Breath Control & Yoga Pranayama Book - Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise - Ch 1
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Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama
Yoga Breathing Exercise #1: The Breath of Fire
Free Online Yoga Video of Breath of Fire
Video is from the article: Breath of Fire Video - Free Online Yoga Videos
What Is The Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
The first Yoga breathing exercise we will explore lies at the heart of Kundalini Yoga practice, it is the legendary Breath of Fire Yoga Pranayama.
As mentioned above this breathing exercise is absolutely essential to the practice of Kundalini Yoga. The roots of this pranayama are impossible to trace but I would like to thank my teacher Ravi Singh under whose expert guidance I learned this technique.
Tools Required for Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
Just your nose :-D.
Benefits of Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
Primary:
- Quickly oxygenates your blood, thus helping the body detoxify itself and remove waste more effectively.
- Builds lung capacity and helps purify the respiratory system.
- Generates heat and increases your level of energy by activating the energy flows in your body.
- Syncronizes your entire system under one rhythm, thus promoting greater internal harmony and health.
Secondary:
- Balances and strengthens the Nervous System.
- Magnifies the benefits of exercises done in conjunction with this breath.
- When done forcefully, the pulsating of the diaphragm massages the internal organs, thus improving the digestive system.
Cautions for Practicing Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
- If you feel dizzy when practicing Breath of Fire, you should stop and substitute normal breathing. If you suffer from vertigo, you should use caution in practicing this breathing exercise.
- If you are menstruating you should not practice Breath of Fire, use Long Deep Breathing instead.
- You should be careful practicing Breath of Fire if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or suffer from stroke or epilepsy. Also, if you have acid or heat related gastric issues such as ulcers you should use caution.
How To Do Basic Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
- To practice this breathing exercise sit up in a comfortable position.
- Elongate your spine upwards, lengthen your neck and subtly bring your chin back and in like a soldier at attention. This will align the spine with the back of your head.
- Close your eyes.
- Rest your hands in any comfortable position.
- Relax your stomach muscles.
- Now begin to breathe rapidly through the nose with equal emphasis on the inhalation and exhalation. It will be like very fast sniffing. Keep the breath shallow, just at the tip of the nose. Proceed at a comfortable pace and establish a steady rhythm. Pay no special attention to the chest or diaphragm other that staying relaxed. You will find the stomach pulses on its own in rhythm to the breath. That’s it, continue for 1 minute.
How To Do Intermediate Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
- Perform the breathing at a faster pace.
- Increase the duration of the exercise to 3 minutes
How To Do Advanced Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
- Build up the pace and power with which you do the breathing.
- Build up the time for this pranayama to 11 minutes.
Secret of Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama:
So the trick question is, "How many breaths are you taking when doing the breath of fire yoga pranayama"? This will be of some special concern to those who believe in the idea that each of us is born with a preset number of breaths and once we finish our quota - the fat lady sings. So for those folks it would be rather alarming to practice this exercise regularly, as they would be drastically reducing their life span - but, thankfully they need not worry. The beauty of this breathing exercise, aside from its lengthy list of benefits, is that it registers to the brain as only 1 breath. So put your worries aside and enjoy the practice of this pranayama which I have found to be one of the real gems of Kundalini Yoga.
Best Yoga & Meditation Products: 
on April 30th, 2007 at 3:11 am
Anmol, could you expand a little bit the mysterious “it registers to the brain as only 1 breath”? How come? How do we know that? I’m not worried about the quota of breaths, but this idea interested me immensely.
on April 30th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Joanna, Much of the Science of Yoga and Meditation is derived from direct perception resulting from refined and subtle awareness that Yogis & Monks develop. Recently, some empirical studies have begun to prove these ageless Truths, but I am not aware of any study on this specific topic.
