Bhramari: Humming Bee Breath, Gentle Steps, Tradition and Safety

Bhramari is the humming bee breath. You breathe in through the nose, then breathe out slowly while making a soft, steady hum like a bee, so that you feel the sound as a gentle vibration in the head and chest. The name comes from bhramara, the Sanskrit word for a large black bee. Many people find the practice soothing, and it is easy to learn, which makes it one of the most popular pranayama techniques.

Because it involves sound and sometimes pressure on the ears, it has particular cautions. This page gives a gentle version, the tradition, the dosha view that some teachers use, who should avoid the practice and what research says. Please also read the safety notes for the whole section.

How to do it

1. Sit comfortably on a chair or a cushion with the spine upright, the shoulders soft and the jaw relaxed. Close the eyes if that is comfortable.
2. Rest the tongue gently behind the upper teeth, with the lips closed and the teeth slightly apart.
3. Breathe in slowly and quietly through the nose, without force and not to the point of strain.
4. As you breathe out through the nose, make a soft humming sound, steady and low, and let it last as long as the out-breath comfortably does. Keep it gentle, as louder is not better.
5. Pause and breathe in normally. Repeat for five rounds at first.
6. Afterwards, sit quietly for a minute, breathing naturally, and notice how you feel.

You may rest the hands in the lap. There is a traditional version in which the fingers close the ears and cover the eyes, but it is optional and carries more cautions, so beginners can leave it out. If you do close the ears, use only the lightest touch on the flap of the ear, and do not press into the ear canal or against the eyes.

What the tradition says

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika names Bhramari among the eight kinds of breath practice (kumbhaka) it describes, and compares the sound of the exhale to that of a bee, saying that it brings a kind of joy to the practitioner. The text’s own instructions include breath retention, which is not part of the gentle version here. Teachers today present it as a calming practice and a way to focus attention on sound. These are descriptions from tradition and from teachers’ experience, not medical claims.

Bhramari and the doshas

The pairing of breathing practices with doshas is a modern teaching convention. The medical texts of Ayurveda do not describe this exercise, and the pairing has not been tested.

• Teachers often suggest Bhramari for pitta, which tradition describes as hot, sharp and easily irritated, because the soft sound is thought to quieten the mind. They advise keeping the hum soft. See pitta.
• For vata, which tradition describes as light and restless, they suggest a low, warm hum at a slow pace. See vata.
• For kapha, which tradition describes as heavy and slow, they may suggest a slightly higher hum and more rounds in the morning to feel awake. See kapha.

These are conventions, and no dosha is required to benefit from a calm sound.

Who should avoid it or take care

• Anyone with an ear infection, ear pain, a perforated eardrum, tinnitus that is made worse by sound, or ear surgery should avoid it unless a doctor agrees, and should never press on the ears.
• People with a cold, sinus infection or blocked nose should wait until it clears.
• People with epilepsy, high or low blood pressure or heart disease should ask a doctor first, and keep the practice very gentle.
• Anyone with glaucoma or other eye disease should not press on the eyes at all, and should ask a doctor.
• Those with migraines that are triggered by sound or vibration should take care.
• In pregnancy, only a very gentle hum without pressing the ears or eyes and without holding the breath should be tried, after asking your doctor.
• Children should practise only with a qualified teacher.
• People with anxiety or panic who feel worse during breath focus should stop and see a doctor.
• Anyone who feels dizzy should stop and breathe normally.

A gentler option

Do the humming without any touching of the face. Rest the hands on the thighs or on the belly, breathe in through the nose, and hum on a quiet out-breath for three to five rounds. If the hum feels uncomfortable in the head, make it softer, lower or silent, simply breathing out slowly with the lips closed. People with ear trouble can do a silent version, listening to the out-breath and imagining the hum. Keep the duration short. A minute or two is plenty, in the spirit of the half-effort rule in exercise by dosha.

What research says

A few small studies suggest that humming breath may reduce the sense of stress and may briefly lower heart rate or blood pressure in some people, and some report effects on mood. The studies are small and the methods differ, so the evidence is limited and cannot support firm conclusions. There is no good evidence that it treats any disease, including high blood pressure, migraine, anxiety or tinnitus. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises caution with breathing techniques for people with medical conditions.

Making it part of your practice

Some people hum for a few minutes at the start of a quiet sit or before bed, in line with evening and sleep. It is comfortable seated in thunderbolt pose or in a chair. Compare it with the quiet nadi shodhana and the soft throat sound of ujjayi. A wider view of breath and routine is in yoga and pranayama in an Ayurvedic routine. Practise on an empty stomach.

The humming breath above is described as a tradition, not as medical advice. The medical disclaimer sets out the limits of this site. Check with a doctor first if you have a health concern. A registered Ayurvedic practitioner is the person to see for Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions