We practised perhaps the most simple and common pranayama technique: alternate nostril breathing. You breathe in through the right nostril, hold the breath and breathe it back out through the left. That’s what is known as ‘sun piercing breath’, which works by moving more breath into the right nostril and breathing out through the left. Swap over, and you have the moon piercing breath which does the opposite (breathing in through the left and out through the right).

Malcolm explains that there are lots of other variations to expand breath in the body and tap into diaphragmatic breathing which allows us to access our parasynthetic nervous system and gut/brain axis.

If you don’t believe in energies and aren’t bothered about tapping into your feminine or masculine sides, then there are still tons of benefits to practising pranayama. From a yogic philosophy rather than scientific perspective, Malcolm says, “Practicing pranayama can bring an inward awareness into your body; it’s a great tool for meditation, for slowing everything down, for becoming aware of how you’re breathing.” It’s only in those sorts of classes or moments that you tend to realise how long you’ve been holding onto your breath or that you tend to breath short, sharp breaths rather than long and luxurious inhales.

Feeling stressed? It’s time to swap vinyasa for pranayama breathwork yoga