Types of Pranayama in Yoga (Explained Simply)

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A full list of pranayamas, classified based on their energetic effects and benefits.

By VINEET KAUL | Updated: May 9, 2025

Yoga class with students sitting together and practicing pranayama in a well-lit room

Over centuries, yogic masters have developed dozens of pranayamas—each with a unique energetic effect, purpose, and method. Some calm the nerves and activate our intuitive feminine energy. Others generate heat, sharpen focus, and stimulate our dynamic, masculine energy.

This variety exists because each pranayama serves a unique function and suits a specific stage of practice. Classifying them helps students practice safely and progressively—and helps teachers prescribe techniques based on goals, constitution, or experience.

In this guide, we’ll explore the major types of pranayama in two ways: a) traditional forms as taught in classical yoga texts, and b) modern categories based on nervous system impact, energetic qualities, and practical applications. To make learning easy, we’ve compiled a list of nearly two dozen pranayamas with their English and Sanskrit names, as well as insights on how and when to practice them.

Pranayama Techniques: Categories and Effects

Breath is one of the few bodily functions that is both automatic and voluntary. We breathe unconsciously every moment of the day, yet we can also control our breath deliberately—slowing it down, lengthening it, pausing it, or directing it through specific nostrils.

This simple fact is the foundation of all types of pranayamas and their effects on us.

Behind the scenes, the breath is tightly linked to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which governs the body's involuntary functions, such as heart rate, digestion, temperature, and stress response. This makes pranayama a powerful tool to regulate how we feel, think, and respond.

The ANS has three distinct regulatory states:

Sympathetic Dominance – Activates the body’s fight-or-flight response: energy, focus, and readiness for action.
Parasympathetic Dominance – Initiates the rest-and-digest state: calmness, emotional regulation, and physical recovery.
Balanced State – A state of equilibrium where both systems (sympathetic and parasympathetic) are harmonized. The body is still and at ease, while the mind is alert and receptive.

Yogic texts describe a similar polarity through Pingala Nadi (solar, activating) and Ida Nadi (lunar, calming). When these two are balanced, Sushumna Nadi—the central channel—is activated.

This balanced state corresponds to what some call “relaxed alertness”: a calm body paired with a focused, meditative mind. It is considered the ideal mental state for deeper spiritual practices.

Table: How Pranayama Affects the Nervous System

Different pranayama techniques stimulate different branches of this system, and based on these effects they can be classified into three distinct categories:

Nervous System Response	Effect on Mind	Yogic Association
Parasympathetic Dominance: Rest-and-digest mode	Downregulates the nervous system, reduces stress, lowers heart rate and blood pressure levels, encourages inner awareness	Ida Nadi: lunar, feminine, introspective)
Sympathetic Dominance: Fight-or-Flight mode	Energizes the body, increases heart rate and alertness, sharpens mental focus, generates internal heat	Pingala Nadi (solar, masculine, activating)
Balanced State: Relaxed Alertness	Creates mental clarity with physical calm, brings both branches of the ANS into balance	Sushumna Nadi (central, spiritual, meditative)

By understanding the nervous system effects and energetic associations of pranayamas techniques, practitioners can select practices that are aligned with their current mental state and intention—whether it's calming the nerves, increasing vitality, or preparing for entering deep states of meditation.

Functional Categories of Pranayamas

Each yoga pranayama can produce distinct effects on the mind, body, and energy systems by activating or deactivating different mechanisms. To understand their purpose and applications, we can categorize pranayamas into the following six functional categories:

1. Relaxing vs Energizing Pranayamas

One of the most common ways to classify pranayama types is by their energetic effect. Some techniques are calming and relaxing, designed to help you unwind and let go. Others are stimulating and energizing, used to sharpen focus and prepare for challenging activities.

In yoga philosophy, this duality mirrors the flow of prana through Ida and Pingala nadis—the lunar (feminine) and solar (masculine) energy channels. In modern physiology, it corresponds to the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system.

Understanding the distinction between these two types of pranayama can help you select the right practice for your mood, time of day, physical needs, or emotional state.

Here’s a comparison of how relaxing and energizing pranayamas differ across key factors:

Aspect	Relaxing Pranayamas	Energizing Pranayamas
Primary Effect	Calms the nervous system, reduces stress, lowers heart rate and blood pressure levels	Activates the nervous system, sharpens focus, may increase heart rate and blood pressure
ANS Shift	Parasympathetic (PNS)	Sympathetic (SNS)
Yogic Association	Ida (lunar, feminine)	Pingala (solar, masculine)
Examples	Bhramari (Bee Breathing), Anuloma (Extended Exhalation),	Pratiloma (Extended Inhalation), Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)
Breath Quality	Slow, smooth, often with extended exhalation	Sharp, forceful, rapid, or rhythmic
Best for:	Insomnia, mental-emotional reset, hyperarousal	Fatigue, sluggishness, low motivation, lack of focus
Dosha Suitability (As per Ayurveda)	Good for Pitta and Vata (excessive heat or air). Use cautiously in Kapha (may increase lethargy)	Good for Kapha (dull, heavy). May aggravate Pitta (heat) and Vata (anxiety or restlessness)
Cautions	Avoid in cold weather, sluggishness, lethargy, and low blood pressure	Avoid in anxiety, burnout, overstimulation, overheating, and high blood pressure

Both relaxing and energizing pranayama play essential roles in a well-rounded breathwork practice. Relaxing techniques support calmness and sleep, while energizing ones boost vitality and focus. When used consciously, both can shift your internal state in a matter of minutes.

Did You Know: A 2014 study in the Med Science Monitor Basic Reasearch found that alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) significantly reduced blood pressure and improved heart rate variability within 10 minutes of practice. (Reference: Telles et al., 2014)

2. Cooling vs Heating Pranayamas

In yoga and Ayurveda, the breath doesn’t just move air, it modulates heat and energy too. Thus, some pranayamas are cooling and help reduce excess internal heat, inflammation, or emotional intensity. Others are heating, designed to boost circulation and metabolic function.

In this context, excess heat can be both physical and mental. For instance, experiencing intense passion, anger, or agitation is believed to generate heat within the body. Cooling pranayamas help diffuse internal heat—whether it stems from weather, emotion, or exertion.

Here’s a comparison of how cooling and heating pranayamas differ across key factors:

Aspect	Cooling Pranayamas	Heating Pranayamas
Primary effect	Reduces internal heat, soothes the nervous system	Generates heat and energy, both physical and mental
ANS Shift	Parasympathetic	Sympathetic
Yogic Association	Summer, after spicy food or intense workouts, acidity or heartburn,	Winter, mornings, before yoga or physical work
Examples	Sheetali and Sitkari	Kapalbhati and Bhastrika
Breath quality	Inhaling through the mouth, drawing cool air through the teeth or tongue	Rapid, forceful, and sharp breaths, using abdominal pumping techniques
Best for	Anger, irritability, hot flashes, acidity, heartburn, high blood pressure	Sluggish digestion, cold limbs, dullness, low blood pressure
Dosha Suitability	Balances Pitta. Cautious use in Vata or Kapha excess	Balances Kapha. Cautious use in Vata or Pitta excess
Cautions	Avoid in cold weather or with low blood pressure. BP	Avoid if overheated, irritable, restless, or hypertensive

These two types of breathwork are traditionally used to balance opposing states—overheating vs. sluggishness, burnout vs. lethargy, excess Pitta vs. excess Kapha. Understanding which type to use, and when, helps yoga practitioners always stay in energetic and emotional balance.

Editor’s Note: The cooling or heating effect of a pranayama can be influenced by factors like breath retention, intensity, and mental focus. Ujjayi (Ocean Breath), for example, is considered mildly heating, but it can feel relaxing and balancing when done slowly and gently.

3. Cleansing and Balancing Pranayama

In classical yoga texts, several pranayama techniques are described as shodhana (cleansing). These practices aim to purify the nadis (energy channels), clear excess mucus, and remove stagnant energy. They are tools for internal purification—physical, mental, and energetic.

By contrast, balancing pranayama techniques focus less on purging and more on equilibrium—bringing the mind and nervous system into a steady, lucid rhythm. These techniques induce a balance ANS state (relaxed-alertness), making them ideal before meditation.

