Calm
Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath)
Breathe in through your nose, hum the whole way out, and feel the quiet after.
Also called: Bee Breath, Humming Bee Breath, Humming breath, Bhramari breathing, Brahmari
Bhramari pranayama is a yoga breathing practice in which you breathe in quietly through your nose, then hum a low, steady note with your lips closed for the whole exhale. Its name comes from bhramara, the Indian black bee, because the hum sounds like one.
Use it to wind down, cool a short temper or quiet a busy mind. You'll feel the hum buzz in your lips and face, and when it stops, a clear, settled calm.
- Pattern
- In 5 s through the nose, hum out 12 s
- Session
- 5 to 7 rounds, about 2 minutes
- Good for
- Winding down, a racing mind, a short temper
- Level
- Beginner
- Origin
- Hatha yoga (Hatha Yoga Pradipika, about 15th century)
- Needs
- iPhone or Apple Watch
Try it now
Breathe in 5 s · Hum out 12 s
Follow the circle for a few rounds. In Spoon you can do it from your wrist and see your heart rate respond.
How to do it
- Sit upright somewhere quiet, ideally on an empty stomach. Drop your shoulders and close your eyes.
- If you like, rest your thumbs on the small flap of cartilage in front of each ear canal. Never press into the ear.
- Breathe in slowly and quietly through your nose, mouth closed.
- Seal your lips and hum a steady "mmm" as you breathe out. Keep the pitch level and the volume soft.
- Let the hum run until the breath empties on its own. Do not squeeze out the last bit.
- Breathe in again through your nose and repeat. Start with 2 or 3 rounds and build to 5 to 7.
- After the last round, sit for a few normal breaths with your eyes closed before you get up.
Benefits
Calm the moment the hum stops
The quiet after the last hum is the point. You'll feel settled, ready for sleep or for whatever comes next.
Nasal nitric oxide up 15-fold while you hum
In ten healthy people, nasal nitric oxide increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation[1].
Relaxed in five minutes
Five minutes is enough to feel it. In 16 healthy adults, five minutes of Bhramari raised heart rate variability compared with sitting at rest[2].
One sound for a busy mind
The hum gives your attention one simple thing to follow. Racing thoughts fall away while you listen to it.
Easy from day one
There are no breath holds and nothing to count. If you can hum, you can do it tonight.
What the research says
The clearest finding is about your nose. Weitzberg and Lundberg measured nasal nitric oxide in ten healthy people: it increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation[1]. In their model of the nose and sinuses, the oscillating airflow of a hum sharply increased gas exchange between the two[1]. This was measured while humming, and the authors called for studies of any health effects, so be wary of the much bigger claims you see online.
Studies of heart rate and stress are small and short. In 16 healthy adults, five minutes of Bhramari raised heart rate variability compared with sitting at rest, and slow breathing without a hum did the same[2]. Relaxation ratings rose in every condition, rest included[2]. Another study of 16 healthy volunteers found that heart rate rose and the high-frequency part of heart rate variability fell during the humming, then both returned to normal after the practice[3]. The authors read this as a brief shift away from rest mode while you hum[3].
In a randomized trial with 100 hospital inpatients who had high blood pressure, half did one 20-minute session of Bhramari and half did alternate nostril breathing[4]. Reaction time to sounds got faster after both, and heart rate variability did not change significantly in either group[4]. A 2024 review of 46 studies (2006 to 2023, 3,097 participants) reported lower stress, anxiety and blood pressure, better attention and sleep quality, and no adverse events in any study[5]. But 43 of the 46 studies lasted three months or less, only six were randomized, and the review did not rate study quality[5].
Where Bhramari comes from
Bhramari is one of eight classical breathing practices in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a hatha yoga manual usually dated to about the 15th century[6]. Its verse describes breathing in with the sound of a male bee and out with the low hum of a female bee[6]. Classes today usually keep the inhale silent and put the whole sound on the exhale.
In yoga tradition the hum is often paired with shanmukhi mudra, the seal of the six gates: thumbs close the ears while the fingers rest over the eyes, nose and lips. A lighter version is one finger on each ear's cartilage, or no hands at all. The hum works either way.
Tips
- Keep the hum soft. You should feel it in your lips, nose and face more than hear it across the room.
- Pick one low, comfortable note and hold it steady. A sliding pitch is harder to sustain.
- If the hum runs short, slow down instead of pushing. An easy short hum beats a strained long one.
Safety
- Rest your thumbs only on the outer ear cartilage, never inside the ear canal. Skip the hand position with an ear infection, a perforated eardrum or after ear surgery.
- Keep the hum gentle. If you have laryngitis or a vocal cord problem, skip it or ask your doctor first.
- Ask a doctor first if you are pregnant or have epilepsy, or a serious heart, lung or mental health condition.
- Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy or lightheaded.
- Never practice while driving or operating machinery.
Bhramari in Spoon
Spoon guides Bhramari at three levels: Beginner (4 seconds in, 8 seconds humming out), Medium (5 in, 12 out, the default) and Advanced (6 in, 15 out). Pick one of five session lengths from 1:25 to 5:40. The default, 1:59, is 7 full rounds at Medium, and every session ends on a complete hum.
On iPhone you follow a breathing bubble or a wave, with an optional soft chime as each inhale and each hum begins. On Apple Watch, your wrist gets a tap as you breathe in, then a steady pulse of light taps through the whole hum, so you can keep your eyes closed.
- Three levels: 4:8, 5:12 (default) and 6:15 seconds in and humming out.
- Five session lengths from 1:25 to 5:40; the default 1:59 is 7 rounds.
- Apple Watch pulses light taps through every hum.
- Optional chime at the start of each inhale and each hum.
- Voice guide on iPhone (off by default) calls Inhale and Exhale.
- With Apple Watch: live heart rate, then your breath and heart rate on one chart.
- Works in playlists; sessions save to Apple Health as Mindful Minutes.
Free public beta for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Questions
How long should you do Bhramari?
Start with 2 or 3 rounds and build to 5 to 7, about two minutes. You'll feel calmer the moment the humming stops. Do it once in the evening, or any time your mind is racing. Let the hum lengthen with practice instead of chasing a high round count.
Does humming really increase nitric oxide?
Yes, in your nose. A 2002 study of ten healthy people found that nasal nitric oxide increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation. It was measured while humming, and the study did not test health effects. The much bigger numbers that circulate online are not what the study found.
Is Bhramari safe?
Yes for most healthy adults. It has no breath holds and no forceful breathing, and a 2024 review of 46 studies found no adverse events. Keep the hum soft and never press inside your ears. Ask a doctor first if you are pregnant or have an ear, voice, heart or lung condition. Stop if you feel dizzy.
What does Bhramari feel like?
While you hum, you feel a buzz in your lips, nose and face. When you stop, the silence feels deeper and your thoughts slow down. You'll come out of it calm and clear-headed.
Bhramari vs VOO breath: what is the difference?
Both put a sound on a long exhale. Bhramari comes from hatha yoga: a soft hum with closed lips, felt in the face and quiet enough for an office. VOO breath comes from Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing: an open-mouthed, low "voo" felt in the chest and belly, and louder. Spoon guides both.
Sources
- Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO. Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2002. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Woo M, Kim T. Effects of slow-paced breathing and humming breathing on heart rate variability and affect: a pilot investigation. Physiology & Behavior, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Nivethitha L, Manjunath NK, Mooventhan A. Heart rate variability changes during and after the practice of Bhramari pranayama. International Journal of Yoga, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Upadhyay J et al. Effects of Nadishodhana and Bhramari Pranayama on heart rate variability, auditory reaction time, and blood pressure: a randomized clinical trial in hypertensive patients. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Chetry D et al. Exploring the health benefits of bhramari pranayama (humming bee breathing): a comprehensive literature review. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2024. ijpp.com
- Swatmarama. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 2, verse 68 (translation by Yogacharini Yogamani, ICYER). Classical text, about 15th century.
Updated October 2026. This page is for education, not medical advice. If you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you start a breathing practice with holds or fast breathing.