5 Days Of Pranayama: Science & Practice - by Rachel David

COURSE

5 Days Of Pranayama: Science & Practice

With Rachel David

Intrigued by the potential of breathing practices, or pranayama to use the yogic term? Want to know more about their effects on our bodies? Join me for this course, where we will explore 5 slow breathing practices: 3-part yogic breathing (dirga breath); coherent breath (sama vritti); cyclical sighing; ujayi breath; and alternate nostil breathing (nadhi shodana). - Learn about the effects of slow breathing practices on our bodies - Discover how 5 breathing practices, mostly from the yogic tradition, could help improve our health and wellbeing - Learn the principles of 5 breathing practices and introduce them to your day.


Meet your Teacher

Dr Rachel David is a scientist and science communicator. She explores and writes about the science behind yoga and other mind–body practices, including breathwork. She provides scientific support to yoga teacher training, including for pranayama.

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5 Days

131 students

4.9 stars

11 min / day

Focus

English


Lesson 1

3-Part Breath

Lesson 1 is a 3-part breath, sometimes called Dirga breath. We're going to learn about the science of slow breathing and discover some of the benefits these practices might have for our health and well-being. For the practice part of this lesson, you can either try it seated or lying down on your back, so grab what you need, and let's get started.

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Lesson 2

Coherent Breath

Lesson 2 is about coherent breath, sometimes called sama vritti. We're going to discover what coherent breath is, how to practice it, and find out more about its potential beneficial effects on our health and well-being, including some interesting research on anxiety and depression. You can practice lying down on your back or seated for this one.

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Lesson 3

Cyclical Sighing

Lesson 3 is cyclical sighing, a longer exhale breath. We're going to discover more about what happens when we lengthen the exhale, and explore a recent research study that compared longer inhales, longer exhales, and even breaths for their effects on our wellbeing. I'd suggest sitting for this practice, so set yourself up so that you can sit with a nice tall spine – do use a chair if that's better for you!

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Lesson 4

Ujayi Pranayama

We're going to try ujayi pranayama, another longer exhale breathing practice. There is less in terms of research on this particular practice, but we're going to look at how it affects our health and well-being when it's combined with other practices, and then we'll learn how to do it.

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Lesson 5

Alternate Nostril Breathing

In lesson 5, we're going to explore alternate nostril breathing, or nadhi shodana. We're going to look at some of the preliminary ideas of what alternate nostril breathing can do beyond being a slow breathing practice, and then try out the practice itself. You might want to grab a cushion or something to rest your arm on so that it doesn't get sore from holding it up during the practice.

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4.9 (10)

Recent Reviews

Gina

April 2, 2025

Excellent course with scientific discussion prior to breathwork guided practice. Will definitely be replaying this course.

Cory

November 2, 2024

Thank you!! 🙂

Jennifer

October 16, 2024

I enjoyed learning both the science and the techniques for each of these breath practices. They are simple and quick ways to feel more relaxed and focused.

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