Prāṇava Prāṇāyāma

Prāṇava Prāṇāyāma (प्राणव प्राणायाम) is a prāṇāyāma technique in which the sacred syllable Oṃ (Prāṇava) is chanted in coordination with the breath. Inhalation is accompanied by the mental or audible recitation of Oṃ, followed by retention and exhalation with continued internal resonance of the syllable.

Overview

Prāṇava Prāṇāyāma is described in the Haṃsa Upanishad and other yogic texts as one of the most powerful prāṇāyāma practices. The Prāṇava (Oṃ) is considered the primordial sound from which all creation emanates, and its recitation during prāṇāyāma is believed to purify the nāḍīs, steady the mind, and lead to the state of (yoga). The practice is considered especially potent when performed at the confluence of rivers or during auspicious times.

Method

The practitioner sits in a meditative posture and begins with a deep inhalation, during which Oṃ is mentally or softly chanted. During retention (kumbhaka), the vibration of Oṃ is held and felt at the ajna (third eye) or anahata (heart) center. During exhalation, Oṃ is again mentally recited, with the practitioner attending to the gradual fading of the sound. The ratio is typically 1:4:2, increasing with practice.

Benefits and Purpose

Traditional texts claim Prāṇava Prāṇāyāma:

• Purifies the nāḍīs (energy channels)
• Calms the mind and destroys mental impurities
• Leads to the state of samādhi
• Invokes the presence of the divine
• Is the most potent of all prāṇāyāma practices

Verification Notes

• The Haṃsa Upanishad describes Prāṇava Prāṇāyāma as the foremost prāṇāyāma.
• The practice is also referenced in the Yoga Upanishads
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).