A breath where the exhale is longer than the inhale. Viram starts with the gentlest form: in for 4, out for 6, with no holds.
How to practise Visama Vritti
- Sit upright or lie down, and let your jaw and shoulders soften.
- Breathe in through your nose for 4.
- Breathe out through your nose for 6, slow and smooth, without pushing the air out.
- Keep the breaths soft rather than big.
- If you find yourself gasping for the next breath, shorten the exhale in Adjust rhythm.
Each round, step by step
| Step | Seconds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4 | In through the nose, soft and easy. |
| Hold after inhale | Off | Pause at the top, throat soft. |
| Exhale | 6 | Out through the nose, slow and unhurried. |
| Rest | Off | Pause after an easy exhale. |
Take care
Keep breaths soft. If the next inhale feels rushed, shorten the exhale.
- Keep the breaths soft. Big breaths can make you lightheaded.
- If the next inhale feels rushed, shorten the exhale.
- Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy or short of breath.
- The classical form adds long holds. Learn it from a teacher, not from an app.
- Breathe gently. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and return to your normal breath.
Traditionally
Visama vritti means “uneven movement”: steps of different lengths. B.K.S. Iyengar taught it with long holds in ratios such as 1:4:2, and only under a teacher’s eye; the Gheranda Samhita counts a similar ratio. Viram keeps just the lengthened exhale, a gentle, hold-free form closer to modern teaching.
What the research says
Studies often observe higher heart rate variability while people breathe slowly, around six breaths a minute as here. Two small studies of a 4 · 6 pattern, one of 10 men and one of 47 adults, reported calmer readings and less anxiety, but neither had a comparison group. Whether a longer exhale adds anything beyond slowing down is mixed: some studies say yes, and a 2024 study comparing a 1 : 2 ratio with even breaths at the same pace found no difference in heart rate variability. It is not a treatment.
Sources
- B.K.S. Iyengar (1981). Light on Pranayama. George Allen & Unwin.
- T.K.V. Desikachar (1995). The Heart of Yoga. Inner Traditions.
- Gheranda (attributed) (c. 17th century). Gheranda Samhita. Translated by Srisa Chandra Vasu, 1914.
- NHS (2026). Breathing exercises for stress.
- Van Diest I et al. (2014). Inhalation/exhalation ratio modulates the effect of slow breathing on heart rate variability and relaxation. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 39(3–4):171–180.
- Komori T (2018). The relaxation effect of prolonged expiratory breathing. Mental Illness 10(1):7669.
- Magnon V et al. (2021). Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults. Scientific Reports 11:19267.
- Meehan ZM, Shaffer F (2024). Do longer exhalations increase HRV during slow-paced breathing?. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 49(3):407–417.
- Laborde S et al. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 138:104711.
A wellness practice, not medical advice. Read practising safely before you begin.
Beginner path · 2 of 5
Comfortable with Visama Vritti? Next on the path is Ujjayi (ocean breath). It follows the order of Viram’s Pranayama Foundations program.