This breath work and hand gesture combination has the power to instantaneously replace the rajas and tamas in your mind with sattva.
Jnana Mudra
First, let's begin with the Jnana Mudra.
The Sanskrit word jnana means "wisdom or knowledge," and the word mudra means "seal."
A mudra is a means to hold in prana so that it doesn't leak out.
To do it, touch the tip of the forefinger to the tip of the thumb so that the finger and thumb form a complete circle. Continue in this position for the full duration of your pranayama.
This hand gesture increases inner focus and calms the mind.
Humming Bee Breathing
I like to call this pranayama "Humming Bee Breathing," but it is more commonly known as Bhramari Pranayama.
Try this breath work! You'll be pleased to discover that any anxiety will end and all of your senses will feel rested and rejuvenated.
1. Sit in a comfortable posture or on a meditation cushion with your spine softly erect. You can also sit on a chair with legs uncrossed.
2. The hands can be in jnana mudra to begin, as shown in the picture above.
3. Close the eyes and relax the whole body for a minute or so by breathing normally.
4. Now raise both arms and bring them toward your ears.
5. With the index or middle finger of each hand, plug your ears gently. If you wish, you could press the flaps of your ears over the opening without inserting the fingers.
6. Now, bring your attention to the midpoint between your eyebrows. This is the place of the ajna chakra.
7. Breathe in deeply, inhaling through the nose. Then breathe out through the nose, making a humming sound like the buzzing of a bee.
8. Exhale slowly, smoothly, and in a controlled manner while making this deep, steady humming sound.
Please enjoy and practice with love and care.
Acharya Shunya is a globally-recognized spiritual teacher and Vedic lineage-holder who awakens health and consciousness through the Vedic sciences of Ayurveda, Vedanta and Yoga. She is the driving force behind an online wisdom school and worldwide spiritual community, and the author of best-selling book on the Vedic art of mind + body + soul well-being and health, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom (Sounds True, 2017) and forthcoming second book with Sounds True to be released in 2020, Sovereign Self. Acharya Shunya is a keynote speaker at national and international conferences, and serves as an advisor to the Indian Government in matters pertaining to global integration and cultivation of Ayurveda and Yoga. Receive her free online teachings and browse her current eCourse offerings here or see more about her on Facebook and follow her on Instagram. Subscribe to her YouTube Channel where she holds live Global Satsangs once per month. Study Ayurveda with Acharya Shunya in her online course, Alchemy through Ayurveda.