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Showing posts with label Pranayama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pranayama. Show all posts

Thursday, October 21, 2021

PARANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
PARANAYAMA
Breathing is the essence of life. We inhale for the first time shortly after our birth. From that moment onwards we take approximately seventeen thousand breaths each day, which over a lifetime totals about 500 million breaths.

Normally breathing is associated with inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. But in yoga breathing is intimately associated with prana or “primordial impulse.” Prana is the life force or energy that exists everywhere in the universe and manifested in each of us. Prana is not exactly the same thing as oxygen. Prana exists in all living beings. It doesn’t have consciousness and it is pure energy. Every cell in our body is controlled by prana. Prana is universal energy that exists everywhere in our bodies. You breathe in prana along with air which regulates your body and nerves. Prana is the primordial life force that governs all your mental and physical functions. It is the vital energy that animates inert molecules into self-healing, evolving biological beings. It is the primary creative power of the cosmos.

PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING EXERCISES

Learning to regulate prana to calm, balance, cleanse, and invigorate your body/mind is a powerful technique of yoga. For most people, breathing is the only autonomic nervous system function that they can influence. Left on its own, breathing does not require your conscious attention to consume oxygen or eliminate carbon dioxide. Through the yogic practice of breathing exercises, known as pranayama, you can use your breath to influence your physical and mental states.

A variety of techniques to relax or invigorate your body/mind are described in yoga. They are easily mastered and have prompt and powerful effects. You can learn a lot about life by paying attention to your breathing. Ingesting, absorbing, releasing, and eliminating these are the key components of a healthy life and of natural, balanced breathing. Pranayama breathing exercises clear the channels that enable you to effortlessly exchange your personal energy with the energy of the universe. Consciously directed, your vital energy can be used for creativity and healing.

Pranayama or yogic breathing exercises are tools to help you channelize your vital force in evolutionary ways taking you to higher levels of physical and emotional well being. The most important pranayama or yogic breathing exercises are:
  1. Bhastrika—Bellows Breath
  2. Kapalabhati—Shining Skull
  3. Dirgha—Complete Breath
  4. Ujjayi—Success Breath
  5. Nadi Shodhana—Channel Clearing Breath
  6. Shitali: Cooling Breath
  7. Bhramari: Bee Breath
  8. Nadi Shodhana: Alternate Nostril Breathing
  9. Murccha Kumbhaka: Third-Eye Breathing
  10. Kevali Kumbhaka: Holding Breath
These pranayamas and thier techniques will be explained in the coming posts.

BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA
One of the most easy pranamaya or breathing exercise in yoga is “bhastrika” or “bellows breath.” It is the most empowering breathing exercise in yoga. This is both an energizing as well as cleansing exercise. If you are feeling fatigue then doing a set of bhastrika breaths will refresh you and clear the clouds from your body and mind. If you are overweight and want to lose some weight then doing a few rounds throughout the day will invigorate your digestive system and substantially improve your metabolism.

However bellows breathe before going to sleep are not recommended as it may invigorate your mind and make it difficult to fall asleep. Similarly “bhastrika” is not advisable in pregnancy.

Bhastrika is generally very safe technique but you should stay tuned in to your body during breathing process. If at any time you feel uncomfortable sensations or light-headedness during the process then discontinue the Bhastrika for a few moments and after coming to normal condition then you can resume the exercise in a less intense manner.

TECHNIQUE

Bhastrika Pranayama
Bhastrika Pranayama
Quick succession of powerful expulsions of breath is the chief characteristic of this Pranayama. Just as the village blacksmith blows out his bellows quickly and rapidly, so also the practitioner of this pranayama blows out the bellows of his lungs in quick and rapid succession. Sit inn Padm asana or Siddh asana with the body, neck and head erect. Begin by relaxing your shoulders and take a few deep, full breaths from your abdomen. Close your mouth and Inhale and exhale through your nostrils quickly 6 to 10 times in rapid succession like the bellows of the village blacksmith. While practicing this Pranayama a hissing sound is loudly heard. Your breathing is entirely from your diaphragm keeping your head, neck, shoulders, and chest relatively still while your belly moves in and out. If you can expel 10 times like this, the tenth expulsion is followed by a deepest inhalation, retained as long as it can be done with comfort, and another deepest exhalation. This completes one round of Bhastrika. Take rest for a while after one round is over, and do another round, and another round. In the beginning you can have three rounds in the morning and three in the evening. You must be able to expel 120 times at a stretch by cautious and gradual practice.

