lengthening it as long as you can, depending on your lung capacity. The mouth is kept closed and the teeth slightly apart.
Focus on the sound and feel the vibration resonating inside your head and expanding to the rest of your body.
At the end of the exhalation, bring your hands back to your knees to finish a lap and start again. You can do between 15 and 20 laps if you are trained, if not, start with 5 repetitions and continue to gradually increase day by day.
If you wish, you can do this practice three or four times a day.
Do not practice this pranayama lying down.
Benefits provided by Bhramari pranayama
Lowers blood pressure, helps silence the mind and connect with the higher self, eliminates anxiety, induces a meditative state and stimulates the anahata chakra, the heart chakra, governed by the air element and a point of balance between the flow of energy that ascends towards Heaven and descends towards Earth.
Listening internally to the sound of our own breathing is extremely regenerating. This pranayama calms the emotions, eliminates anger and anxiety because it reconnects us with the rhythmic pulsation of our own Being.
Regular practice instantly increases the feeling of well-being.
Thanks for your presence. We are One.
