Standard haṭha-yoga practices, each with a starting dose you can change. Practices your own teacher gave you stay private: add them as your own parts, with your notes, kept on this device.
Kapālabhāti
skull-shining breath
Starts at 3 × 60 · 1 s each
How it's done
- Sit tall with the spine straight and the hands on the knees. Take one easy breath in.
- Breathe out sharply through the nose by snapping the belly in. Let the in-breath come back by itself.
- Keep an even rhythm. Only the belly moves; the chest, shoulders and face stay soft.
- After each round, breathe naturally and rest in the stillness that follows.
Take care
Not on a full stomach, and not with high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia, pregnancy or recent abdominal surgery. Stop if you feel dizzy.
Bhastrikā
bellows breath
Starts at 3 × 20 · 2 s each
How it's done
- Sit tall. Breathe in and out forcefully through the nose, with equal force both ways.
- Let the belly and ribs move like a bellows, at a steady pace you can keep.
- After each round, take one slow deep breath, let it out gently, and rest.
Take care
The same cautions as Kapālabhāti. Start slowly, and stop at once if you feel faint.
Nāḍī Śodhana
alternate-nostril breathing (Anuloma Viloma)
Starts at 4-0-8-0 s × 9
How it's done
- Sit tall. Rest the right thumb beside the right nostril and the ring finger beside the left.
- Close the right nostril and breathe in through the left. Close the left, open the right, and breathe out.
- Breathe in through the right, close it, and breathe out through the left. That is one round.
- Keep the breath slow and silent, with the out-breath longer than the in-breath.
Take care
Hold the breath only when a teacher has shown you how. Never strain.
Bhrāmarī
humming-bee breath
Starts at 4-0-8-0 s × 7
How it's done
- Sit tall with the lips closed, and close the ears gently with the thumbs or index fingers.
- Breathe in through the nose. Breathe out slowly, humming a steady, low “mmm”.
- Feel the sound fill the head. After the last round, sit still and listen inward.
Take care
Don't press into the ear canals. Leave it out if you have an ear infection.
Ujjāyī
victorious breath
Starts at 5-0-5-0 s × 12
How it's done
- Narrow the back of the throat a little, as if whispering “haa” with the mouth closed.
- Breathe in and out through the nose with a soft sound, like the sea.
- Let each breath be long, even and unhurried.
Take care
Keep the sound gentle; the throat should never feel tight.
Śītalī
cooling breath
Starts at 4-0-6-0 s × 9
How it's done
- Roll the tongue into a tube and let it rest just outside the lips.
- Breathe in slowly through the tongue, close the mouth, and breathe out through the nose.
- If your tongue won't roll, breathe in through closed teeth instead (Śītkārī).
Take care
Not in cold weather, with a cold or asthma, or with low blood pressure.
Agni Sāra
stoking the digestive fire
Starts at 3 × 15 · 1 s each
How it's done
- Stand with the feet apart and the hands on the thighs, or sit tall. Breathe all the way out.
- Holding the breath out, draw the belly in and release it, again and again, at a steady pace.
- Breathe in slowly when you need to, and rest before the next round.
Take care
Only on an empty stomach. Not during pregnancy or menstruation, or with high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia or ulcers.
Aśvinī Mudrā
the horse gesture
Starts at 3 × 30 · 1 s each
How it's done
- Sit comfortably with the spine straight and breathe normally.
- Contract the anal sphincter for a moment, then release it. Keep the rhythm smooth.
- Keep the belly and buttocks relaxed; only the sphincter works.
Take care
Ease off if you feel strain or pain. Not with piles or after recent surgery in that area.
Sūrya Namaskāra
sun salutation
Starts at 1 × 12 · 20 s each
How it's done
- One round is the full flow of twelve poses, from the standing salute back to standing.
- The voice calls each round. Let the breath lead: in as you open, out as you fold.
- Set the seconds per round to your own pace.
Take care
Move within your range. Skip the backbends with back pain, and go gently with high blood pressure.
Trāṭaka
steady gazing
Starts at 3:00
How it's done
- In a still room, set a candle at arm's length with the flame at eye level.
- Gaze at the flame without blinking for as long as is comfortable.
- Close the eyes and hold the after-image at the brow. When it fades, open the eyes and gaze again.
Take care
Stop if the eyes strain or water a lot. Not with epilepsy or glaucoma.
Praṇava (Oṃ)
chanting Om
Starts at 1 × 11 · 8 s each
How it's done
- Sit tall, breathe in fully, and chant Oṃ on the out-breath: “aa-uu-mmm”, with the hum the longest.
- Let the soft bell set the pace: one full breath for each chant.
- After the last one, sit in the silence it leaves.
Take care
Keep the voice easy. It is a resonance, not a shout.
Dhyāna
meditation
Starts at 10:00
How it's done
- Sit still, the spine upright and the body at ease. Close the eyes.
- Rest your attention on the breath, a mantra, or the point between the eyebrows.
- When the mind wanders, notice it and gently come back. A bell will call you at the end.
Take care
If old distress rises strongly, open the eyes, breathe slowly, and stop for today.
Śavāsana
deep rest
Starts at 5:00
How it's done
- Lie on your back, the arms a little away from the body, palms up, the feet falling open.
- Let the whole body grow heavy, from the feet to the crown.
- Breathe naturally and stay awake and aware.
Take care
If lying flat is hard, put a cushion under the knees, or lie on your left side.
Learn breath retention and forceful breathing from a qualified teacher. Stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or unwell. If you are pregnant, or have high blood pressure, heart disease or a recent operation, ask your doctor first.