| By N.R.Manchanda |
We breathe all the time. Breath is our life, yet we need not be aware that we are breathing. However, if we cultivate the habit to be aware of our breathing just for 1 minute every hour of our working hours, we would be in control of a very powerful tool to manage our stress in day to day living. The asanas and mudras along with pranayama remove harmful thoughts from the mind, calming the mind and increasing concentrations. It sharpens the intellect, thereby benefitting persons doing intellectual work as well as persons who are striving for self realisation. By regulating prana one can regulate the mind and body. The mind is not confined merely to brain. It is present in every cell of the body. We all breathe but few of us breathe correctly. Pranayama is the art of breathing. Yogas give a lot of importance to maintaing the normal rhythm of breathing. Good breathing should be natural smooth rythmatic and not strenuous ( a normal person breathes around 15 to 20 times in a single minute). Spending an hour or so doing exercises is a good way of ensuring that the body gets enough oxygen. Yoga claims to have beneficial effect on breathing and the body in general, if carried out regularly, it eliminates stress and brings about a better sense of well being. It gives a lot of importance to maintaining the normal rythm of breathing available during the exercises or asanas. Shavasana a popular asana of relaxing the mind and the body in the pose of a dead body, gives a lot of attention to normal breathing. Again pranayama which itself means a component in yoga which helps in practice of normal and correct breathing. Regular practice of pranayama and breathing exercises will ensure proper oxygenation of all parts of the body and cure many deseases. |
| Pranayama |
| PRANAYAMA How to perform Pranayama - pranayama should be performed in clean, noise free and open space. - pranayama should be performed in one of sukhasana, padmasana, shidasana. Sit on the floor crossed legged. It is called sukhasana. Rest your hands on the knees with palms upwards and fingers half with half bent in a relaxed position. Sit erect and still. However avoid stiffness. Gently close the eyes. - breathing should be through nose not mouth. - pranayama should be performed 4 or 5 hours after food, perfectly empty stomach. - some pranayama generate heat in the body, some bring coolness in the body. - if you get tired with some type of pranama, change to another. - pranayama is controlling of breathing, so it should be taken in lungs, not stomach and should be done with ease and comfort. - while performing pranayama, think of OM. - pranayama should be performed slowly and calmly. Its performing time should be increased in steps. 1st few days 5 to 10 minutes, and then increase to half or 1 hour. |
| Few important pranayama methods 1. Kapalbhati 2. Anulsma-vilsma pranayama 3. Bhastrika 4. Bhrimari 5. Narishodhan |
| 1 Kapalbhati Sit in padmasan or sukhasan and rest the hand on knees in one of the mudras. Inhale and exhale very rapidly. note: This pranayam should not be performed in monsoon season, in very cold weather or during travel because the blood vessels may get damaged. Kapalbhati removes kapha from blood vessels. As a result the lungs become clean and healthy 2 Anuloma- Viloma Sit in padmasan or sukhasan and face the north or east, press the right nostrail with the thumb of the right hand. Exhale completely through the left nostrail, then inhale slowly and evenly through the left nostrail. When the inhale is complete, close the left nostrail with middle finger and exhale through right nostrail. Anuloma- Viloma cures weakness, acidity, asthma, sinus and other diseases connected with throat, cold and cough. 3. Bhastrika Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana. Inhale completely with the nostril in the lungs, after few moments exhale fully out. This can be done slowly or faster depending on individual This can be done for about 3-5 minutes. Bhatrika cures tonsils, thoriod and other deseases connected with throat and cold cough. 4. Bhrimari Pranayama 5. Narishodhan Pranayama Sit in Sukhasana with one of the mudra and try to inhale and exhale like anulsma and vilsma. Pray and concentrate on breathing. This pranayama has the same effects as anuloma viloma. It is also beneficial due to sitting in mudra. It also helps in curing same diseases as above. |
| Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana. Close your eyes. Keep your index fingers on the forehead, keep middle and ring fingers on the eyes softly and close ears with the thumbs. Now exhale and inhale with both nostrails creating bee like noise. Do it at least 3 times, you can increase 11 to 21 times. Bhirmari relieves tension, overpowers the unstable mind. It increases concentration and even diseases connected to throat. |