Here though is a proposed basic experiment that could shed some light on this hypothesis…
Control Group: Brainwaves w/ normal breath
Group A: Advanced meditators Brainwaves w/ suspended breath
Group B: Advanced meditators Brainwaves w/ Breath of Fire
Then to compare the brain waves to see if Group B subjects’ brainwaves match the Control Group or Group A more closely.
I will keep an eye on this topic though and let you know if I come across any more information on it. Thanks for your very interesting question.
on May 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
[…] Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise: 1-3 minutes […]
on June 25th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
great stuff…thank you!!
on June 25th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
on September 24th, 2007 at 3:46 am
[…] Dan wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptYoga pranayamas are breathing exercises for expanding, purifying and optimizing your entire mind-body-spirit complex. It is the science of breath control. This book will explain and detail the best pranayamas and breathing techniques … […]
on October 3rd, 2007 at 9:31 am
Amnol,
I’ve been experiencing a runners type cramp in my side while practicing Breath of Fire. Any thoughts?
Thank You!
on October 3rd, 2007 at 9:58 pm
This is not uncommon and you should back off a bit when doing Breath of Fire if this happens. Either reduce the power/pace with which you are doing it, or take a break and switch to Long Deep Breathing or Normal Breathing until the cramp/stitch subsides. As you develop your capacity this issue will resolve itself over time.
Best Wishes,
Anmol
on October 24th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
It’s harder than I thought it would be! I’ll have to give this one a try more often.
on October 24th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
For Kundalini Yoga practice, mastering Breath of Fire is a must. Even otherwise it has so many benefits that is it certainly worth learning.
The most common mistake is to use your diaphragm voluntarily instead of just letting it pulse due to the rapid shallow breath at the tip of the nose. In other words don’t try to breathe in deep into the belly - just do fast sniffing. Let me know how you make out.
Best,
Anmol
on December 18th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Hi Ammol,
I´ve been experiencing some pain/discomfort in the ribcage and diaphragm area while practicing breath of fire, what do you think of this?
thank you,
Key
on December 18th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
First and most important question is if you are doing it correctly. The breath should not be forced into the abdomen, it should be pulsed instead at the tip of the nose. The diaphragm will move on it’s own.
Not sure if you have seen the video, but there I have demonstrated this common error. Here is the video link…
Video of Breath of Fire
If you are doing it right and experiencing pain, then back off and only practice it lightly in shorter bursts, mixing in normal breathing to take breaks. Also, make sure you are sitting up straight so the abdomen is not collapsed.
Let me know if these adjustments help.
Best,
Anmol
on March 5th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
[…] You may do this stretch with the Breath of Fire or with Long Deep Breathing. […]
on March 10th, 2008 at 9:49 am
[…] Begin the Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise and keeping your legs straight rotate them in a big circle clockwise. Make the circle as big as you can without touching the floor. […]
on March 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Great instruction! The only thing I would change about the above is to improve the lighting for taping (maybe a soft source face-level both to the right and left of the videographer, by maybe 5 feet) to fix the shadows falling across your face. :)
on March 31st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Yup yup agree one hundred percent. I think this was my very first video :-P. I have improved them in the subsequent ones a whole lot, but my wife is tired of me stealing the living room lamp, so I think it’s time to invest in some better lighting to meet your suggestions.
Thanks for your helpful comments.
Cheers,
Anmol
on April 7th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
[…] You will also need to learn the Breath of Fire breathing exercise, which is taught in the following video article: Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama. […]
on April 11th, 2008 at 12:23 am
i was just wondering, why should the breath of fire not be done while a woman is menstruating?..
on April 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I’ve also always wondered about this, (re: bri’s question)are there restrictions when a woman is menstruating and why?
on April 15th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
The general rule of Yoga & Ayurveda (See Intro to Ayurveda for more info on this healing science), is that it is best to rest and relax during menstruation. Yoga can be done, but it should be done in a relaxed way.
Breath of Fire is a stimulating breath and can put strain on the abdominal region. Those are the 2 primary reasons it’s not recommended during this time.
Some quick guidelines for Yoga during menstruation:
1. No inversions
2. No Breath of Fire or other pranayamas that strain the abdominal area or are very stimulating (generate a great deal of inner heat).
3. No exercises which strain the abdominal region or lower back excessively.
I have been requested to put together an article on this topic, hope to get to that in the near future.
Best,
Anmol
on April 24th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
how long should the breath of fire last? in other words, how long to you continue with the breath of fire during a meditation? one minute? 2 minutes? is the breath of fire to be done at the beginning of a meditaiton or at the end (or middle?) Can it be done more than once during a meditation?
thank you very much,
loribeth
on April 25th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Normally for a particular exercise where the breath of fire is indicated, the duration varies and is also explicitly indicated. So you may do Stretch Pose for 2 mins w/ Breath of Fire in one set, or another set may require the same pose done for 4 mins w/ Breath of Fire.
If you are practicing Breath of Fire by itself, start with 1 minute and build up to 3 and then to 5.
Only a few Kundalini Meditations use BOF, and again there it should be stated how long it is to be done for.
Be careful of generating too much heat in the body though, and if that was to happen back off from BOF.
Hope this answers your questions.
Best,
Anmol
on May 10th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I’d like to know what Pranayama exercises I should follow to keep my cholesterol levels in balance. I have very high LDL/triglycerides & I’d like to reduce them with diet and pranayama. For that, I’d like your help!!
on May 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Please practice Kapal Bhati Pranayama. Start slowly and build up from there.
Best,
Anmol
on June 29th, 2008 at 8:05 am
really excellent information, thanks anmol. i have been reading about this practice for years, and and in classes it has never been taught to me as well as your video did. thanks so much!
please keep up with the kundalini yoga lessons
ally
on July 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I just started this and I’m struggling to keep my rhythm. I start off well for about 40s, then I guess I get tired or something because I couldn’t maintain the same rhythm.
I guess I need more training?
on July 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 am
What should I do to get rid of negative thought image in obsessive compulsive disorder. plse help.
on July 22nd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Such tendencies are not easy to break, so be prepared to work hard.
Try Mantra Meditation, specifically try Sodarshan Chakra Kriya which is good for purging the system of negativity. Also, try So Hum Mantra Meditation which is excellent for uplifting the spirit.
Best,
Anmol
on July 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
What is the best practice to follow if one constantly suffers from panic attacks and fear?
thank you very much.
on July 23rd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I would suggest Zazen (Zen Meditation Practice). Panic attacks and fear have associated breath patterns and practicing breath awareness meditation can help you remain more calm during these times.
Also read the following article by Osho. It helped me a lot… as attitude has a lot to do with fear and anxiety.
Osho Quote on Courage
Finally also practice the following Kundalini Yoga exercise…
Kundalini Yoga Exercise for Fighting Fear
Hope this helps.
Best,
Anmol
on August 8th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Yes, it takes a bit of time but it will come. Biggest issue is you are breathing in a little too much, or out a little too much which then throws off the rhythm and requires you to reset.
Also be sure that your diaphragm is relaxed throughout.
Best,
Anmol
on October 23rd, 2008 at 4:00 am
Hi Anmol,
Pranayama books give you the advice to master the complete yogi breath before moving on to “real” pranayama. I would like to know if this is the case in connection with this specific breathing exercise. Thanks in advance.
on November 4th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Anmol,
This is great information! I recently became very interested in Pranayam and practice Kapalbhati, Bhastrika and Anilom-Vilom daily for 15 minutes in the morning. I love doing Kapalbhati, it feels great and feel the energy inside of me whirling around.
Kapalbhati and Breath of Fire appear similar. Do they have similar benefits? Is one better than the other if I were to do it as a daily pranayam?
Thanks for the wealth of info!
on November 6th, 2008 at 12:14 am
No you can practice this pranayama (or others on the website) w/o mastering yogic breath. Just make sure you start off slowly and build up gently.
