भ्रामरीbhrāmarī · the bee's (breath)
Bhrāmarī, the humming bee breath
4 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Bhramari is a breathing practice in which you breathe in quietly through the nose and breathe out slowly while humming a steady 'mmm', lips closed, often with the ears gently closed by the thumbs. Five to ten rounds, seated, followed by a minute of silence, are enough. It is one of the gentlest pranayamas and suits most beginners.
The name
भ्रमर (bhramara) is the large black bee, the bumble bee whose deep hum fills Indian gardens. Bhrāmarī means "of the bee": the breath imitates its sound. The same word is also a name of the goddess Durgā (the Monier-Williams dictionary cites the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa), but the yoga texts use it simply for the humming breath.
What the texts say
Bhrāmarī is the sixth of the eight kumbhakas of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (2.44), and the text gives it a single, beautiful verse:
वेगाद्घोषं पूरकं भृङ्गनादं भृङ्गीनादं रेचकं मन्दमन्दम् । योगीन्द्राणामेवमभ्यासयोगाच्चित्ते जाता काचिदानन्दलीला ॥
vegād ghoṣaṃ pūrakaṃ bhṛṅga-nādaṃ bhṛṅgī-nādaṃ recakaṃ manda-mandam | yogīndrāṇām evam abhyāsa-yogāc citte jātā kācid ānanda-līlā ||
An inhalation drawn swiftly with the sound of the male bee, an exhalation very slow with the sound of the female bee: by practising this, a certain play of bliss arises in the minds of the best of yogis.
Look closely at the Sanskrit: it names two sounds, bhṛṅga-nāda for the inhalation and bhṛṅgī-nāda for the long exhalation. Pancham Sinh's 1914 translation merges them ("making noise like Bhringi (wasp)"). In most Indian teaching today, only the exhalation is hummed, which is what we teach below; the sounding inhalation that the verse describes is a more demanding form, less often taught.
From the texts
The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā turns bhrāmarī into a path of listening. "At past midnight, in a place where there are no sounds of any animals", the yogi closes the ears with the hands and holds the breath; inner sounds then appear, which Vasu lists as "crickets, then that of a lute, then that of a thunder, then that of a drum", then bells and gongs, and finally the sound of the heart, in which there is a light: "In that Light the mind should be immersed" (5.78-5.82, Vasu, 1914-1915). This is the root of nāda yoga, the yoga of inner sound.
Steps
- Sit comfortably, spine upright, on a cushion or a chair. Close the eyes.
- Optional, traditional: close the ears by pressing the tragus, the small flap of cartilage at the front of each ear, gently over the opening with the thumbs.
- Breathe in slowly and silently through the nose.
- Lips closed, teeth slightly apart, jaw and tongue soft, breathe out slowly while making a steady, low "mmmm". Feel the vibration in the face, the head and the chest.
- At the end of the exhalation, breathe in silently again. That is one round.
- Do five rounds, then sit still for a minute, ears closed or open, and listen.
With the six-gated seal
The fuller form, ṣaṇmukhī mudrā ("the seal of the six openings"), closes the senses one by one: thumbs on the ears, index fingers resting lightly on the closed eyelids without any pressure on the eyes, middle fingers beside the nostrils, ring and little fingers above and below the lips. Keep the elbows low and relaxed. If the arms tire, return to the thumbs alone or rest the hands on the knees: the hum matters more than the hands.
Rhythm for beginners and progression
| Period | Rounds | Exhalation | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 5 | as long as is comfortable | 1 minute of silence |
| Weeks 2-4 | 7-10 | gradually longer, never forced | 2-3 minutes of silence |
| After a month | 10-15 | try a higher or lower pitch | a short meditation |
The hum naturally slows the breath: many people find their exhalation lasting ten seconds or more within a few weeks, without trying.
Good to know
Try changing the pitch. A low hum resonates in the chest, a higher one in the face and head. Find the one that feels easy and keep the voice relaxed; bhrāmarī is not singing.
What research shows
- The evidence is thin. A systematic review (Kuppusamy and colleagues, 2018) gathered every study on bhrāmarī it could find up to May 2016. Only six qualified, none randomised, all of very low methodological quality; the authors call for properly designed trials. So we do not claim any specific health effect.
- No measurable change in the brain's blood flow. In eighteen healthy young adults monitored by transcranial Doppler, bhrāmarī produced no significant change in blood flow velocity in an artery of the brain, unlike kapālabhāti and breath retention (Nivethitha and colleagues, 2018). A single small study, but consistent with its reputation as the mildest of the classical breaths.
Why does it feel calming? The most plausible reason is the simplest: the hum lengthens the exhalation, and slow breathing with a long exhalation tends to calm, as the pranayama page explains with its studies.
Common mistakes
- Pressing on the eyes in ṣaṇmukhī mudrā. The fingers rest; they never press.
- Humming through the nose with a tight throat. Let the sound come from a relaxed throat and mouth.
- Forcing a long exhalation until you gasp. Shorten it.
- Lifting the elbows high for minutes. Lower them or rest the hands.
- Rushing to the next round. The silence afterwards is part of the practice.
Where it fits in a practice
Bhrāmarī closes a breathing session: after the postures, after kapalabhati if you practise it, after nadi shodhana, just before sitting in silence. It is also a good door into meditation for an agitated mind: see how to meditate and the mudras page for the other gestures. The full list of classical breaths is on types of pranayama.
Questions people ask
How many rounds of bhramari should I do?
Start with five rounds, then build to ten or more over a few weeks. Each round is one silent inhalation and one long humming exhalation. Sit in silence for a minute afterwards and listen.
Should I close my ears in bhramari?
It is traditional but optional. Press the small flap at the front of the ear (the tragus) gently with the thumbs. Skip it with an ear infection or ear pain, and never press on the eyes.
Can I do bhramari lying down or before sleep?
Teachers usually ask for a seated posture, where the humming is easier and you are less likely to fall asleep halfway. A few seated rounds before bed are a common evening practice.
Is bhramari safe in pregnancy?
Bhramari without breath retention is widely taught in prenatal yoga. Keep it gentle, without holding the breath, and tell your midwife or doctor what you practise.
Sources
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV part 3 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text, 2.68 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- Srisa Chandra Vasu (tr.), The Gheranda Samhita, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV (1914-1915), lesson 5, verses 78-82, Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Kuppusamy M et al. Effects of Bhramari Pranayama on health: A systematic review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 2018 DOI 10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.02.003 PMID 29321984 checked October 17, 2026
- Nivethitha L et al. Cerebrovascular Hemodynamics During the Practice of Bhramari Pranayama, Kapalbhati and Bahir-Kumbhaka: An Exploratory Study. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2018 DOI 10.1007/s10484-017-9387-8 PMID 29188396 checked October 17, 2026
Practise gently and within your limits. Yoga is learnt best with a qualified teacher; this page does not replace one.