Class types · Mansarovar
Meditation, Pranayama & Yoga Nidra in Mansarovar
For the people whose head needs the work more than their hamstrings do. Anulom vilom, kapalbhati, bhramari and guided Yoga Nidra — taught properly, in a quiet room, three evenings a week.
What happens in a pranayama and meditation class?
You sit — on the floor or on a chair — and you learn to breathe on purpose. Each technique is taught slowly, with the count, the hand position and the cautions explained, because pranayama done carelessly is at best useless and at worst uncomfortable. Then the room goes quiet, and the session usually ends lying down in guided relaxation.
The evening batch runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the studio in Agarwal Farm, Mansarovar, and it is a full class in its own right — you do not have to attend a physical batch to join it. Ritika Khandelwal teaches it herself. Most students arrive straight from work, which is exactly why it is at that hour.
Who is this class for?
People who cannot switch off. In practice that means office workers who take their evenings home in their heads, students in exam months, people over sixty who want to keep practising after their knees have retired from standing postures, and anyone whose sleep has quietly got worse over the last few years.
- You lie down at 11 PM and your mind starts its second shift
- You want the benefits of yoga but a physical class does not appeal, or is not currently possible
- You are recovering from an injury and have been advised to stay off the mat for a while
- You have tried anulom vilom from a video and are not sure you are doing it right
- You want to manage day-to-day stress and tension without adding another hour of exertion — see also yoga for stress, anxiety and sleep
What does a typical session look like?
Around fifty-five minutes, in a fixed order that moves from active to still. The sequence matters: kapalbhati before anulom vilom, anulom vilom before meditation, and relaxation last.
| Minutes | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0–8 | Settling into a seat — floor or chair — plus neck, shoulder and spine release so sitting stays comfortable |
| 8–15 | Kapalbhati in short rounds, with cautions checked first and anyone who should skip it given an alternative |
| 15–28 | Anulom vilom, built up from an even count towards a longer exhalation |
| 28–35 | Bhramari, and on some days sheetali — a cooling breath used in the Jaipur summer, left out in winter and with a cough, cold or asthma — or a simple ujjayi count |
| 35–45 | Meditation: breath awareness, or a mantra repetition if you prefer one |
| 45–55 | Yoga Nidra — guided relaxation lying down, once a week the full twenty-minute version |
What do the four main techniques actually do?
Each one has a different job, and each has people who should not do it. That second part rarely makes it into the videos, which is the main reason to learn these in a room with a teacher.
| Technique | What it involves | Commonly used for | Not advised if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anulom Vilom | Alternate-nostril breathing, slow and even, without force | Settling a scattered mind; the technique most students end up using daily | A blocked nose — wait until it clears |
| Kapalbhati | Short, sharp exhalations from the abdomen; the inhale happens on its own | Waking up a sluggish morning and building abdominal tone | Pregnancy, periods, uncontrolled high BP, hernia, epilepsy, recent abdominal or eye surgery |
| Bhramari | A humming exhalation with the ears gently closed | Winding down at night, and easing tension headaches | An ear infection — leave the ears open, or skip it |
| Yoga Nidra | Guided relaxation lying still, attention moved through the body | Poor sleep, mental fatigue, and recovery on rest days | Nothing specific — suitable for almost everybody. In pregnancy it is set up side-lying with bolsters, not flat on the back |
If you are pregnant, on blood-pressure medication, managing epilepsy, or have had abdominal or eye surgery recently, say so before your first session so the forceful techniques can be swapped out. Yoga supports stress management and is complementary to medical care — it does not replace treatment your doctor has prescribed.