Here’s a comparison of how cleansing and balancing pranayamas differ across key factors:

Aspect	Cleansing Pranayamas	Balancing Pranayamas
Primary Effect	Purifies the body, nadis, and respiratory tract	Bring balance and harmony
ANS Shift	Varies	Relaxed Alertness
Yogic Association	Clears Ida and Pingala	Prepares Sushumna
Examples	Kapalbhati, Bhastrika, Surya/Chandra Bhedana	Nadi Shodhana, Sama Vritti, Samaveta, Sukha Purvaka
Breath Quality	Varies	Alternate or double nostril breathing
Best for	Detox, congestion, energy blockages	Mental-emotional balance, spiritual preparation
Dosha Suitability	Balances Kapha. Cautious use in Vata depletion	Balances all three doshas (Tri-doshic)
Cautions	Check contraindications for each practice	Generally safe and suitable for most conditions

That said, it’s worth noting that some pranayamas fall into multiple categories. For instance, Chandra Bhedana (Left-nostril Breathing), has a relaxing effect (parasympathetic dominance) but it is also used in yoga to purify the Ida Nadi (the Lunar, feminine energy channel).

Likewise, Kapalbhati (Skull-Shining) is heating, cleansing, and energizing. It sharpens focus, generates internal heat, and also clears the sinuses and pranic pathways.

Types of Pranayamas in Yoga

With over two dozen classical and modern pranayama practices found in yoga texts and traditions, it can be helpful to see them all in one place—organized clearly and simply.

Here’s an alphabetical list of the major types of pranayama techniques, each paired with its English name and categorized by its primary energetic effect (relaxing, balancing, etc.).

Sanskrit Name	English Name	Type/Effect
Anuloma	Prolonged Exhalation	Relaxing, Cleansing
Anulom-Vilom	Alternate Nostril Breathing	Balancing
Bhastrika	Bellows Breath	Heating, Energizing, Cleansing
Bhramari	Humming Bee Breath	Relaxing
Beej Pranayama	Seed Mantra Chanting	Spiritual, Meditative
Chandra Bhedana	Left Nostril Breathing	Relaxing, Cleansing
Dirgha	Three-Part Breath	Relaxing
Kapalbhati	Skull Shining Breath	Heating, Energizing, Cleansing
Kumbhaka	Breath Retention	Balancing
Murccha	Swooning Breath	Spiritual
Nadi Shodhana	Alternate Nostril Breathing	Balancing, Cleansing
Plavini	Floating Breath	Cleansing
Pranava	Silent Om Chanting	Spiritual, Meditative
Pratiloma	Prolonged Inhalation	Energizing
Samaveta	Double Nostril Breathing	Balancing
Sama Vritti	Box Breathing	Balancing, Relaxing
Sheetali	Cooling Breath	Cooling, Relaxing
Sitkari	Hissing Breath	Cooling, Relaxing
Simha	Lion’s breath	Energizing
Sukha Purvaka	Comfortable Breath	Balancing, Relaxing
Surya Bhedana	Right Nostril Breathing	Energizing, Cleansing
Udgeeth	Loud Om Chanting	Spiritual, Meditative
Ujjayi	Ocean Breath	Heating, Energizing

How to Use Different Types of Pranayamas

Now that you understand the six categories of pranayama—relaxing, energizing, cooling, heating, cleansing, and balancing—you can make better choices about how to structure your breathwork sessions.

Each technique offers a unique energetic imprint. The ideal practice depends on your current physical state, emotional needs, constitution (dosha), time of day, and broader spiritual intention.

For example:

Feeling scattered or overstimulated? Choose a relaxing or balancing pranayama.
Cold and sluggish? Try an energizing or heating technique.
Recovering from illness or feeling congested? Start with cleansing breathwork
Preparing for meditation? Use a balancing practice to settle the mind

To make it even easier, the previous section includes a reference table of the most commonly used pranayama techniques, showing how each one fits into these categories.

Final Thoughts + What to Read Next

Whether you’re building your own breathwork routine, deepening your understanding of yoga, or just curious about the many forms pranayama can take—this guide offers a clear and comprehensive reference that we hope will remain useful for many years to come.

That said, this article was quite the challenge, as it required extensive research, collaboration, and hours of thoughtful editing. If you’ve found this resource valuable, please consider sharing it with your community and supporting our work. A one-time or monthly donation helps us keep publishing high-quality, accessible yoga education for sincere seekers around the world.

Before you go, here are some pranayama articles that may interest you: