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These are anxious times for everyone. As one who experiences anxiety on a regular basis, I know how necessary it is to have several tools in the toolkit to provide anxiety relief. The Bhramari pranayama, or “Bee Breath” is one of my tools. If you are looking for natural remedies for anxiety, this can help you!
Pranayama is an integral part of yoga. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali refers to the 8 limbs of yoga. An eight-fold path which offers guidelines for living a meaningful, purposeful life. Pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga.
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Pranayama practices manipulate the breath in various ways to achieve different results. The primary purpose of working with the breath is to affect the mind.
Bhramari is the Sanskrit word for “bee.” This pranayama is named for the humming sound made by bees.
The Bhramari pranayama can instantly calm the anxious mind after just a few breaths. It is easy to learn and to incorporate on an as needed basis to quickly provide anxiety relief. It is also beneficial to practice daily to encourage relaxation and quiet the mind. I find it helpful to practice 4-6 rounds prior to doing a seated meditation to reduce the chatter in the mind.
How to Practice Bhramari Pranayama or Bee Breath
- Sit comfortably, close the eyes if possible. Take 1-2 breaths to settle in and take notice of your state of mind. If it is comfortable for you, sit in Vajrasana Pose. Another option is to sit on a zafu/meditation cushion.
- Take an inhale breath in through the nose.
- For the entire length of the exhale breath, make a low-medium pitched humming sound with the mouth closed. Lips touching softly, jaw relaxed, space between upper and lower teeth.
- Bring your awareness to the vibration in your sinuses, teeth, tongue, and lips.
- Continue to practice for several rounds.
- Always balance effort and ease. Keep the inhales and exhales smooth and without tension.
- Upon completion of the Bee Breath, sit and breathe normally, notice if anything has changed.
Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama
- anxiety relief
- stress relief
- calms and quiets the mind
- lowers blood pressure
- improves concentration and memory
- can help relieve a mild headache
- dissipates anger
- induces sound sleep
The Bee Breath is a simple breathing technique that can be used by young and old alike. It is a useful tool for dealing with anxiety and stress. Easy to perform and works after just a few rounds. Try this basic variation of the Bee Breath and see how it works for you! I am always looking for natural remedies for anxiety. See my previous post on Pranayama for Anxiety for more information on this topic.
I personally have used the Bee Breath while driving in my car to activities/encounters that are anxiety producing for me. I have found that using the Bee Breath gives me some anxiety relief!
If you are interested in delving deeply into pranayama, this is one of the first books I bought on the topic, Light on Pranayama by BKS Iyengar.
If you need professional help with your anxiety, consider Talkspace. You can improve your mental health in the most convenient and affordable way with online therapy.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate any comments and shares!
Photo of the Girl by Richard Jaimes on Unsplash
Laura Side Street
January 13, 2023 7:17 amThanks so much for sharing this! I struggle with anxiety so I am definitely going to give this a go
Laura x
Julie
January 13, 2023 6:06 pmThe breath is a powerful tool! Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂
Rhian Westbury
January 10, 2023 2:30 amI’ve never tried anything like this myself, but as long as it works for those that need it, that’s the main thing. It’s worth trying different techniques to see what works x
Julie
January 10, 2023 12:10 pmThe breath is a powerful tool! 🙂
Annette, 3 Little Buttons
January 10, 2023 1:52 amWe used to do this breathing exercise at the start of drama club! It’s super relaxing.
Julie
January 10, 2023 12:11 pmIt’s amazing how working with the breath can make such a big difference! 🙂
Jupiter Hadley
January 9, 2023 11:45 pmI woke up this morning with an anxious mind, and this was really helpful. Thank you so much for sharing, this method of breathing is great for resetting yourself.
Julie
January 10, 2023 12:12 pmI am so glad to hear that this was helpful! The breath is such a powerful tool! 🙂
Rosey
January 9, 2023 8:09 pmMy first to hear of bee breath. It’s nice to hear of methods that can help with anxiety.
