Yoga Breathing Exercises for Energy and Tranquility

 

Yoga breathing which is known as pranayama yoga is the first step toward re-orienting and improving the functioning of your mind and body by learning to optimise the breathing process. The Yogis were the first to discover the importance of oxygen and breath control and devised an exact science of breathing. They called it PRANA-YAMA, from the Sanskrit word prana meaning breath, and yama, its cessation. Pranayama implies correct breathing and breath control.

 

Before starting with pranayama, it will be worthwhile to understand what is generally wrong with our breathing process and why Proper Breathing is required. Also, it is important to understand the basic philosophy of Yogic Breathing. The purpose of yoga breathing exercises is to supply the body with oxygen and cleanse it of carbon dioxide and other toxins.

Oxygen in the blood is vital for

• Assimilation of food we eat for full filling body's various needs like rebuilding tissues, supplying energy.

• Stimulating the functioning of the endocrine glands.

• Providing energy for functioning of brain, nerves, heart and other vital organs.

• Distribution of vital energy throughout the body.

But most of us are unaware of the fact that the loss of energy/ prana we often feel in our body is mostly due to incorrect breathing. Generally, we may be utilising only a small portion of our lung capacity. This inadequate supply of oxygen results in improper waste disposal from our body. The body functions are slowed down and the cells/ tissues fail to regenerate themselves due to lack of sufficient energy.

With pranayama practice you can increase your intake of oxygen upto five times. This means you can get rid of five times of carbon dioxide from your body. You can imagine the improvement in your health by doing Pranayama.

There are three stages of yoga breathing process

• Inhalation which is called (puraka), fills the lungs with air and stimulates the whole body.

• Retention, is called (kumbhaka) during retention the bodies temperature is raised and the oxygen is absorbed.

• Exhalation, is called (rechaka) here the diaphragm is returned to its original position and toxic air is released into the atmosphere.

Unless otherwise specified, generally the ratio between inhalation, retention and exhalation is 1:4:2.

Types of Yoga Breathing (Pranayama)

Following are the pranayama exercises you can practice

• Rhythmic breathing and deep breathing Harmonise your body with your breath

• Alom Vilom Ideal Pranayama for Healthy Heart

• Kapalabhati Ideal for respiratory system, boosts memory

• Agnisar Takes care of your abdomen/ digestive organs/intestines.

• Bhastrika Ideal for diseases of the nose, chest and cures Asthma

• Surya Bhedi Warms up the body in winters

• Chandra Bhedi Cools the body in summer

• Ujjayi Cures asthama, cough, cold and diseases of nose and ears

• Bhramri Pranayama Increases blood circulation, stimulates thyroid glands

• Shitali Pranayama Has a cooling effect, makes you beautiful

• Shitkari Pranayama Has a cooling effect, makes you beautiful

Before starting the practice of yoga breathing, there are certain guidelines for pranayama which must be followed for optimum results. A healthy person can start with any type of pranayama. But for people with sedentary lifestyles and poor health, it is advisable first start with Asanas to tune the body for few days and then start with pranayama.

It is advisable to start pranayama from a teacher. But if you do not find a yoga teacher and want to start learning on your own, start very gradually with deep breathing, alom vilom for 2-3 weeks and then you can start other pranayama like Kapalabhati and Bhastrika. For weak people, even practice of alom vilom alone is known to produce remarkable results for healing and relaxation. Pranayama practice needs a relaxed state on mind. Do not rush through to complete a number of repetitions. If you have less time on a particular day, do a few pranayama exercises or reduce the number of repetitions.

Pranayama Can Change Lives. Pranayama help you to stay youthful, supple, slim and full of vital energy. Pranayama results in better mind control. The more you increase your supply of prana/ oxygen, the greater will be your sense of well-being. Pranayama lays the foundation for practice of asanas, relaxation, concentration and meditation.

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