प्राणायाम के फायदे
प्राणायाम का सीधा असर साँस पर पड़ता है, और साँस का असर मन पर। नियमित अभ्यास से नींद बेहतर होती है, दिनभर की बेचैनी कम लगती है और ध्यान लगाने में आसानी होती है। हमारे शाम के बैच में अनुलोम-विलोम, कपालभाति, भ्रामरी और योग निद्रा — चारों सिखाए जाते हैं, गिनती और सही तरीके के साथ।
ध्यान रखने योग्य बात: कपालभाति गर्भावस्था में, पीरियड्स के दिनों में, अनियंत्रित बीपी, हर्निया, मिर्गी, या पेट/आँख की हाल की सर्जरी के बाद नहीं करना चाहिए। ऐसी स्थिति में अनुलोम-विलोम और भ्रामरी कराए जाते हैं। शुरू करने से पहले रितिका जी को अपनी स्थिति ज़रूर बताएँ।
योग निद्रा लेटकर की जाने वाली निर्देशित विश्रांति है — बीस मिनट के अभ्यास के बाद ज़्यादातर लोग कहते हैं कि जैसे घंटों आराम किया हो। नींद और तनाव में यह मदद कर सकता है, लेकिन यह किसी चिकित्सा उपचार का विकल्प नहीं है। ज़्यादा जानकारी के लिए तनाव, चिंता और नींद के लिए योग पढ़ें।
What students notice
Benefits students report from breathwork
Reported by students over months of steady attendance. Yoga supports general wellbeing and is complementary to medical care — it does not replace your doctor's advice.
Falling asleep faster
Bhramari and Yoga Nidra are the two techniques students say made an immediate difference at night.
A longer fuse
Several students report noticing the gap between something irritating and their reaction to it.
Steadier concentration
Students in exam months use ten minutes of anulom vilom before studying rather than after.
Fuller breathing
Most adults breathe shallowly into the upper chest. Learning to use the diaphragm again is quietly significant.
Accessible to almost everyone
Knees, weight, age and fitness are irrelevant here. A chair and an upright spine are enough.
A practice you keep at home
Ten minutes of what you learn here needs no mat, no space and no change of clothes.
Timings & fees
When the evening batch runs
At the studio: 112/187, Thadi Market, Agarwal Farm, Jhalana Chhod, Mansarovar, Jaipur.
| Session | Days | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation & pranayama | Mon, Wed, Fri | 6:30 – 7:30 PM | The full evening batch, including Yoga Nidra weekly |
| Pranayama within hatha | Mon–Sat | 6:00 AM & 5:00 PM | The last ten minutes of every hatha class |
| One-to-one online | By arrangement | Flexible | Breathwork teaches well on video — see online yoga |
One monthly membership covers whichever batches you attend. Fees are published openly — you do not have to call to find out what a month costs.
Questions
Meditation & pranayama FAQs
Do I need to be able to sit cross-legged for a pranayama class?
No. You can sit on a chair with both feet flat on the floor, or against a wall with a cushion behind your lower back. What matters for breathing practice is that your spine is upright and your ribs are free, not that your knees reach the floor.
Who should not do kapalbhati?
Kapalbhati is not advised during pregnancy, during your period, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, with a hernia, after recent abdominal or eye surgery, or with epilepsy. If any of these apply, tell Ritika and she will give you anulom vilom or bhramari instead. Check with your doctor if you are unsure.
How long before pranayama helps with sleep?
Most students say bhramari and Yoga Nidra help them fall asleep faster within the first week or two of practising nightly. Lasting change in sleep patterns usually takes six to eight weeks of consistent practice. Yoga supports sleep and stress management; it is complementary to medical care and does not replace treatment for a diagnosed sleep or anxiety condition. Read yoga for stress, anxiety and sleep for more.
What is Yoga Nidra, and is it the same as sleeping?
Yoga Nidra is a guided relaxation you do lying down, in which the instructor moves your attention systematically through the body while you stay still. You are not asleep, though many people do drift off, and that is fine. A twenty-minute session leaves most students feeling as though they rested far longer.
Can I join only the pranayama batch without doing physical yoga?
Yes. Several students attend only the evening breathing and meditation sessions — people recovering from injury, people who dislike physical classes, and people who simply need the sitting practice more than the postures. It is a complete class in its own right.
What are the meditation and pranayama class timings?
The evening batch runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the Agarwal Farm studio in Mansarovar. Pranayama is also included at the end of every hatha and ladies-only session, so you practise it daily even if you attend the evening batch only three times a week. See the full weekly schedule.
Your first class is free
Come and sit for one evening
Monday, Wednesday or Friday at 6:30 PM, opposite Thadi Market in Agarwal Farm. Chairs available. Nothing to bring.