Udgeeth pranayama: the Om chanting breath

How to do Udgeeth

1. Sit tall in Easy Pose, Thunderbolt Pose or on a chair. Rest your hands on your knees, relax your jaw and close your eyes.
2. When the timer says "Breathe in", take a slow, deep breath through the nose for 4 seconds, filling the belly and then the chest.
3. When it says "Hum out", open your mouth into a relaxed "O" and chant a long, steady "Oooo" for about 7 seconds.
4. Close your lips gently and let the sound turn into "Mmmm" for the last 3 seconds of the 10-second exhale. Feel the vibration in your lips, face and head.
5. Keep the volume comfortable and the pitch low and even. Do not push the last of the air out.
6. Repeat for 7 rounds (under 2 minutes), then sit in silence for a minute with your eyes closed and notice the stillness.

Udgeeth pranayama is the Om chanting breath: a deep inhale through the nose followed by a long, slow chant of "Om" that fills the whole exhale. It is one of the gentlest breathing practices in yoga, suitable for almost everyone, and it leads naturally into meditation. This page explains what Udgeeth is, how to chant Om correctly with the timer above, how long to practise, the honest evidence for its benefits, precautions, and how it compares with Bhramari and Ujjayi.

What is Udgeeth pranayama? Meaning in English

The Sanskrit word udgītha is made of ud, "up" or "raised", and gītha, "song" or "chant". In English, Udgeeth pranayama means "the chanted breath" or "Om chanting breath". The word is old: in the Vedic tradition the Udgitha was the part of a hymn sung aloud, and the Chandogya Upanishad opens by identifying the Udgitha with the sacred syllable Om.

In modern India, Udgeeth is best known as one step in a popular seven-part daily pranayama routine, where it comes near the end, after the humming bee breath. That is why many people search for Bhramari Udgeeth pranayama together.

How to do Udgeeth pranayama (Udgeeth pranayama kaise kare)

How do you chant Om correctly? Think of it as three sounds that flow into one: "A" (ah) at the back of the throat, "U" (oo) in the middle of the mouth, and "M" at the closed lips. In practice most people blend the first two into a long "O", then close the lips for "M". A good ratio is about two-thirds "O" and one-third "M".

• Pitch: low and comfortable, like a relaxed speaking voice. You do not need to sing well.
• Volume: steady from start to finish, then fade gently.
• Silence: after the last round, sit still and listen.

How to use the Udgeeth timer on this page

The timer above is set to 4 seconds in and 10 seconds out for 7 rounds. When you press Start:

• "Breathe in" — the ring grows for 4 seconds. Inhale deeply through the nose.
• "Hum out" — the ring slowly shrinks for 10 seconds. Chant "Oooo…mmm" until the ring is small.

The soft chime lets you keep your eyes closed. If the voice prompt distracts you during the chant, switch it off and follow the chime alone. Change the rounds before you start; your minutes are saved in My Practice.

Counts from beginner to advanced

When and how long to practise

Three to ten minutes is enough. If you want a simple pranayama with no holds and no force, this is it. Morning practice sets a calm tone for the day; evening practice helps you wind down before sleep. Udgeeth fits well at the end of a pranayama session, after more active breaths, or at the start of meditation. As with any practice, the basics of how to do pranayama properly apply: sit upright, practise on a light stomach and never strain.

Udgeeth pranayama benefits

The honest summary: Udgeeth is a slow breathing practice with a long exhale, plus sound. Both parts have some evidence behind them, though studies of Om chanting itself are small.

• Calm and stress. A 10-second exhale slows the breath to about four breaths a minute. Slow breathing with long exhales is linked to a calmer heart rate and nervous system, which is why Om chanting is used for stress and anxiety.
• Focus and meditation. Sound gives a restless mind something to hold. For many people, Om chanting for meditation is easier than silent sitting. A small brain-imaging study found Om chanting was linked with quieter activity in emotion-related areas of the brain, compared with a plain "sss" sound.
• Sleep. A few rounds before bed pair well with our yoga for sleep plan.
• Blood pressure. Slow breathing may help as part of a high blood pressure plan; there are no breath holds, so it is a safe choice. Keep your medicine.

Side effects and precautions

Udgeeth has almost no side effects. The ones that do happen are a tired or sore throat from chanting too loudly, and light-headedness if you force every breath out. Keep the voice soft and take a normal breath between rounds when you need it.

Udgeeth vs Bhramari and Ujjayi

Bhramari pranayama and Udgeeth are close cousins. Bhramari pranayama benefits are similar — calm and a quieter mind — and its steps are easy for beginners: close the ears, breathe in, and hum on the exhale. As for how long to do Bhramari pranayama, 5–7 rounds is a good start. Claims that Bhramari or Ujjayi pranayama benefits the thyroid or the brain directly are not proven; the reliable benefit is relaxation.

To define Ujjayi pranayama and its benefits simply: you breathe through the nose with a slight narrowing at the back of the throat, which makes a soft sound and slows the breath. Ujjayi is a good pranayama for beginners, with simple steps to learn before longer holds. See all 15 techniques on the pranayama page.

Chanting, meditation and singing

Chanting is a spiritual practice in many traditions. Om itself is used in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist practice; what is chanting in Buddhism? Buddhist chants for meditation are usually short mantras or texts, such as "Om mani padme hum", repeated to steady the mind. You do not need any religious belief to use it: Om is among the most widely used simple chants for meditation, spiritual or not. It is also popular as recorded meditation music, but Om chanting yourself trains the breath in a way that listening to chanting music for meditation does not.

Udgeeth also shows how to control your breathing while singing, because the breath while singing is mostly a long, controlled exhale with steady tone. It teaches you to breathe in fully and quietly when singing a long phrase, too. Singers and speakers can use it as daily practice: breathing for singing improves as you lengthen the Om over weeks. It is also a simple way into breathing meditation: breathe, sound, then sit with the silence. If you prefer silent practice, try the meditation timer.

Where this practice is used

Chakras: Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)

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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.