Primary Prāṇāyāma Techniques as taught by Krishnamacharya and Desikachar

Glossary of Prāṇāyāma & Bandha Practice Techniques

Grouped into Primary, Secondary & Ancillary Techniques

1. Primary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Nāḍī Śodhana
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka Right Nostril
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka Left Nostril

2. Primary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Anuloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Alternate Nostrils (Starting with Left)

Viloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka Alternate Nostrils (Starting with Left)
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Pratiloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Left Nostril
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Right Nostril
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

3. Secondary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Sūrya Bhedana
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka Left Nostril

Bhastrikā
– Fast Single Nostril Abdominal Breathing
– Changing Nostril after every Pūraka (Starting with Left)

4. Secondary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Śītalī
– Pūraka through Mouth with Tubed Tongue whilst Raising Head
– Antar Kumbhaka whilst Lowering Head
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Sītkārī
– Pūraka through Mouth with hissing sound over Tongue
between slightly opened teeth whilst Raising Head
– Antar Kumbhaka whilst Lowering Head
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Candra Bhedana
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka Right Nostril

Bhrāmarī
– Pūraka and/or Recaka through both Nostrils
with Humming Sound

5. Ancillary Breathing Techniques

Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
(Not taught as a Prāṇāyāma technique per se,
but as a breathing technique in and for Āsana and Mudrā and
as an introductory or preliminary or transitional seated breathing exercise)

Kapālabhāti
– Fast Abdominal Breathing both Nostrils
(Technically a Kriyā so used on its own before or in Āsana, or in Mudrā
or as a seated preliminary technique before Prāṇāyāma
or as an introductory step towards Bhastrikā)

6. Ancillary Support Practice Techniques

Mūrcchā
– Deep Pūraka
– Very Long Recaka

Plāvinī
– Long Antar Kumbhaka

Antar Kumbhaka
– Holding after Pūraka

Bāhya Kumbhaka
– Stopping after Recaka

Samavṛtti
– All components of the Ratio
the same length

Viṣamavṛtti
– Components of the Ratio
not the same length

Anuloma Krama
– Patterns of Antar Kumbhaka
during the Pūraka

Viloma Krama
– Patterns of Bāhya Kumbhaka
during the Recaka

Pratiloma Krama
– Patterns of Antar Kumbhaka and Bāhya Kumbhaka
during the Pūraka and the Recaka

7. Ancillary Bandha Practice Techniques

Jihvā Bandha
– Tongue Curled Upwards and Backwards