Nine Round Breath Practice

Nine Round Breath is a form of alternate nostril breathing, where you cover and breathe in and out of one nostril.  It is a tantric Yoga practice.

The practice is composed of 9 rounds of alternate nostril breathing. One round of breath is an inhale, and an exhale.

The first round will be three rounds of breath into the right nostril and out of the left nostril. The next three rounds of breath will be inhaling into the left nostril and exhaling through the right nostril. The last three rounds are inhaling with both nostrils and exhaling with both nostrils.

Nine Round Breath Practice tips

You may need to have some Kleenex nearby.

To set up, find your seat, maybe be in a comfortable chair or a meditation cushion if that is what you use. Allow your spine to stack, but don’t hold yourself rigidly. Let your eyes close, or let your gaze drop just in front of you. Start the practice by bringing awareness to your seat of any sensation where your sit bones meet your chair or cushion. Notice if you need to adjust anything to feel like your spine is long and tall without forcing anything. Feel free to add small movements, maybe letting the spine sway from side to side or rolling the shoulders to release tension.

Practice Precautions

DO NOT FORCE YOUR BREATH!

If the practice becomes uncomfortable, or you need to stop this practice, know that you can return your awareness to your natural breath or choose another meditation object like where your seat meets where you sit.

Nine Round Breath Guided Audio

I have recorded a guided audio for you to practice the nine-round breath. The audio is about 6 1/2 minutes.

As you start the practice, allow your focus to rest on the sensation of your breath at your nostrils.