Tools
Bhrāmarī
Inhale. Hum on the exhale, lips closed, one steady note. When the sound runs out, do not inhale yet. Stay in the silence until the body asks for breath.
The centre line is the pitch you started on. Above is sharp, below is flat. ±100 cents is a semitone.
What is measured
Length — seconds from the first voiced sample to the last. Steadiness — the spread of the pitch, in cents. An untrained hum sags flat as the lungs empty. Drift — the last third of the hum against the first. Silence after — from the end of the sound to the next inhale.
The science
Humming raises nasal nitric oxide about fifteen-fold over quiet exhalation. The vibrating air moves gas in and out of the sinuses, where it is made. This is one plausible part of the calm students report; it is not shown to be the cause.
Weitzberg E, Lundberg JON. Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;166(2):144–145.
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