Breathwork For Beginners: Three Techniques To Start
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Why start with the breath
Breathing practices are the most portable thing yoga has to offer. They need no mat, no room and no particular clothing, and they work in the twelve minutes between a difficult meeting and the next one. Here are the three worth learning first.
How to actually build the habit
A breathing practice is only useful if it survives an ordinary week. These are the things that decide whether it does.
- Pick one practice, not three.
- Attach it to something you already do daily.
- Five minutes beats twenty minutes you never do.
- Sit upright; a chair is entirely fine.
- Stop if you feel light-headed — that is a sign to breathe less, not more.
- Keep to the same time each day; the hour matters far less than the repetition.
- Count the mornings you turned up, not the minutes you managed.
None of that is advanced. It is simply the difference between a practice you have read about and one you have.
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One: the extended exhale
Breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six. That is the entire practice. A longer exhale nudges the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the branch responsible for slowing your heart rate and settling your stomach. Five minutes is enough to feel it; ten is better. If six feels like a stretch, use five, and never force the end of the breath.
You cannot decide to be calm. You can change how you breathe, and calm tends to follow it around.
Two and three: box breathing and alternate nostril
Box breathing runs in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. It is more alerting than the extended exhale and it gives a busy mind something to do, which is why it suits people who find sitting still unbearable; use it before something demanding rather than before bed. Alternate nostril breathing closes the right nostril with the thumb to breathe in through the left, then closes the left to breathe out through the right, and back again — one round. Ten rounds is a practice. It is fiddly for a week and then becomes automatic, and it is the one most people end up keeping.
A note of caution
If you are pregnant, managing high blood pressure or living with a respiratory condition, keep to the extended exhale and skip the retentions in box breathing. And if a practice makes you anxious rather than calmer, that is worth knowing rather than pushing through; tell a teacher and try a different one.
Start tonight, with five minutes and the first technique. The whole point of these is that they are small enough to actually do.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked
Questions
Still have a question?
Send us a message and we'll come back to you within one business day.
Do I need experience to start?
No. Every class is taught with options rather than expectations, and our Fundamentals and Gentle sessions assume no prior practice at all. Tell your teacher it's your first time and they will look after you.
What should I bring to my first class?
Comfortable clothes and a water bottle. Mats, blocks, straps and bolsters are all provided, and there are showers and lockers in the changing rooms.
Can I come without a membership?
Yes. Drop-in classes and pay-as-you-go class packs sit alongside our memberships, so you can practise as often or as rarely as suits you.
How early should I arrive?
Fifteen minutes before your first class, and around five for every class after that. It gives you time to check in, settle and set up your mat without rushing.
Can I pause or cancel my membership?
Pause or cancel anytime with 30 days notice. There are no joining fees and no lock-in contracts, and any unused class credits stay on your account.
Do you teach pregnant or injured students?
We do. Several of our teachers are qualified in pre and postnatal practice and in therapeutic yoga. Let us know before class so your teacher can adapt the session for you.
