Looking For Meditation Classes Near Me? Try Viloma Pranayama Meditation Online.

Viloma pranayama, Iyengar style, is one form of breath meditation. It can be learnt in a studio or online. If you are looking for “meditation classes near me”, online meditation lets you learn from anywhere, and Flametree also teaches it in its studios in Darwin. You learn it with a certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, and you get a grounding in Iyengar yoga pranayama, a traditional breathing practice.

What is viloma pranayama? The short answer

Viloma pranayama is interrupted, or staircase, breathing: you breathe in, or out, in two or three small steps with a short pause at each one. It is one of the first breath meditation practices taught in Iyengar yoga pranayama, usually lying back over a bolster or folded blankets. If you are looking for meditation classes near me, it is a practical place to start, in the studio in Darwin or LIVE online.

This note in short form

• Viloma 1: the in-breath in steps, then one long out-breath.
• Viloma 2: one long in-breath, then the out-breath in steps.
• Viloma 3: both, combined.
• Set-up: lying down first, chest raised, belly soft.
• A gentle start: a staged out-breath, sitting, for a tense day.
• Chris’s story: how it changed a shallow breather.
• Care: keep every pause soft, and stop if anything feels strained.
• Next step: learn it with a teacher, then practise at home.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree.

This page sits in our breath and pranayama notes. For safety, read is pranayama safe first.

Can staircase breathing help a shallow breather? Chris’s story

Chris Lalor, Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher at Flametree, tells it like this:

“Mr Iyengar taught me how to get more done! First, his method showed me I was a very shallow breather. As a yoga teacher, I now know I was not alone. Viloma pranayama (AKA Staircase Breath) helped me stop breathing only in the top of my lungs. Before that, with my stiff diaphragm, deep breaths in just made me anxious. The more I tried, the worse it became, and the more inadequate I felt.”

“Eventually I came to feel the energising resilience Mr Iyengar wrote about in Light on Pranayama. That new store of energy helped me overcome fatigue and stop putting things off. I felt better, got more done, and found a new calm. Today my breath is my friend, not something I fight with. It has carried me through many hard times, and opened the door to seeing myself more clearly.”

That is one person’s experience, not a promise. Students often find staircase breathing easy to understand and easy to do, which is why it is taught early. The idea that it energises is Mr Iyengar’s teaching in Light on Pranayama, known from practice rather than tested in trials.

Viloma pranayama, the staircase breath: how do you start?

Lie back over a bolster or folded blankets, the classic Iyengar set-up that opens the chest while the belly stays soft. Let the eyes, jaw, throat and diaphragm (the dome-shaped breathing muscle under the lungs) quieten first. The name viloma means “against the natural flow”, because the breath is not taken in one smooth stream.

1. Viloma 1, interrupted in-breath. Breathe out fully. Take a small sip in, about a third of the way, and pause for a moment. Take another, and pause. Complete the in-breath, then breathe out in one long, slow breath. Practise about 5 rounds, with a few normal breaths between rounds, then rest in Savasana (relaxation pose).
2. Viloma 2, interrupted out-breath. Breathe out fully, then take one long, slow in-breath. Breathe out a third of the way, and pause. Another third, and pause. Complete the out-breath. Practise about 5 rounds, then rest in Savasana.
3. Viloma 3. Combine the two: interrupted in-breath, then interrupted out-breath.

Keep the pauses short and soft. Breath holding should not cause pressure or tension in the head, and the belly should not puff out during a pause. If tension builds, or you feel distressed, use the gentler variation: take a small sip in, breathe a little out, and pause, so there is less pressure in the lungs. If the breath feels forced or short at any point, stop and breathe normally. Build up the number of rounds over weeks, not days.

Longer holds of the breath, in (antara kumbhaka) and out (bahya kumbhaka), come later, with a teacher’s guidance. Our note on stillness in yoga explains them.

What do the three vilomas build?

Each one has its own character. In Chris’s words: “Viloma builds quiet confidence. Not the loud, outward kind, but the deeper confidence that says: I can stay present with myself. I can observe what is happening inside me. I can pause without forcing, gripping or collapsing. Each small pause becomes a doorway. Through it, the mind quietens, the senses draw inward, and deeper insight becomes possible.”

• Viloma 1 is usually taught first. Over time it builds endurance, and it teaches the subtle art of exhalation. Students describe a sense of “I can expand, I can receive”.
• Viloma 2 is usually added once Viloma 1 is comfortable. Students often find it calming and tension-releasing, with a sense of “I can let go, I can soften”.
• Viloma 3 combines both. Students describe it as brightness and calm together.

