Sama vritti is Sanskrit for what we know in English as box breathing. Sama means “same” and vritti means “wave” or flow.” Breathing in this way has been shown to have many benefits including:
reducing the fight or flight response
Reducing anxiety
Helping you to fall asleep
Improving lung function1
Reducing stress
Helping to slow the heart rate
Improving focus
There are a few precautions with this practice due to the breath retention, or breath holding, that occurs. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, or if you have eye, ear, heart or lung problems, it would be best to work with a different breathing, or pranayama, practice that does not include holding the breath.
The basic premise of this pranayama practice is to inhale for a count of any amount, hold for the same count, exhale for the same count, hold for the same count. Inhale and exhale through the nose and the breath can be quiet.
A beginning practice may start with a count of 2 while an advanced practice may be counts of 8. The goal is for the inhale, hold, exhale, hold to each be even, no matter the number of counts, to gain the benefits described above.
This is a practice that can be done for a few breath cycles anytime you have a few moments.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat with or without back support and listen to the audio for a guided practice!
Take good care,
Sharon
Ahmed A, Devi RG, Priya AJ. Effect of Box Breathing Technique on Lung Function Test. J Pharm Res Int. Published online Dec 14, 2021:25-31. Doi: 10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i58a34085