Although bellows breathing is a safe practice but stay tuned into your body during the process. If you feel light-headed or very uncomfortable, stop for a few moments before resuming in a less intense manner.

BENEFITS

Practicing bhastrika brings immense energy and prana to your body. The ability to manage your life force or prana is essential for all success and fulfillment. Following are only a few major benefits of bhastrika:

1. Cures inflammation of the throat.
2. Increases the gastric fire and stimulates metabolism.
3. Cures diseases of the nose and chest like asthma etc.
4. Substantially increases appetite.
5. Breaks and dissolve the tumors.
6. Enables one to know the mysterious Kundalini power.
7. Removes diseases caused by excess of wind, bile and phlegm.
8. Gives warmth and energy to the body.
9. Purifies the Nadis or channels.
10. Cures Muscular Dystrophy and Oxygen deficiency.

11. Brings about a proper balance of the three Doshas i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha and maintains their balance. Doshas are a unique mix of three mind/body principles which creates our specific mental and physical characteristics.
12.Blood is purified and the body gets rid of foreign objects and toxins.

KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 2
KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA

Kapala means a skull and Bhati means to shine. Because this exercise makes your skull shine therefore it is called Kapalabhati. Like Bhastrika, Kapalabhati is a cleansing and invigorating pranayama. It is a wonderful exercise to cleanse the skull nicely. Kapalabhati is a variation of the bhastrika or bellows breath. This pranayama is specifically used for cleansing. If we have a lot of mucus in the air passages or feel tension and blockages in the chest it is often helpful to practice kapalabhati.

Kapalabhati involves forceful exhalations (Recaka) followed by passive inhalations (Puraka) but no holding of breath (Kumbhaka). It is rapid performance of Recaka (exhalation) and Puraka (inhalation) like emptying and filling up of the bellows of a blacksmith. Kapalabhati is well known as the destroyer of disorders caused by phlegm. In this exercise we deliberately breathe faster using only abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing but not chest breathing. In Kapalabhati breath is short, rapid and strong. We use our lungs as a pump, creating so much pressure as they expel the air that all the waste is removed from the air passages, from the lungs and up through the nostrils.

If you have high blood pressure, suffering from heart disease, ulcer or hernia then avoid doing kapalabhati.

TECHNIQUE
Kapalabhati Pranayama
Kapalabhati Pranayama
Sit in Padmasana, Svastikasana or in any comfortable posture of your choice. Keep your spine in an upright posture and take a few normal but deep breaths. Now forcefully expel all the air from your lungs then allow them to fill passively. The primary movement is from your diaphragm. Do Puraka and Rechaka so vigorously that you perspire profusely. There is no Kumbhaka in this exercise. But Rechaka plays a prominent part. Puraka is mild, slow and long and is best done by releasing the abdominal muscles, while Rechaka is forceful and quick and is done by contracting the abdominal muscle with a backward push. The important point to remember while doing this exercise is to keep the body, head and neck erect, and not to bend even a bit. Perform this movement ten times then allow your breathing to return to normal and observe the sensations in your body. Repeat these cycles of ten movements three to four times.

In the beginning you can have one round only consisting of 10 expulsions in the morning. That will suffice. In the second week you can do the same in the evening also. In the third week have two rounds in the morning and two in the evening. In this manner you can cautiously and slowly increase 10 expulsions to each round till you get 120 expulsions per round.

BENEFITS

The benefits of this exercise are even more alluring than Bhastrika. Few of these benefits are as follows:


1. The respiratory system and nasal passages are thoroughly cleansed.
2. The spasm in the bronchial tubes is removed.
3. Most of the respiratory track diseases like asthma and cold etc. are cured.
4. Digestive system is activated with liver and spleen becoming strong and efficient.
5. Blood circulatory sysytem is overhauled and impurities of the blood are eliminated.
6. With toning up of three systems complete health and vigour comes to life.

DIRGHA PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
DIRGHA PRANAYAMA
Dirgha Pranayama
Dirgha pranayama or complete breath is also known as "three parts breath." It focuses on the three chambers of lungs. First one is the lower level of the abdominal area just under the floating ribs which allows to be inflated like a balloon. Second one is the middle chest or thoracic region just under the sternum. Breathing into this area lifts your rib cage and expands and contracts the intercostal (intervals between the ribs) muscles. Third one is the upper chamber which is in the clavicle region, located in the area of the upper chest and shoulders, up to the collar bone.

