Yogic breathing or pranayama revitalizes the body, steadies the emotions and creates great clarity of mind. In all these exercises exhalation, rather than inhalation, is accentuated. This is because correct exhalation cleanses the lungs and speeds the elimination of toxins from your body. Before practising the exercises, you should be sure that you understand how to breathe correctly, making full use of the diaphragm.
The mechanics of breathing
During yoga asanas, you breathe through your nose. When you inhale, your diaphragm moves downward and air is drawn into your lungs via your trachea and bronchial tubes. When you exhale, your diaphragm moves upward and pushes the air out of your lungs.
Pranayama teaches you how to breathe effectively. These exercises are most effective at sunrise or early hours of the morning and should be done facing eastwards. However, before starting with the various Prananyarna exercises it is necessary to keep in mind certain basic instructions.
- Place: The Pranayama must be practised regularly in a room that is airy.
- Food: A small cup of milk or fruit juice should be taken before starting Pranayama and another cup of milk after the practice.
- Hygiene: Before starting Pranayama, the body should be clean and free of impurities. You should bathe at least half an hour after the Pranayama exercise.
- Clothes: Wear loose-fitting clothes and avoid constricting collars, ties and tight belts.
- Intoxication: Do not use tobacco in any form and do not drink alcohol. Cigarette or tobacco smoke injures every part of the respiratory organs.
- Health: It is advisable to avoid doing Pranayama exercises when one is in impaired health or suffering from some serious ailment. Women should not do any strenuous or vigorous exercise during pregnancy.
- Sex: Celibacy will give better results. Those who cannot observe this rule should be moderate in sex.
- Breathing: You should breathe through your nose and not via the mouth. Inhalation and exhalation must be silent, slow, deep and easy without any discomfort or strain. Pranayama must be practised in a state of relaxation.
- Others: Too much talking, sleeping, eating should be avoided.
- Posture: For doing Pranayama exercises the three best known seated postures are Sukhasana, the easy posture, Sidhsana the perfect posture; and Padamasana, the lotus posture. You can select the posture according to your convenience, depending upon your age and suppleness. But in all the postures, the head should be kept erect while the neck, shoulders and the back should be straight.
Lying Down: Lie flat on your back. Your legs should be relaxed, as is the rest of your body. Put one hand on your abdomen. Breathe slowly and gently, feel your abdomen rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Keep your breathing slow, deep, and relaxed. Deep abdominal breathing exercises the diaphragm. Proper use of this muscle can greatly enhance your breathing capacity. This movement is important, as it brings air to the lowest and largest portion of your lungs.
Sitting Up: Sit up straight, placing one hand on your abdomen and the other on your lower ribcage. Imagine that you can see your lungs. First, draw air into the lowest part of your lungs. Next, pull air into the middle of your lungs by stretching your intercostal muscles. Finally, feel the upper portion of your lungs expand. Most people breathe too shallowly, which should be avoided.
Yoga breathing exercises
In these breathing exercises, adopt the Vishnu Mudra with your right hand to close your nostrils. Tuck your index and middle fingers in to your palm and raise your hand to your nose. Place the thumb by your right nostril and your ring and little fingers by your left.
Single Nostril Breathing: Sit with your legs crossed in the Easy Pose and your back straight. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Exhale completely through the left. Inhale to a count of four, then exhale to a count of eight. Repeat five times. Close your left nostril with your ring and little fingers. Breathe through your right nostril, using the method given above. Repeat five times.
Alternate Nostril Breathing: When you are comfortable with Single Nostril Breathing, try breathing with alternate nostrils for a few rounds. Inhale with one nostril, but exhale with the other. Start a round by inhaling with the left nostril. Close it with your hand, then exhale right. Inhale right, close your right nostril, and exhale left. Do 10 of these rounds daily.
Full Alternate Nostril Breathing or Anuloma Viloma: When you are comfortable with the preliminaries, begin full Alternate Nostril Breathing. Holding your right hand in Vishnu Mudra, close your right nostril with your thumb. Exhale fully through the left, then go through another round.
Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati is one of the six Kriyas or purification practices, besides being a pranayama. The forced exhalation rids the lower lungs of stale air, making way for afresh intake of oxygen-rich air and cleansing the entire respiratory system. This is a wonderfully invigorating exercise to begin your pranayama and consists of a series of exhalations and inhalations, followed by a retention of breath. For one round of Kapalabhati you need to:
- Pull in your abdominal muscles forcefully, as though you have been punched in the belly. Your diaphragm will move up quickly, and this will push the air out of your lungs.
- To take in air, relax your abdominal muscles and let your diaphragm descend. Do not force the inhalation.
Points to Remember:
- Relax your face. Keep your mouth closed, and breathe through your nose.
- Keep your torso straight and do not lean forward.
- To keep a comfortable, straight pose, sit with a cushion under your buttocks when performing pranayama.
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