Best,
Anmol
on November 6th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Great to hear you are doing pranayama practice on a daily basis. You will not regret it. Just start slow and build up gently.
Breath of Fire emphasizes equal pressure on inhalation and exhalation, and does not force the breath via the diaphragm like Kapalbhati, which also emphasizes only exhalation.
Stick to the 3 you are currently doing. It is a very good combo. Later when you start doing Kundalini Yoga exercises, you should then incorporate Breath of Fire as it is given here into your routine.
Sometime Kapalbhati or even Bhastrika are called Breath of Fire, but it is not the same obviously as the Breath of Fire from Kundalini Yoga that I am describing here.
Keep Going!
Best,
Anmol
on November 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
[…] Breathing is normal, except if you are doing a particular Kundalini Yoga Kriya, which might require you to do Breath of Fire while holding Plank Pose. […]
on November 30th, 2008 at 6:51 am
This is simply the most powerful spiritual development website ive experience….Thank You for sharing this enlightment w/ us.
on December 9th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
[…] Another pranayama that is great for battling colds and flus, boosting internal heat, detoxifying and building your immune system is the potent Kundalini Yoga Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise. […]
on December 13th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
[…] Another pranayama that is great for battling colds and flus, boosting internal heat, detoxifying and building your immune system is the potent Kundalini Yoga Breath of Fire Breathing Exercises. […]
on December 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
[…] Once you come into the final posture, either do Long Deep Breathing, or do Kundalini Yoga Breath of Fire. […]
on January 3rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Glad you are enjoying and benefiting from Mastery of Meditation & Yoga. Happy to share my knowledge with your all.
Thank you for such positive feedback.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on February 8th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
[…] The article Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise which is chapter 1 of the Free Online Breathing Exercises (Yoga Pranayama) E-Book gives copious details on this powerful and important Kundalini Yoga pranayama. The Breath of Fire is a key component of Kundalini Yoga Kiryas and as its been detailed heavily in that chapter already, I don’t want to rehash the information here. Instead, I will just highlight the most important aspects of this yoga pranayama and move ahead to the video. […]
on February 9th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
[…] You will also need to learn the Breath of Fire breathing exercise, which is taught in the following video: Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama. This breathing exercise is a fundamental breathing technique in Kundalini Yoga and is extensively used in conjunction with the yoga poses. […]
on February 25th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Dear Anmol,
Whenever I practice this breathing, after sometime I am feeling dizziness. What is your suggestion to free from this problem.I am not interested to do it less than what you have advised. Please advise
Babu
on February 25th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
While doing ensure the following….
- One of the keys to preventing dizziness, during the exercise, is to keep the back of the neck a little tight by pulling the chin back slightly (like a soldier at attention).
- Also, ensure that you are focusing the breathing just at the tip of the nose and allowing the diaphragm to pulse on its own.
- Finally, make sure your exhalation is equal force to the inhalation to keep the balance right.
Afterwords…
- Sip some water.
The best advise though is what you are not keen on hearing :-), which is to take some more breaks in between and develop your capacity patiently.
Let me know how it goes.
Best,
Anmol
on April 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
[…] Breath of Fire […]
on April 14th, 2009 at 3:22 am
You rock..
Heres my question…I breathe a bit differently than all the other demos of breath of fire..
I believe my tummy goes in when i inhale..and my tummy goes out on my exhale…does it matter? it feels really natural to me..and doing it the other way is very unnatural and i ususally end up doing it my original way..
LOVE and LIGHT
Annie
on April 15th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
[…] Breath of Fire […]
on April 21st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Glad you are enjoying he website :-).
I would suggest that you change your pattern if you can. It will be worth the effort. I am going to suggest another technique to help another reader do this in the comments section of the following article, so check there for ideas there in a day or two.
Check Comments Here
Best,
Anmol
on June 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 am
Anmol my little friend (penis) has been under performing Can these techniques help in that area?
on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
[…] You will also need to learn the Breath of Fire breathing exercise, which is taught in the following video: Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama. This breathing exercise is a fundamental breathing technique in Kundalini Yoga and is used in conjunction with the yoga poses in the set below. If at any time you feel it is difficult to keep up with breath of fire during the exercise, please switch to long deep breathing or normal breathing instead. Breath of Fire will play an important role in helping you achieve the level of fitness you seek, by adding an important respiratory and circulatory component to the workout. […]
on July 10th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
[…] While doing this yoga pose, you should be doing powerful Breath of Fire Breathing exercise, to reap the full benefits of this posture. […]
on July 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Hello Anmol; my question is, should Breath of Fire be practiced while standing up or walking?
I think your website and videos are excellent.
on July 24th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Hello Anmol, how long it takes for Kundalini to awaken with BOF? Days? Weeks? Months? Is it the best one out there to raise Kundalini?
Thanks…
on July 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
This is most dangers breathing can cause death insanity or other problems….. do the research online.
on July 30th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Dear Mark
From what i have seen and read so far, the effects of practices can be regulated by the ascended yogis by using the “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” mantra prior to all practices and while allowing oneself to connect with G-D (see Kundaliniyoga.org…Free Lesson #3). The yogis can advise you also, if you are able to hear and listen to them. Anmol Ji also ALWAYS stresses a moderate and gradual approach to any of the exercises and has also published the Sheetali Pranayama to regulate the heat they can cause. Another means is praying to the Divine Hierarchy and to Divine Mother Kundalini for guidance, protection and inspiration, which can not only allow one to feel safe and attended to, but also made to feel energetically and spiritually enriched during practice.
One might also keep a therapist handy who is trained in “Spiritual Crisis Therapy” so as to keep steady during purging stages. One might also have a practice partner with whom you can develop a system of reality checks and balances, or who could help in other needed ways.
I hope this is helpful!
on August 4th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
[…] Begin the Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise and continue on for as long as you can. […]
on September 8th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Thankyou Anmol for your wonderful clear guidance and positive vibes, what a caring and natural teacher you are. I laugh myself silly trying this BOF, the more I concentrate on getting a rythm the harder it seems to get! Will persevere though- your gentle encouragement is really inspiring!
Peace
on September 22nd, 2009 at 10:24 pm
[…] Another point I wish to make regarding cleansing and strengthening the aura, is that the breath plays an important role in that process. The Kundalini Yoga techniques which are designed to clear the Aura, almost always have a vigorous breathing pattern associated with them. This technique is again in line with this approach, and uses the powerful Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise to maximize it’s purification powers. So, keep that in mind as you practice this technique. […]
on October 26th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
[…] Another variation is to hold the classical pose illustrated above, and then do Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise with holding this posture. This too is a very good variation to this pose. […]
on November 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
[…] You will also need to learn the Breath of Fire breathing exercise, which is taught in the following video: Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama. This breathing exercise is a fundamental breathing technique in Kundalini Yoga and is used in conjunction with the yoga poses in the set below. If at any time you feel it is difficult to keep up with breath of fire during the exercise, please switch to long deep breathing or normal breathing instead. […]
on December 11th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
[…] Hold this position, with normal breathing or do Breath of Fire while holding this pose. […]
on December 20th, 2009 at 3:32 am
i am not getting pace in beg version itself. any tips please?
on February 1st, 2010 at 12:47 pm
This breathing exercise is always difficult for me because I do become winded and feel dizzy.
on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm
The hardest part of Breath of Fire, is getting the inhalation and exhalation to be equal and to allow the stomach to pulse on it’s own, by concentrating only a the fast “sniffing” at the tip of the nose.
Too much inhalation or exhalation, will then require you to stop, reset and start over. This is fine as it takes time to get the hang of this pranayama.
So keep an eye on the 2 aspects I mentioned above, and it will come in time.
Best,
Anmol