Sama Vritte

Sama Vritte (same flow) is a pranayama practice where the inhale and exhale are the same length and the breath continuously flows. This is also known as 1:1 breathing. With beginner breathing practices, the breath itself is not difficult – the focus is. It is easy to let the mind wander when you are “just breathing”, but keep your focus on your breath by counting the length of the inhale and exhale as well as feeling for a smooth transition between the two throughout the practice.

Even beginner practices come with their own cautions. The following are signs that you are breathing too slowly and you need to pick up the pace a bit. Remember, even breathing takes practice for your body to do it efficiently.

• Heart racing/pounding
• Gasping inhale
• Heavy exhale

This flow becomes more natural with time and you won’t even have to count your breath. In these early stages of pranayama practice, however, the counting helps you to maintain that focus. It also leads nicely into meditation by reducing mind-wandering, almost like you would warm-up before physical exercise.

Easy enough? You may be ready for 1:2 breathing…