Yogic Breathing Prayer Cosmic Energy, vitalize all the cells of my body; recharge my mind with boundless inspiration; fill my soul with thy inexhaustible joy. We know that thoughts are never steady and they travel faster than light. Yogic breathing is an easy method to control the mind. Breathing is simple and so obvious that we often take it for granted, ignoring the power, it affects body, mind and spirit. With every inhale we bring oxygen in the body and Spark the transformation of nutrients into fuel. Daily practice of Yogic breathing awakens one’s Kundalini as well as Chakras or centers and the practicner eventually attains the state of Samadhi. Deep breathing helps retain health, youth and longevity. The habit of deep breathing exercises the respiratory organs and ensures proper blood circulation. Here you will find a sequence of five important breathing exercises to fit your body, mind and soul.Continue to meditate in this way for 10 to 20 minutes. Regular practice is required in order to experience the benefits of meditation. Deep Breathing Deep breathing provides extra oxygen to the blood and causes the body to release endorphins, which are naturally occurring hormones that re-energize and promote relaxation. Deep breathing can be done anytime, anywhere. How to do it Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable and Sit down. Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Become aware of each breath and Concentrate on how your body feels. If your mind wanders back to the problem creating the stress, make yourself return to the problem thought and stay therefore a few minutes. Slowly inhale through the nose Envision your lungs filling up from your belly to your collarbones. At the top of the breath, pause a split second before exhaling. Let the air out from the collarbone back down to the belly, and squeeze the abs a bit to make sure it is all out. Reverse the process as you exhale. Do this exercise for three to five minutes whenever you feel tense. Benefits • Generates internal heat. • Focuses the mind. • Increases mindfulness. • It calms the mind removes tension and improves the respiratory efficiency. Bellows or Bhastrika Pranayam Bhastrika is a breathing technique used specifically for cleansing. We have a lot of mucus in the air passages or feel tension and blockages in the chest. In this practice we deliberately breathe faster, and at the same time use only abdominal (that is, diaphragmatic) breathing, not chest breathing. In Bhastrika we use the lungs as a pump, creating so much pressure as they expel the air that all the rubbish is cleared from the air passages, from the lungs. How to do it Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position, with eyes closed. Now exhale deeply, and then inhale to your maximum capacity, with sound and force. Exhale in the same way. Continue this process 30 to 40 times if you can; but stop whenever you begin to feel uneasy. Next, exhale completely and form the pranayam mudra by closing the middle and fore fingers. Close your left nostril with your right thumb. Inhale to your maximum capacity through your right nostril.Then, perform the three bandhas. • Jalandhar Bandh :- Put Pressure on muscles of neck and bend chin forward. • Uddiyan Bandh :- Hold Stomach inward. • Mulbandh Hold :- Rectum upward and hold your breath as long as possible. Release bandh and exhale slowly through the left nostril. This completes one round of Bhastrika Pranayam.This can be practiced three to four times. Beginners should do only the first part of this pranayama.After doing this pranayam; relax for a while with your eyes closed till you feel your mind is free of all thoughts. Benefits This is the only breathing exercise that removes all ailments relating to the three doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha).It is very good for ones mental and physical health. It cures depression, tiredness, insomnia, phobia and anxiety. It gives one a feeling of calm and peace. It purifies the five bodies i.e. annamay kosh, pranamay kosh,manomay kosh,vigyanmay kosh and anandmay kosh.. It also awakens the chakras and kundalini,and unleashes ones hidden power. Alternate Nostril Breathing or Anulom Vilom Anulom Vilom means spontaneous reversal with this technique. You have to control the flow of air through left and right nostrils with awareness. This is an advanced technique and difficult in the beginning but when mastered with some initial efforts it enhances your concentration manifolds, totally relaxes your body and mind and helps induce a state of deep meditation. How to do it Sit in Vajrasan or comfortably, spine erect with hands on the knees. With the right thumb close the right nostril, inhale through the left nostril. When inhalation is over, close the left nostril with the last two fingers and exhale through the right nostril. After complete exhalation, inhale slowly through right nostril. Close the right nostril and exhale through left nostril. And observe the breathing process. Be aware of every inhalation and exhalation. Close your eyes and be aware of the inside of the bridge of your nose and your left nostril. Inhaling from left and exhaling from the right and then inhaling from the right and exhaling from the left completes one cycle of Anulom-Vilom pranayam. Repeat few cycles. Benefits • Brings tranquility and peace of mind. • Removes mental fatigue. • Improves respiratory efficiency. The bee breath or Bhramari Bhramari Pranayama the name is derived from the word for the black Indian bumble bee, Bhramari; it describes the characteristic humming sound which is produced while exhaling in this breathing exercise. It means “sweet as honey" in Sanskrit or "that which produces ecstasy". Bhramari has an immediate relaxing effect on the brain. If it is practiced some minutes every day it can reduce mental tensionand lower high blood pressure. How to do it Sit with your spine erect and inhale through both nostrils, taking a slow deep breath in. Exhale through both nostrils using the throat to make a soft "ommmm" sound, like the buzzing of a bee. Do 5-10 rounds, making the buzzing bee noise louder as you progress, but do not strain. Benefits • Soothes the nerves and calms the mind. Precaution during all yogic breathing • Never practice yogic breathing after a meal, inhale and exhale very slowly. • To remain healthy, stay happy. It is very important to reduce stress levels. • Happiness is very essential for remaining fit. • Laugh loudly every day and release all tension. • Regular exercise for about 30 minutes. • Control your weight. • Eat a healthy diet. Reduce sodium or salt intake. • Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water daily. • Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. • Take advice from the yoga expert if you have any disease. • Be careful not to over do the breathing, especially inhalation. The yogic practice of non violence must be adhered to when engaging in the practice of Pranayam.Respect your body's limitations and inner wisdom. If someone feels wrong during perform a breathing exercise. Please consult your health care practitioner before starting yoga, pranayama or other breathing exercise. Source: I/N
There are various type of breathing techniques. The base of all these techniques is Complete Yoga Breathing. This Complete Yoga Breathing in Yoga is very much suitable for beginners. How to Do it: 1. Abdominal breathing: place hands on abdomen and relax it as you inhale, squeeze as you exhale. Continue until this breath feels natural and comfortable 2. Lower rib cage breathing: place your hands to the sides of your lower ribs and let them expand outwards as you inhale and return to resting as you exhale 3. Upper rib cage breathing: Place your hands beneath your armpits and as you inhale feel your ribs pressing out into your hands. Feel also the expansion between the shoulder blades and around the heart. The shoulders and upper chest are also gently swelling with the inward breath. 4. Optional collar bone breathing: Place hands on collar bones and feel them spreading apart as you inhale into the uppermost part of the lungs. 5. Combine all these areas into a smooth flowing inward and outward breath pattern. Benefits: 1. Helps to improve psychological and stress-related disorders, immune function, hypertension and asthma 2. Increases oxygen supply, 3. Massages internal organs 4. May improve posture