Dirgha pranayama is a cleansing and balancing breathing exercise having prompt benefits. It involves consciously filling the three areas of your lungs. You start in the lower area, move up through the middle thoracic regions and finish with the upper or clavicle region. This breathing technique is based on the Law of Intention and Desire. Simply by shifting your intention as to where to direct your breath will give you deep sense of relaxation and relief in that region.
TECHNIQUE


Sit in Padmasana or Siddhasana or lie on your back in Savasana. Completely relax your body yet keeping it active and alive. If in sitting position then keep your spine straight. Close the eyes and begin to focus on the breath. Both the inhalations and exhalations are through your nostrils. For the first breath, inhale slowly and deeply directing air into your lower lungs consciously using your diaphragm. With each inhalation lift the torso. Expand the rib cage. When this is performed properly your belly should inflate. Place your hands on abdomen. With each inhalation, notice how much it expands. With each exhalation, become aware of the rib cage contracting. Release tension with each exhalation, allowing the belly to drop further into your hands.

As you exhale, deflate your belly, as if air were escaping from a balloon. Repeat this pattern
several times, drawing the air into your lungs’ lower chambers, maintaining smooth and rhythmic breathing. After you are comfortable with this first step, begin bringing air into the middle section of your lungs. Start by filling your lower regions as before then direct your inflow to your mid-lung region by opening your rib cage. You will feel your ribs expanding between your diaphragm and your chest. Inhale and exhale several times, filling both the bottom and middle areas of your lungs. Finally, draw air into the bottom and middle regions of your lungs then continue filling your upper lungs by breathing into your collarbones (clavicle). To see if you are fully breathing into the third chamber, place your fingers on one side of your clavicle bone, your thumb on the other side, cupping around your neck. Practice the complete breath so your inhalation and exhalations flow in a smooth, continuous motion, sequentially directing your attention from your diaphragm to your ribs to your clavicle. Envision this deep, conscious breathing nourishing the organs, tissues, and cells in your body, enabling them to perform their vital functions effortlessly. At all times keep the breath smooth, effortless, and rhytmic. Be aware of any tension in the body and release it through the exhalation.

If at any time you feel dizzy or light-headed stop exercise and relax for a few minutes then resume back. As a precaution spend shorter amounts of time practicing this pranayama.

BENEFITS


Dirgha pranayama is a wonderful tool for stimulating more internal awareness, calming the mind through the breath, and preparing you for deeper meditation. Dirgha pranayama calms the mind and relaxes the body, revitalizes the entire nervous system, delivers oxygen rich blood to the farthest area of the lungs, breaks irregular breathing patterns and habitual shallow breathing, improves digestion and elimination, helps relieve constipation, strengthens the abdominal muscles, diaphragm, heart and lungs, and soothes discomfort during menstruation.

UJJAYI PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
UJJAYI PRANAYAMA
The Ujjayi pranayama or “success breath” or “ocean breath” or “loud breath” can help settle your mind and body when you are feeling irritated, frustrated or overheated. It has a soothing and cooling effect.

The origins of the word “Ujjayi” are not known but its one interpretation is “leading to success” or "victorious." This breath allows you to stay focused and avoid unnecessary mental friction. Ujjayi creates a cooling influence at the back of the throat and has a balancing effect on both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Ujjayi breath is recommended when you feel yourself aggravated or upset and you will soon notice a prompt soothing effect. Ujjayi has a calming effect on the body and helps the mind to remain focused. It is also advisable while performing yoga poses to help stay focused as you move from one asana to the next. Ujjayi breathing is also useful while doing aerobic exercises. Olympic athletes have added Ujjayi to their trainings in order to enhance respiratory efficiency. If you perform Ujjayi pranayama while doing cardiovascular workout then you will feel how rapidly it reduces wear and tear in your body.

TECHNIQUE
Ujjay Pranayama
Sit in Padmasana and take a slightly deeper than normal breath. Inhale and exhale deeply through the mouth. On exhalation begin to tone the back of your throat, slightly constricting the passage of air so as when you breathe out it sounds like you are snoring. Imagine that you are fogging up a pair of glasses. The outflow of your breath is through your nose with your mouth loosed. Another way to get the hang of this practice is to first exhale the sound “haaah” with your mouth open. Now make a similar sound with your mouth closed, directing the outflow of air through our nasal passages. This should result in the desired breathy snoring sound. This is where the name of the breath comes from because it sounds like the ocean.

Once you are comfortable with exhale start applying the same technique of toning the throat to the inhales, gently constricting your throat as you inhale.


