Humming Breath

What to do

1. Sit comfortably with the spine tall. Close your eyes if you like.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four.
3. Close your mouth and hum on a low, easy note as you exhale. Let the hum last about eight counts, or as long as the exhale feels comfortable.
4. Repeat for eight cycles.

The pitch of the hum doesn't matter. A low note tends to feel grounding. If your throat tickles, soften the volume.

Variations on the sound

Humming with a closed mouth is the most studied vocal exhale, but vocalized exhales in general work through similar mechanisms: vibration that stimulates the vagus nerve through the throat and chest, plus a long controlled exhale. If a sustained sound feels right, use it. Common alternatives:

• A sustained "ooo" or "ahh" on the exhale, open mouth.
• A low "voo" sound, drawn from Peter Levine's somatic experiencing work, used for grounding.
• A long sigh on a single tone.

The closed-mouth hum is recommended here because it's quiet, requires no instruction beyond closing the mouth, and has the most direct research support. The open-mouth variants tap into the same physiology but have less specific evidence behind them.

Why it works

Humming generates vibration in the nasal cavity, throat, and chest, which stimulates the vagus nerve directly. The vibration also increases nasal nitric oxide, which supports the lining of the airways. The slow exhale on its own activates the parasympathetic nervous system; the vibration adds an additional vagal cue on top.

In yogic tradition this practice is called Bhramari Pranayama, the bee breath, named for the resemblance to a bee's hum.