Is there a gentle way to let go of a tense day?

Yes: a staged out-breath, which borrows one idea from Viloma 2. Most of us breathe out in one go, especially under stress. This simple version slows it down. It is a simplified exercise, not the full Viloma 2, and it is not a replacement for learning with a teacher.

1. Sit comfortably, with the spine tall and the shoulders soft.
2. Breathe in normally, all the way.
3. Breathe out about a quarter of your air, then pause for a beat.
4. Breathe out another quarter, and pause again. Keep going in small stages until you are empty.
5. Let the next in-breath come naturally, in one smooth breath.

Keep every pause soft and short. Never hold or force it. If anything feels strained, breathe normally and try again another day. Do five or six rounds and notice what shifts. Some people feel it in the shoulders first, others in their thoughts.

Why do people lie awake wired and tired?

Many people tell Chris they lie awake at 3am, exhausted but switched on. Chris hears it often from women in their 40s and 50s, when hormones, busy lives and a nervous system stuck in “go” can pile up together. Your breath is one thing you can change by choice. A slow, long out-breath tends to nudge the body’s rest and recover side (the parasympathetic nervous system, which the vagus nerve helps to run) towards settling.

Studies on slow breathing in general are encouraging, and there is more in our note on yoga for sleep. This is general information, not a treatment for sleep problems. If you cannot sleep for weeks, or you feel anxious or low, talk to your doctor as well.

Chris also finds it helps to practise with other people. In a room with a teacher and a group, you learn to do it properly, and you hear someone beside you say it helped them. That company is often what turns a nice idea into a habit that sticks.

First learn viloma pranayama lying down

Lying down is easier, because you do not need the strength or flexibility to sit up straight. Go slowly and stop before you feel any strain. Sitting upright for pranayama comes later, when your teacher says you are ready, using a chair or sitting on a height.

Anyone with a heart or blood pressure condition, pregnancy, a lung condition, or anxiety or panic should talk to their doctor and their teacher before breath holding of any kind. In any of these practices, if the breath is forced or lacking, break off and return to normal breathing.

Where do you start with Iyengar yoga pranayama?

You can start with a beginner class and build the strength and calm that breath meditation uses. There are easy options such as Gentle Yoga, Back Care Yoga and Easy Restorative Yoga. Ask your teacher which class suits you, in the studio or LIVE online.

Related reading: our breath and pranayama notes, pranayama breathing, and why it keeps Chris sane, Ujjayi pranayama, Bhramari, the bumble bee breath, Nadi Shodhana and what is pranayama.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Viloma pranayama: questions people ask

What is viloma pranayama?

Viloma is an Iyengar breath practice where the in-breath, the out-breath, or both, are taken in small steps with pauses. The name means against the natural flow, and it is often called staircase breathing.

Is viloma the same as anuloma viloma?

Not in Iyengar yoga. In some styles, anuloma viloma is the name used for alternate nostril breathing. In Iyengar yoga, Viloma means interrupted breathing through both nostrils, and alternate nostril breathing is called Nadi Shodhana.

How long should I practise viloma?

Start with about 5 rounds, resting with a few normal breaths in between, and stop before any strain. A few minutes a day, lying down, is plenty at first, and your teacher will guide you on building up.

Why is viloma learnt lying down?

Lying back over a bolster or folded blankets lifts and opens the chest without effort, so the breath moves freely and the belly stays soft. Sitting comes later, once the spine can stay upright without strain.

Can viloma help with anxiety?

Many students find the stepped out-breath of Viloma 2 especially calming. Slow breathing is still being studied, and our post on yoga for anxiety sets out what research shows. It is a support alongside your doctor’s care, not a replacement for it.

Who should take care with viloma breathing?

Anyone who feels dizzy, strained or anxious during the pauses should go back to normal breathing. The longer holds are added only with a teacher’s guidance. If you have a heart or blood pressure condition, check with your doctor and tell your teacher first.

Is there a simple breathing practice for a tense day?

A seated, staged out-breath can be a gentle place to start: breathe out a quarter, pause, and repeat in small stages until empty, then let the next in-breath come naturally. It is a simplified exercise, not the full Viloma 2. Keep every pause soft, and stop if it feels strained.

Where can I learn viloma pranayama in Darwin or online?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches viloma in its pranayama (breath meditation) classes in Darwin and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree (in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more; online, anyone new).

You can also follow our breathing and meditation news on the Flametree Yoga Facebook page.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Pranayama does not treat any condition. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources: BKS Iyengar, Light on Pranayama. Chris Lalor’s own teaching and experience.