Sama Vritti Pranayama (Equal Breath): What Is Sama Vritti Breathing

by RN To Zen Staff | Meditate, Mindful Breathing, Mindfulness, Yoga

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Sama Vritti Pranayama | Equal Breath | Box Breathing:

Seeking a simple way to unwind from the day’s stress or to refocus your mind? Discover the tranquility of Sama Vritti Pranayama. Known as ‘Equal Breath’ or ‘Square Breathing’, this technique is designed to cultivate calmness and equilibrium.

Derived from Sanskrit, where “sama” means equal and “vritti” refers to movements or fluctuations, Sama Vritti Pranayama, or Square Breathing, is a potent method for soothing and decluttering the mind. It harmonizes the four key aspects of breathing: inhalation, retention, exhalation, and external retention, bringing balance and order amidst life’s inevitable chaos.

Square Breathing Benefits:

It has a calming action on the nervous system;
Helps to deal with difficult and demanding situations;
Regulates blood pressure (yogic breathing in general) and heartbeat;
Strengthens the immune system;
Useful for fighting insomnia.

In fact, yogic breathing in general has shown promise from the standpoint of both physiological and psychological benefits. Benefits of pranayama have been observed in patients with respiratory disease, and helped those with cancer and cardiovascular disease.

How to Practice Sama Vritti Pranayama?

Sama Vritti is an ideal starting point for beginners in pranayama due to its simplicity and straightforward approach. This contrasts with more complex practices like Kapalabhati and Bhastrika.

The essence of ‘Square Breathing’ involves visualizing a square in your mind. Imagine constructing this square where each side represents an equal part of the breathing cycle: inhalation, internal retention, exhalation, and external retention.

The exact duration of each side of your square, whether it’s 2, 3, or 4 seconds, is less important than finding and maintaining a comfortable breathing rhythm for yourself throughout the practice.

Just remember, try to keep your breathing squares even, not turning them into trapezoids – a little humor goes a long way in practice!

Sequence:

For nearly all Pranayama exercises, it’s best to practice them seated comfortably, preferably with crossed legs and an upright spine.

Step	Description
1	Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
2	Relax your hands on your knees and tune into your natural breathing pattern.
3	Perform a few cycles of full yogic breathing, inhaling deeply and exhaling completely.
4	While inhaling, measure the duration of your breath and visualize drawing one side of a square.
5	Hold your breath, imagining the creation of the square’s second side.
6	Exhale slowly, drawing the third side of the square in your mind.
7	Finally, pause your breath again and visualize completing the square with the fourth side.

During this practice, you should experience a feeling of ease, as if you could continue indefinitely without getting tired. If you find yourself struggling to maintain a rhythmic balance, it’s important to stop the exercise rather than pushing yourself too hard.

If holding your breath becomes challenging, consider modifying the shape from squares to rectangles. For instance, inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and then hold for 2 seconds again. Usually, just a few minutes of this adjusted practice can effectively calm your mind.

It’s crucial to take your time with this exercise and focus on quality rather than speed. It’s better to perform a couple of well-focused squares than to rush through ten without proper concentration.

Contraindications:

During pregnancy you should avoid doing breath retention. Same could be said if you suffer from high blood pressure, respiratory disorders or other cardiovascular conditions. Also, be careful not to strain the breath.

Variations of Sama Vritti Pranayama:

Sama Vritti Pranayama offers room for creative variations in its practice. For instance, you can visualize drawing the squares alternately in a clockwise and then a counterclockwise direction. Another option is to imagine each square or its individual sides in different colors, allowing for a colorful meditation experience. This flexibility in Sama Vritti encourages the practitioner’s creativity.

Additionally, you can synchronize your breathing with the rhythm of your heartbeat, adding another layer of personalization to the practice.

Final Thoughts!

Sama Vritti is a favorite breathing technique amongst many yogi’s. It offers the ability to be creative, it’s easy to practice, and it works to calm the body and mind.

Namaste.

References:

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