Another way to think about Ujjayi Breath is to visualize your throat as a garden hose, with the breath passing through like a trickle of water. If you put your thumb partially over the opening of the hose, you increase the power of the water that is coming through. This is the same thing you are doing with your throat during Ujjayi breathing. The air that comes in through your constricted throat is a powerful, directed breath that you can send into the parts of your body that need it during yoga.

When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a loud noise coming in and out of the nose. This is Ujjayi breath.

Remember your breath should be both long and smooth. The sound of Ujjayi is created by gently constricting the opening of the throat to create some resistance to the passage of air. Gently pulling the breath in on inhalation and gently pushing the breath out on exhalation against this resistance creates a well-modulated and soothing sound, something like the sound of ocean waves rolling in and out.

BENEFITS

Ujjayi Pranayama raises body heat the sound vibrations calm and focus the mind, letting you relax more. It also helps reduce high blood pressure and slow down heart rate. Alternatively, it can also be used to raise the blood pressure and heart rate. This however depends on whether you are practicing the Ashtanga (method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures) style of forceful Ujjayi or the meditative style of slow and soft Ujjayi. Ujjayi also helps in effectively curing pain reduction, insomnia and migraines. Most remarkable benefit of Ujjayi Pranayama is that it performs internal purification, activation and energizing along with outer control and conditioning all at the same time. Ujjayi Pranayama cures heat in the head as well as lung diseases like asthma, tuberculosis. It also improves digestive capacity and enhances functioning of the respiratory systems. Ujjayi is most effective for asthmatics as it corrects and strengthens the condition of the lungs and bronchiole linings.

SHITALI PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
SHITALI PRANAYAMA
Shitali (shee-tah-lee) Pranayama is great breathing exercise for summer time. This technique is used for healing the body of extreme hot weather and it cools down whole body from excessive heat waves. It clears the eyes and ears, satisfies the hunger and thirst, activates the liver function and improves process of digestion. Shitali is especially effective as part of summertime yoga practice, cooling the body from the inside out and can help ease the restlessness we feel when weather is just too hot. Shitali Pranayama reduces mental tension and emotional excitement; relaxes the muscles, purifies the blood, tones the liver and spleen, reduces stomach acidity and improves digestion and reduces blood pressure.

Avoid Shitali Pranayama if you have any heart problem, cold, asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. This breath cools the body so it is best done in hot weather or at the end of a vigorous yoga session.

TECHNIQUE

Shitali Pranayama
Shitali basically involves rolling the tongue then inhaling through it like a straw. Sit in a comfortable asana like Padmasana or Siddhasana. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose for getting prepared. Roll the tongue, curling the sides in towards the center to form a tube. Stick the end of the tongue out between your pursed lips. If you can’t roll your tongue, just try to raise the sides as far as you can or just stick it out. Alternatively just purse the lips making a small “o” shape with the mouth. Inhale through this tube of the tongue. Draw in breath through your curled tongue as if you’re sipping through a straw. Fill your lungs fully. When your lungs are full, bring your tongue into your mouth and close your mouth and lower your chin slightly and retain the breath for a few seconds. Then exhale through the nose. Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect also, if you suffer from chronic constipation avoid this breath.

Do not practice more than ten rounds at a time. While practicing Shitali for the first time you may catch cold or get a sore throat. In that case it is better to stop further practice.

BENEFITS

It cools the whole body and the nervous system. It will have a pacifying and relieving effect for various troubles such as headache, fever etc. It activates liver and spleen, improve digestion and relieve thirst. Shitali pranayama is highly recommended as an immediate remedy for nervousness.

CHAKRA PRANAYAMA

Thursday, October 21, 2021 0
CHAKRA PRANAYAMA
Chakra Pranayama
The nose has a left and a right side; we use both to inhale and exhale. Actually they are different; you would be able to feel the difference.

The right side represents the sun, left side represents the moon. During a headache, try to close your right nose and use your left nose to breathe. In about 5 mins, your headache will be gone?

If you feel tired, just reverse, close your left nose and breathe through your right nose. After a while, you will feel your mind is refreshed.

Right side belongs to 'hot', so it gets heated up easily, left side belongs to 'cold'. Most females breathe with their left noses, so they get "cooled off" faster.

Most of the guys breathe with their right noses, they get worked up. Do you notice the moment we wake up, which side breathes faster? Left or right? ? If left is faster, you will feel tired. So, close your left nose and use your right nose for breathing, you will get refreshed quickly. This can be taught to kids, but it is more effective when practised by adults.

This alternative natural therapy without medication is something that has been experienced.