Samavritti Pranayama - 5.5 Breaths Per Minute
A Pranayama Practice
Here is the audio to follow for the pranayama practice - feel free to download and use it whenever you need it.
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello and welcome to Cultivating Chill.
My name is Vikki Velasquez and today, we will practice samavritti (sama-vritti) pranayama, which is when the inhale and exhale are of equal length, in a 1:1 ratio. Breathing in a 1:1 ratio promotes a calming effect while also lowering the heart rate and reducing blood pressure.
In his book, Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art, James Nestor discovers the perfect breathing rate is 5.5 breaths per minute. This is much slower than the regular breath rate of 12-20 breaths per minute for a healthy adult at rest.
Before we begin – Please note - If you are experiencing a shortness of breath or experience chronic breathing disorders, please do not participate in the practice but feel free to observe. Also, if at any time you feel overwhelmed or short of breath, let go of pranayama and let your breath breathe itself.
So, let’s practice samavritti (sama-vritti) pranayama with a resonant breathing technique and try to breathe at a rate of 5.5 breaths per minute.
We will breathe deeply and slowly for a count of five, equal inhales and exhales, breathing towards a steady, gentle rhythm. Our focus will be on making each breath even and smooth.
There will be no active retention of breath, just a simple inhale and exhale but feel free to express the natural pause that occurs while breathing.
Our breathing practice will be for about three to four minutes.
If it’s helpful, think about your lungs and as you breathe, imagine you are filling them up from the bottom of the lung up through the chest, into the throat, and the nasal cavity. When we exhale, it will be a slow, controlled release of breath, from the top to the bottom.
I invite you to sit up tall in a comfortable seat, either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor, maybe with your back against a wall for extra support.
Let’s take a moment to align the body. Ears should be floating over your shoulders, shoulders are over hips.
Your hands can rest in your lap or on your thighs. Palms can be up or down. If your palms are up, you are open to receiving energy. If your palms are down, you are conserving energy. Whichever you prefer.
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Take a big revitalizing inhale - Inhale.
Let it go with a cleansing exhale - Exhale.
Just feel your natural breath for a moment, the feel of the inhale, the feel of the exhale.
Let’s begin by taking a breath to align with one another. Inhale–exhale.
First Round/Minute
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Second Round/Minute
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Third and Final Round/Minute
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Inhale–1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale–5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Release your pranayama–let the breath breathe itself.
Silent count of three inhales and exhales.
If your eyes are closed, whenever you are ready, feel free to gently open your eyes.
Let’s bring our hands to a prayer position, hands to heart center.
The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste.
Cultivating Chill hopes you found the information and breathing practices informative and helpful. If you have any questions or want to share anything, please feel free to leave a comment.
Bibliography
1 - Chourpiliadis, Charilaos and Abhishek Bhardwaj. Physiology, Respiratory Rate. StatPearls Publishing 2022.
2 - Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga, 64-65. Inner Traditions International, 1995.
3 - Nestor, James. Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art, 82-83. Riverhead Books, 2020.
4 - The University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. “Body of Wonder Podcast: Episode #15 The Power of Breath with James Nestor.”