Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian

I grew up in Tamilnadu, India in a Siddha system-based lifestyle where natural/herbal medicine and natural living were the norms. I had the opportunity to learn yoga methods from my family members and later in Vivekananda Gurukula college. In the year 2005, I coined an exercise from Siddha literature (Thirumanthiram) and experienced salivary secretion. Later I researched it in the lab in the year 2013 and found the link between Pranayama and salivary biomarkers. Ever since I have been decoding more exercises from the ancient Siddha literature, teaching them to numerous people, and conducting research to understand the mechanisms of those exercises. I travel globally to conduct workshops and give talks to explain how the easy act of breathing can improve one's mind and body. In 2017 I founded the PranaScience Institute in the USA which is an NIH-funded small business entity conducting research on Pranayama. Our projects include developing an app for breast cancer survivors, studying gentle yoga and yogic breathing in older adults and scleroderma patients, and creating tools for improving wellness at the workplace through breathing exercises. I enjoy teaching and practicing with people whether it is in an in-person one-on-one, group setting, or a virtual program. I welcome questions so people will be better informed to make the right decisions and learn how easy and efficient it is to incorporate breathwork in their daily life to improve physical and mental health.

I follow two things in my classes to teach the breathing exercises. First, the evidence-base on the scientific literature. This will help us to understand the mechanisms of the breathing exercises, and under what conditions the breathing exercises are used. Second, the literature from the Tamil Siddha tradition is my go-to tool. There is numerous in-depth work by ancient masters that need to be learned and brought to the current world. Thus, linking ancient wisdom to modern science is my style!

During the first visit either in-person on virtual, I will discuss with the client the problem, its severity, and duration, and assess their ability to perform some breathing exercises. I will make sure that the client is comfortable with the exercise at all stages. We then will devise a practice schedule and ways to incorporate the breathing exercises into the day-to-day schedule of the client and how to manage their timings. In the end, we will set up follow-ups to gauge the progress.  

When I was a child I loved to help people around me with their chores. Becoming a medical doctor was my dream back then, but plans changed and I ended up becoming a research doctor studying cells and molecules. My passion for yoga and for helping others shaped my research path to studying and teaching yogic breathing. I am a tool to help people find their inner healing garden through their breathing, and I am convinced that everyone has a healing space within.