A calming breath practice with mantra
gauranga breathing
A simple way to settle the body before sitting. Easy to learn in a single session. Useful for anyone with a busy mind.
Gauranga Breathing is the breath practice we typically use to open a kirtan session. It is simple, gentle, and easy to learn. You think the sounds of the mantra in your mind while taking a deep breath, then say the mantra out loud to the full length of your breath as you exhale. It doesn’t matter how deep or long your breath is. You go at your own pace.
Why it works
The combination of mantra and breath does two useful things at once. The breath signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to slow down. The mantra gives the mind a single thing to hold onto, so it stops chasing every passing concern. Within a few rounds, even an agitated mind tends to soften.
When to use it
- Before sitting for any meditation.
- At the start of the day, before email and demands.
- Before a difficult conversation.
- Before sleep.
- Whenever the body feels braced and the mind feels full.
How to learn it
The simplest way is to join any of our kirtan sessions. We almost always begin with a few minutes of Gauranga Breathing, and a leader will guide you through it. You can also ask through the contact form and we’ll share a short written introduction.
Practicalities
- Learned in any kirtan session, or by request
- Cost: free
- Simple enough to learn in a single session