Julie
January 10, 2023 12:12 pmA good one to have in the tool box of remedies!
Renata Feyen
January 8, 2023 4:07 pmI have tried nothing like that, but I used to be afraid of Bees and had to overcome the fear when I had kids. I didn’t want them to be scared like me.
Julie
January 8, 2023 8:49 pmThis breath is called the Bee breath because you make a humming sound that can remind one of the humming sound of bees. I’m glad you overcame your fear of bees. They are amazing creatures!
Tiphany
November 6, 2020 10:02 amI have done breathing meditations, but not like this. Very helpful post!
Julie
November 6, 2020 5:29 pmVery simple but very effective! Thanks for reading and commenting! 🙂
Subarna
September 14, 2020 7:44 pmBee breathing, new for me. I hope the process will surely help to get relief from stress and anxiety. Thanks for sharing.
Julie
September 15, 2020 7:40 amHi Subarna,
I hope you find it helpful! Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂
Chloe Chats
September 10, 2020 1:06 pmI’ve not heard of this breathing method before! When I’m struggling with my anxiety or feel like I’m on a verge of a panic attack I have definitely found breathing exercises to be so so helpful. I’ll keep this in mind the next time I might need to calm my anxiety. Thank you for sharing xx
Julie
September 10, 2020 2:53 pmHi Chloe,
It has been very beneficial for me to use when I am entering stressful, anxiety-provoking situations/encounters. I hope you find it helpful 🙂
Alison
September 10, 2020 12:13 pmI love different breathing techniques. I’ll give this one a try next time I’m on my own (hubby sitting right by me currently so figured I might scare him if I do it now!) Thanks for sharing 🙂
Julie
September 10, 2020 2:56 pmHi Alison,
Lol!! Yeah, I hear ya! It’s one I like to do on my own!! I do also teach this to my yoga students, so then we do it together in class to get the hang of it and then use it as needed in our daily lives! 🙂
Sandhya
September 10, 2020 11:24 amGreat blog! I 💯 believe that focusing on the breath is a great way to relax and pranayama is great for that. I will try this technique soon!
Julie
September 10, 2020 2:57 pmThank you Sandhya! The breath is so powerful 🙂
Brie
September 10, 2020 9:40 amI am always looking for new ways to reduce my stress and anxiety! I love this breathing technique. I tried it while reading, and honestly, I already feel less stressed!
Julie
September 10, 2020 2:59 pmHi Brie,
Great! I hope the Bee Breath can become a useful tool for you! 🙂
Nicola
August 17, 2020 12:20 amI love breath work to calm down and clear my head. It really helps me to relax. Thanks for sharing! X
Nicola | http://www.nicoladaletraining.com
Julie
August 17, 2020 11:33 amIt is amazing how pranayama is so beneficial! Natural remedies for many issues. Thanks for reading 🙂
Anita
August 16, 2020 1:57 pmInsightful post, I learned a lot.
Julie
August 17, 2020 11:33 amThank you for reading Anita!
Nancy
August 16, 2020 1:41 pmIt is interesting to learn about bee breath. I didn’t know that there is an effect with making a bee-like sound. I need to give this a try since there are mental health and physical health benefits as well. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy ✨ exquisitely.me
Julie
August 17, 2020 11:34 amI love the benefits this pranayama provides and such a simple technique! Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Melinda Cummings
May 8, 2020 5:02 pmThanks so much for sharing this. I am going to try teaching this to my kids.
Julie
May 9, 2020 8:47 amExcellent! What a great gift to give them! 🙂
Katie
May 8, 2020 11:05 amI commented 6 months ago, but here’s an update! I was excited to see you leave this link again because I have used this multiple times to dissipate stress!
Julie
May 9, 2020 8:48 amThank you Katie! I am so glad it is helping you 🙂
Laia
May 8, 2020 9:50 amNever heard of this!! Been struggling from anxiety since I was 12 and wish I had known this before!! Thank you so much!!
Julie
May 9, 2020 8:49 amYou’re welcome. 🙂 It’s such a simple technique and very helpful!
Jen @ Jen Bradley | MOMS
May 8, 2020 8:08 amWhile I don’t think I’m a complete novice with yoga, I have not tried Bee Breath before. I look forward to following your detailed instructions here! Thank you!
Julie
May 9, 2020 8:50 amYou’re welcome! It’s a simple, powerful breath 🙂
Laureen
May 8, 2020 8:04 amGosh I love your blog. Just followed you cause I know this is right up my alley. I’ve never heard of the new breathing. I need to try it. Right now with everyone home and locked down finding a quiet place to yoga and mediate is a challenge! Good weather on the way though so outdoors I will go!
Julie
May 9, 2020 8:52 amThank you so much Laureen! It’s a very simple, effective breathing practice! Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Audrey at Two Pink Peonies
May 7, 2020 7:06 pmThank you for these fantastic tips. You have so much yoga knowledge! I’m going to try this tonight.
Julie
May 8, 2020 7:02 amYou’re welcome Audrey! It’s a very easy breath practice to have in your ‘tool box’. Thanks for reading!
Ashley Greenwood
May 7, 2020 1:07 pmI love using bee breath. I look forward to it whenever a yoga instructor brings it up in class. I didn’t realize it could help with a minor headache and induce sleep. I will keep that in mind. Thank you for sharing!
Julie
May 8, 2020 7:05 amI enjoy practicing it as well! I’m glad you learned something new about it 🙂
Amanda Warfield
October 17, 2019 10:40 amI love how descriptive this is! You give such detailed tips and explanations for everything!
Julie
October 17, 2019 2:46 pmThank you Amanda! 🙂
Anitra
October 16, 2019 8:30 pmI need to try this! I have yet to try this during Pranayama, so I will give this a try during my next practice! Thanks!
https://chroniclesofamomtessorian.com
Julie
October 16, 2019 9:02 pmThe Bee Breath is easy to incorporate into your day at any time. I remember the last time I used it, I was going to a place that I was going to encounter someone I did not want to see. I practiced the Bee Breath as I was driving there! It helped!
Katie Frazier
October 16, 2019 6:47 pmI need to find time for this. I feel like I am on edge a lot. My son JJ is almost 6 months and I’m always on my feet. I feel like this would help!
Julie
October 16, 2019 9:05 pmKatie,
This breath is really easy to incorporate into your daily life. I used it in the car on the way to an uncomfortable encounter I was about to have. It sure helped calm me. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Nikki
October 16, 2019 8:55 amThis is really a great tool to have. I started having occassional anxiety attacks last year and I feel like dying everytime it happens. I’m glad I read this and hopefully apply it if it happens again. Thank you!
Julie
October 16, 2019 9:08 pmHi Nikki,
It is a very easy breath to do. Try practicing when you are calm to get the hang of it. Then hopefully when anxiety is coming on, you can remember you have this in your tool box. In the middle of an attack it can be difficult to remember your tools, but if you have practiced it, it may be easier to recall at the time it’s needed. 🙂
Annalise
December 24, 2020 5:27 pmI’ve never tried breathing techniques for anxiety and this has to be a winner! It’s so simple yet seems so effective. I love it and will be trying it out
Julie
December 26, 2020 3:27 pmI love the simplicity of it and it does help me!
Jennifer
March 7, 2019 3:04 pmI’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, so I’m definitely going to give this a try before bed! Thanks!
Julie
March 7, 2019 6:42 pmHi Jennifer,
I hope it helps you calm down and clear your mind before bed! I do have a couple of other posts that might be helpful. One is: 10 Best Essential Oils to Aid Sleep the other is 6 Yoga Poses for Better Sleep! Thanks for visiting! 🙂
candy
March 7, 2019 9:51 amBee Breath is not something I really know anything about. So thank you for giving us this lesson.
Julie
March 7, 2019 6:35 pmHi Candy,
You’re welcome. It’s an easy breath to do and can really help during stressful/anxious times! Thanks for reading! 🙂