Powerful 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise for Vitality – Free Online Yoga Pranayama Book – Ch 3
Powerful Deep Breathing Yoga Exercise
Yoga Pranayama #3
Video of 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise
(From Yoga Pranayama Video Series – Deep Breathing Exercise)
Background of 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:
This is the yoga breathing technique that my Kundalini Yoga teacher, Ravi Singh, almost always started our classes with. This is because despite being a simple breathing exercise, its ability to open up and get one’s energy going is astonishing.
In addition to awakening one’s energy, this particular yoga pranayama also has other significant benefits which I will detail below. Whether you are new to Yogic breathing techniques or an expert, this particular breath control exercise should be a permanent member in your goodie bag, which you can pull out anytime you need to fire up and vitalize your pranic body (energetic body).
4 Part Deep Breathing excellent for boosting energy you can read how it helped me win the gold medal in Pickleball here: 4 Pranayamas to Increase Energy, Vitality & Mental Focus.
4 part deep breathing is one of the best pranayamas for energy and vitality.
Benefits of Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:
Primary:
- Rapidly oxygenates your blood, thus helping the body heal, detoxify and remove waste more effectively.
- Increases the amount of Prana (life-force) you are bringing into your system.
- Improves the elasticity of the lungs and increases respiratory capacity.
- Activates the energy flows in your body.
Cautions for Practicing Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:
- If you feel dizzy when practicing this breathing technique, you should stop and substitute normal breathing. If you suffer from vertigo, you should use caution in practicing this breathing exercise.
- You should be careful practicing this pranayama if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or suffer from stroke or epilepsy.
Step-by-step Instructions for Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:
- To practice this breathing exercise sit up in a comfortable position.
- Elongate your spine upwards, lengthen your neck and subtly bring your chin back and in like a soldier at attention. This will align the spine with the back of your head.
- Close your eyes.
- Bring the palms of your hands together at sternum level (like when you pray), but have them 2-4 inches away from your chest. Your elbows should be up such that your forearms are parallel to the ground.
- Press the palms of your hands together applying equal pressure to both sides. The pressure should be firm but not excessive.
- Relax your diaphragm and stomach muscles.
- Now inhale in 4 sniffs and exhale in 4 sniffs. So you are breaking up 1 inhalation into 4 equal parts and breaking up 1 exhalation into 4 equal parts. By the fourth sniff, during the inhalation, you should have completed filled your lungs with air and by the fourth sniff, during the exhalation, you should have completely expelled all the air. Completely inhaling and exhaling by the last sniff is a key part of this breathing technique. That’s it, continue for 1-5 minutes.
❓ FAQ About Four-Part Breathing
What is Four-Part Breathing?
Four-Part Breathing is a yogic breathing technique that divides the breath into four phases: inhalation, breath retention, exhalation, and empty retention. The practice helps build calm energy, concentration, breath awareness, and mental steadiness.
What are the benefits of Four-Part Breathing?
Four-Part Breathing improves focus, balances energy, steadies the nervous system, strengthens breath control, and helps create a calmer and more centered mental state.
Is Four-Part Breathing good for mental clarity?
Yes. The rhythmic structure of the practice helps quiet mental distraction, sharpen concentration, and improve present-moment awareness.
Can beginners practice Four-Part Breathing?
Yes. Four-Part Breathing is beginner-friendly when practiced gently and without strain. Start with short breath counts and increase gradually as comfort improves.
How long should I practice Four-Part Breathing?
Beginners can start with 2–5 minutes daily. Even short consistent sessions help improve breath awareness, focus, and internal balance.
What is the best time to practice Four-Part Breathing?
Four-Part Breathing works especially well before meditation, focused work, studying, yoga practice, or any activity requiring calm concentration and steady energy.
Does Four-Part Breathing increase energy?
Yes. Unlike aggressive stimulating breathing techniques, Four-Part Breathing creates balanced and sustainable energy by regulating the breath and calming internal tension.
Should the breath feel forced during practice?
No. The breath should remain smooth, controlled, and relaxed throughout the exercise. Avoid strain, excessive breath retention, or aggressive effort.
Secret of Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:
The real benefit of this yoga pranayama is hidden in benefit number three listed above (increases lung capacity). According to Yoga, your evolution can be triggered simply by the capacity of your respiratory system. When it reaches a critical threshold relative to your size, you evolve. By partitioning the breath, this particular breathing technique forces you to maximize the use of your lungs. Thus, helping them expand and absorb more prana (life-force) from the air.
Generally, in everyday life we don’t use our full lung capacity and over time this capacity diminishes. So take a bold step towards your spiritual growth and include the Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise into your daily yoga practice. It is a great way to start and will go a long way in helping you finish.
This concludes the Yogic 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise.
Anmol Mehta is a world-renowned Yoga and Meditation Master with over 40 years of dedicated practice. Since founding anmolmehta.com in 2007, he has shared ancient wisdom with millions and certified over 3,000 instructors through his Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training programs.
Anmol’s expertise spans Zen, Meditation, Yoga, Kundalini, Mantra, and Pranayama, with a personal practice rooted in the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and the direct perception of thought. Following a period of profound enlightenment in his early twenties, he has dedicated his life to bridging deep spiritual insights with practical living.
He is the author of numerous training manuals and continues to lead the Mastery of Meditation and Yoga community toward greater consciousness and health.
Breathing, relaxed, and released!
Awesome!
The programme is really good & helpful. Seen the 1st 3 beginners programme videos & also read the contents. Really feel like continuing the exercises. Thanks N keep it up.
excellent breathing technique. truly love this one
Dear sir,
It is really very good.
Thanks a lot
Regards
Ashok
Can you suggest any asanas for nocturnal excessive urinary frequency. I am 80. Deer exercises are toist yoga techniques. can it be used to treat urinary frequency.
I wonder whether Male Deer Exercise and Female Deer Exercise can fit in kundalini yoga. These exercises are recommended by Taoist yoga for sexual disorder or for enhancing sexual energy. I am 80 and wonder if it can be useful for nocturnal excessive urinary frequency?
That is very interesting – There is a big overlap with Chinese Medicine here, where deep breathing is practiced in tai chi and yoga.
dear anmol, your website is fantastic .you have no idea what a great service to humanity you are offering. i am lucky to have found out you love and blessings .charu
Hi
While doing 4 part Deep Breathing I feel coolness in my body…is it ok.and as BOF really worms me up I do aftewards.Thanks
complete. thx