Plavini pranayama (floating breath): meaning, precautions and why it is advanced

How to do Plavini

1. Only practise Plavini after learning it in person from an experienced teacher, and only if none of the cautions apply to you.
2. Sit tall in a steady cross-legged pose or Vajrasana, on an empty stomach, with the face and throat relaxed.
3. Breathe in slowly through the nose for 6 counts.
4. During the 10-second hold, take a few small, gentle gulps of air into the stomach, as your teacher showed you. Never force a gulp.
5. Breathe out slowly through the nose for 6 counts, keeping the belly relaxed.
6. Do no more than 3 rounds. Afterwards, let the swallowed air out by gentle burping or by lying down briefly; do not keep it in.

Plavini pranayama is one of the eight classical kumbhakas (breath-retention practices) of Hatha yoga. In Plavini, air is swallowed into the stomach during a breath hold, so the belly fills like a balloon. It is an advanced and unusual practice, rarely taught today, and it is not suitable for beginners. This page explains what Plavini is, the traditional procedure, what the texts claim, who must avoid it, and what everyday air swallowing means for your health.

Plavini is an advanced practice. Learn it only in person from an experienced teacher. Do not practise it with high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, pregnancy, acid reflux, a hernia or ulcers, and never hold your breath in water.

What is Plavini pranayama? Meaning and other name

In Sanskrit, plavana means "floating" or "swimming", so Plavini pranayama in English is the "floating breath". Another name for Plavini pranayama in some books is the "air swallowing breath". The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists it as the last of eight kumbhakas, after Murchha, and says that when the belly is filled with air the yogi can float on deep water like a lotus leaf.

That line is traditional imagery, not an instruction. Please do not test it: holding the breath in or under water is dangerous and can cause sudden blackout.

About the Plavini timer on this page

The timer uses a 6-10-6 pattern: 6 seconds in, a 10-second hold with the breath in, and 6 seconds out, for 3 rounds. It is meant for people who have already learned Plavini from a teacher and want steady pacing. If you are new to breath holds, do not use it. Start instead with diaphragmatic breathing and Ujjayi, which need no hold. If the 10-second hold feels long, shorten it or stop; there is no benefit in pushing.

Plavini pranayama procedure: how it is traditionally done

The Plavini pranayama technique has three parts, shown in the steps above:

1. Inhale slowly through the nose.
2. Breath hold and swallow: with the breath held, small gulps of air are swallowed into the stomach, which becomes slightly full and round. Some traditions add Jalandhara bandha, the chin lock; see bandhas.
3. Exhale slowly, then release the air from the stomach, usually by burping.

How to swallow air safely is exactly why a teacher is needed. Large or forced gulps can cause pain, bloating, nausea or reflux. A teacher checks your posture and throat, keeps the holds short, and tells you when to stop. So this page describes how to do Plavini pranayama but does not replace that guidance.

Plavini pranayama benefits: tradition and evidence

The Plavini pranayama benefits described in yoga texts are lightness of the body, the ability to float, and support for longer breath retention and meditation. Some modern teachers say it helps the digestive organs. There are no scientific studies of Plavini, so none of these benefits is proven, and swallowing air is more likely to cause bloating than to help digestion.

What are the benefits of pranayama in general? Slow, gentle breathing may reduce stress, lower heart rate, and train the breathing muscles; the benefits of pranayama for the lungs come mainly from these simple practices. The benefits of Ujjayi pranayama, for example, include a calm, steady rhythm with no risk from swallowing air. You can compare the pranayama types and their benefits on the pranayama page.

Start with simpler pranayama instead

What is pranayama and its benefits for most people? Pranayama is the practice of guiding the breath; why pranayama is important is that a calm, slow breath helps calm the mind. To do pranayama properly, sit tall, breathe through the nose, never strain, and learn simple practices before any breath hold. Good first steps are Dirga pranayama and Vibhaga pranayama (sectional breathing into the belly, ribs and chest one at a time), whose benefits are better breath awareness. If you want to know how to catch your breath quickly after exertion, stand or sit, relax your shoulders and take a slow breath in through the nose and a longer breath out through pursed lips.

Plavini pranayama precautions

• High blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, pregnancy: no Plavini and no breath holds.
• Digestive conditions: reflux, hiatal hernia, ulcers, IBS and frequent bloating can all get worse with swallowed air. See yoga for acid reflux and yoga for bloating for gentler options.
• Swallowing problems: if you find it hard to swallow and breathe, or feel your breath catching in the throat, do not try Plavini. See a doctor about these symptoms.
• After practice: let the air out. Keeping it in can cause cramps and discomfort.

What is air swallowing (aerophagia)?

The medical term for swallowing air is aerophagia, which is also the word most doctors use. Everyone swallows a little air when eating and drinking. Swallowing too much air without meaning to is common with fast eating, chewing gum, fizzy drinks, talking while eating, a blocked nose, or anxiety.

Does swallowing air cause bloating?

Yes, it can. Symptoms of swallowing air include frequent burping, a bloated or tight belly, an air bubble when swallowing, and extra gas. Swallowing air while sleeping can happen with mouth breathing or with a CPAP machine; tell your doctor if you wake up bloated.

How to stop swallowing excess air

• To keep from swallowing air, eat and drink slowly, with your mouth closed; avoid gum, straws and fizzy drinks.
• Breathe through your nose, and treat a blocked nose.
• Practise slow belly breathing: breathing retraining is one of the main ways to prevent swallowing air when it is linked with stress or belching.

How does swallowing and breathing work?

When you swallow, a small flap called the epiglottis closes over the windpipe and breathing pauses for a moment, so food and drink go into the food pipe. Breathing exercises for swallowing problems exist, but they are prescribed by speech therapists, not taught as yoga.

Plavini pranayama in Hindi: kya hai, ke labh (प्लाविनी प्राणायाम इन हिंदी)

More breathing techniques

Breathing practices are safe for most people when done gently. Stop if you feel dizzy, anxious or short of breath, and ask your doctor first if you have heart or lung disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy or are pregnant.