How often do you practice pranayama?

How often do you practice pranayama?

Daily!
Or a bit more precise: Each time when I practice Ashtanga yoga.
I do ujjayi breathing (re wikepedia this is the correct spelling) when I practice the Ashtanga series, I use the glottis in a way that I can hear a sound when I inhale and when I exhale. I make inhaling and exhaling equally long. Between exhaling and inhaling is a little pause. I do not hold the breath. I match the breathing with the movement. I observe the breath.

It is a good start of my yoga practice to practice consciously ujjayi breathing before the first surya namaskara A. It gives me the rhythm of the practice. I do this as a daily habit. It is how I start. After a few ujjayi breathings I add the movements and then my yoga practice has started.

Somtimes I practice pranayama (ujjayi breathing) without practicing asanas. I sit down in lotus pose and I exercise ujjayi breathing for 5 min. Not longer. This I do not so often, but it makes sense to do this more often especially if you are a beginner and when you have difficulties with this breathing.

In India a pranayama teacher and doctor taught me alternate nostril breathing. I want to do this more often. Sometimes I do it, it feels always great when I do it. Yeah, but I have so much to do……..which is great. My days are full of action. Not everything fits into my day.

Best order: asanas, pranayama, meditation. (from rough to subtle)
PS: pranayama is not dangerous. The only reasonable warning that I have heard is: when you suffer from high blood pressure, don’t hold your breath for a long time (retention).
Tip from my Indian pranayama teacher: Go till your capacity, but not beyond.

Picture: Happy cows at Herzogstand without breahting problems. The air is fantastic in the Alps.

Pranayama à la B.K.S. Iyengar: