Pranayama is a natural Respiratory Exerciser

One of the medical products available in the market is known as respiratory exerciser. This is usually a simple instrument which contains three columns and a small plastic ball contained in each column. When you breathe into the machine depending on the strength with which you blow the air into it, the balls will go up the column. This is used to test the lung capacity and strength and at the same time to increase the lung strength.
If you blow air in a weak manner only one ball will go up where as if you breathe out or blow with more strength all the three balls will go up, indicating better lungs capacity. Patients who are recovering from lung infection, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases suffer from poor capacity. This affects the capacity of the body to do any work.
For any work or activity which we do oxygen is required in the lungs and the blood. If the lungs are weak its capacity to capture and hold oxygen also gets reduced. These patients are advised to blow into a respiratory exerciser every how for few times so that the lungs become stronger gradually. With practice lungs regain the capacity to capture and hold more oxygen and body then can heal faster and patient is able to recover from the disease.

Kapalbhati Pranayama for Energizing the Lungs

In yoga special importance is placed on breathing exercises which have many health benefits. Kapalbhati pranayama is one of the common pranayama which can be practiced to regain lung capacity and recover from many respiratory diseases.
To practice Kapalbhati pranayama, sit in any meditative poses.
Close your eyes and just concentrate on exhalation and if you are trying to throw out the air from the lungs through the nose. With you exhale, the stomach will go in automatically but do not try to deliberately contract the stomach. This will happen automatically. Repeatedly keep on exhaling and do not think about inhalation. That will happen automatically.
If you are a beginner do this pranayama slowly and stop once you are tired. After some rest start again and then again take rest after some time. In a week or so you will see that lung capacity has increased tremendously. The oxygen levels in the body will improve and you will feel healthier.
If you regularly practice this pranayama for 15 minutes to 30 minutes every day many diseases of the upper body are cured. For example regular pranayama practice can act as cure for migraine problems, remedy for sinus infection, asthma and lungs problems are also cured.
If you are suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure you should do this pranayama slowly. Slow practice will also give the benefits in the long run and if this is done along with anulom vilom pranayama blockages of arteries in the heart are also removed and the arteries also lose their hardness.

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Bandhas in Yoga - Yogic Locks

Photo Credit : frankdasilva ~ Flickr

Bandhas play an important part in Yoga. Bandha is a sanskrit word which means lock or blockage or a knot. They are traditionally practiced to lock the pranic energy and thereby enhancing the effects of the accompanying pose or pranayama. Bandhas are practiced after exhalation and on completion inhalation is done.

Practicing Bandhas help in controlling physical, emotional and psychic functions and when done properly for a long time and under proper guidance helps in rising the life force energy (Kundalini) to the top most chakra.

Bandhas helps gain more control on the psychic level and the awareness level. As per yogic theory there are two nadis( channels) of energy flows which are ida and pingala. When the energy flow between these is balanced the energy flow gets directed to a third channel which is known as susumna. There are seven chakras where the ida and pingala nadis meet. The pranic energy (Life force) flows through these chakras but for normal person they are not in our control.

Practicing asana and prayama gradually balances the energy flow in the ida and pingala and gradually energy starts flowing through a third channel called Susumna channel. When this happens Kundalini gets awakened and gradually reaches the highest chakra in the brain which is called Sahasrar chakra. This is the ultimate aim of yoga practice. Practicing the bandhas help in rising of the Kundalini through the chakras and take it to the highest chakra. This provides liberation to the yogi.

There are three Bandhas which are as follows:

Moola Bandha
Here the perineum region (region between the anus and the reproductive organ) is contracted and hence helps in controlling the sexual energy. When sexual energy is controlled it starts rising above. This bandha is associated with two chakras, Mooldhara and Swadhistan chakras. People with problem of either impotency or too much sexual urges should practice this bandha.

Uddiyan Bandha
In this Bandha, the navel is pulled inwards and the stomach region is locked. This is associated with Manipur and Anahata chakras. This region controls the digestion process and the emotions.

Jalandhar Bandha In this Bandha, the chin is touched to the throat thereby locking the neck region. This is related to Vishuddhi and Ajna chakras. This bandha is associated with upper body glands like thyroid, pituitary and pineal glands. This affects the thinking and the perception or universe and the environment apart from enhancing the functioning of these glands.

When these Bandhas are practiced together it is known as Maha Bandha (Big Lock).

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Cooling yourself with Sheetali Pranayama

Pranayama, which are series of breathing techniques were part of day to day life of Indians till few decades back. Many religious rituals involved pranayama so while saying their daily prayers twice in the day children were doing pranayama as a part of their rituals and it came naturally to them. Gradually ritualistic worship is no longer in vogue. People just go to temple and ask the priests to offer their prayers.

When I talk to people in the workplace or those known to me, I find that they all have heard about pranayama. They know that it has to do with breathing though not sure about how to go about it. Thanks to Swami Ramdev, pranayama has been again popularized in India in last few years.

Most of us now that pranayama are yogic breathing exercises which are practiced by yogis. Pranayama is practiced to build up lung power and control and then it stills the mind and and helps the yogi climb the spiritual ladder faster. Pranayama also has many physical benefits.

Most of the pranayama involves breathing through the nose, but there are few pranayamas where breathing is done through the mouth. Sheetali pranayama is one of them. This pranayama cools down the body, so it should be done in summers. Since breathing will be done through the mouth it is advisable not to practice this in polluted places.

Steps to practice Sheetali Pranayama

1. Sit straight in a stable position like Vajrasana on Padmasana.
2. Stick out your tongue and fold it so that it creates a small circular passage for the air to pass.
3. Inhale slowly from the mouth so that air passes through this passage.
4. Now close the mouth and exhale through the nose.

Practice this for 5 minutes slowly. Later when you gain expertise you can retain breath after inhalation and then slowly exhale.

Do not practice this pranayama if you are suffering from cold, throat problem or other lung diseases or in the winters.

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Throat Breathing For Relaxation

When we practice the different poses of yoga sometimes we give more importance the poses and less to the relaxation after the practice. Relaxation is equally important part of yoga practice. Relaxing properly will ensure that the tiredness is minimum, mind becomes stable and we can feel the affect of the poses on the various body parts on a deeper level.

After the practice of Asanas there are various ways to relax like Shavasana or deep breathing while the body is loose. Throat breathing is another technique which is an easy way to relax and remove tiredness. This is basically a variation of Ujjayi Pranayama and relaxes all mind and the body. In Ujjayi Pranayama the awareness is more on the throat. The air we breathe passes through the throat to the lungs but we are usually not aware of this phenomena. This Pranayama aims to bring the awareness to this region and helps in relaxation.

The steps for this relaxation technique is very simple and anyone can practice this. This can be practiced in both sitting and lying position. If you do it for some time the experience which you will have is similar to what we have just before we go to deep sleep.

Steps to Practice Throat Breathing

1. Lie down on the mat in Shavasana and adjust the body so that it is in its most relaxed state. You can also sit in a meditative pose like Padmasana or Vajrasana and make sure that the spine is straight.


2. Close your eyes and start breathing and make slight effort to ensure that the air touches the top of the throat while passing. Try to observe the noise of air touching the throat. The noises will be different while inhaling and exhaling. While inhaling it will like "sa" and while exhaling it will be like "pa".


3. The sound should not be too loud but you should be able to hear that.


4. Do it slowly and with deep breathing.


5. Do this for 5 minutes and then come out slowly from the pose after being still for some time.

As a variation it is also practice with tip of the tongue touching the upper floor of the mouth. This is known as Kechari Mudra.

Benefits
This pranayama will relax you completely and drain out the tiredness and nervous tension in all the muscles of the body.

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Yoga Tip - Rejuvenate and Improve Concentration with Nadi Shodhan

Concentration and stress are related to each other. When you are stressed out you can concentrate on any task. Reducing stress improves the concentration and increases you decision making capacity in day to day tasks. Using a simple Pranayama you get double benefit of reducing the stress and improving the concentration plus other benefits.

Here is how you can improve your concentration with this variation Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. This technique is very simple and here is how you do it and most important part is the practice as usual.

Sit in a quite place and concentrate on the breathing. Start imagining that you are inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.

Here are the steps.

1. Imagine that the inhalation is from the left nostril.


2. Imagine exhaling from right nostril.


3. Now again imagine that you are now inhaling from right nostril.


4. Finally exhale from the left nostril.

This is one round. Do this for 12 rounds.

Initially it will be difficult but with practice you will see that you will have more controls on both the nostrils. Imagination is very important initially and only concentrate on one nostril at a time even if you are aware that other nostril is being used. Gradually you will gain total control on the nostrils and you will be able to breathe from the respective nostrils at will.

Benefits

1. Rejuvenates and oxygenates the nervous system


2. Improves concentration and control on the breathing.


3. You can meditate easily


4. Balances the energy flow on both the sides of the body and makes you more stable mentally and therefore increases your decision making capacity.


5. Reduces stress.


6. Beneficial in high blood pressure

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What is Pranayama?

Patanjali divided yoga into eight limbs and out of eight limbs of Yoga. The fourth limb of yoga is known as Pranayama. There are various interpretation of the word Pranayama out of which most popularly accepted explanation is "Regulating the breath so as to make it slow and subtle, leading to the experience of the steady flow of life force energy (prana)."

Practice of Pranayama includes three breathing practices that include Rechaka (exhalation), Puraka (inhalation) and Kumbhaka (intentional holding of the breath). When breath is held inside the lungs it is called Antar Kumbhaka (Inner Kumbhaka), and when breath is held after exhalation it is called Bahya Kumbhaka (Outer Kumhaka).

There are various different kinds of Pranayama, each of them having different technique. The effect of each Pranayama is also different. The common thread between all the techniques is that, all of them lead to control of breath and ultimately to control of mind and prepares us for the next limb of Yoga, which is called Pratyahara, which means drawing the senses inwards and getting detached.

Apart from leading to Pratyahara , Pranayama also helps in cure from various diseases as it increases the Pranic energy (Vital Life Force). It also leads to balance in breathing from both nostrils, which means that both the hemispheres of brain get balanced. It is very easy to concentrate and meditate immediately after practicing pranayama as the mind is in a very calm state during that stage.

Ramdev Effect
Usually Pranayama is recommended by several gurus to be taken up after mastering the asanas as this will prepare the body for Pranayama. However there are several easier versions or modified version of Pranayama, which are mostly popularized by yoga guru Shri Ramdev which has brought Pranayama to door steps of common man. There are millions of people in India who practice Pranayama with Shri Ramdev from 5 am in the morning in their homes following the live telecast from various camps in India. Pranayama is at its peak of popularity in India today, more than it ever was in history. More than 80 million people follow him on TV. In every camp several patients provide testimonials about almost miraculous cures.

I have written few posts on Pranayama which are mentioned below in the Recent Post. Most important part for beginners is to practice without breath retension and people with high blood pressure and heart diseases should practice very slowly.

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Bhramri Pranayama - Get Rid of Nervous Tension

Bhramri Pranayama is one of the easiest Pranayama to perform and is very beneficial for curing stress and nervous tension. Bhramri means humming sound of bee or wasp. While practicing this humming sound is produced, hence this pranayama is known as Bhramari Pranayama. Usually it is performed at the end of the yoga session.

How to Practice Bhramri Pranayama

Technique to practice Bhramri Pranayama is very simple and even children can learn it very easily.

1. Sit in any asana where in you spine is straight, like Padmasana, Ardh Padmasana, Vajrasana etc.


2. Using both hands close ears with thumbs, put the index fingers on forehead, middle fingers are placed gently on the closed eyes making sure not to press them. Rest remaining two fingers on base of nose nearer to the eyes.


3. Breathe in slowly and to your full capacity.


4. Concentrate your mind on Ajna Chakra (between eye-brows) and try to imagine a ball of light, or any spiritual symbol, or any god/goddess whom you worship. Close your mouth. Start making humming sound of a bee from the throat. Do not make any conscious effort to exhale, just concentrate on the humming sound. This way you will automatically lengthen the exhalation.
   
   You should be able to feel the vibrations in the upper organs. Try to adjust the thumb in the ear to a position wherein the vibrations are maximum when you are humming.


5. Once exhalation is complete, again inhale deeply and follow step 4. Repeat the exercise upto 7 times and then gradually increase to 11 and then to 21 times according to your capacity.


6. After you finish the desired number of rounds sit quietly while hands are placed on your knees. You will experience that the vibrations lasts for minutes after the pranayama is completed and you can feel the bliss.


7. After few minutes of sitting quietly, perform palming by rubbing you palms vigorously and heating them up. Them cup the eyes with palms placed gently on your eyes, taking care not to press the eyes.

Benefits of Bhramri Pranayama

1. This pranayama energizes the region above the neck, including eyes, ears, throat etc. But the most beneficial effect is on the brain as the stress is released. Putting the fingers on the forehead increase the awareness and helps us to concentrate on the effects of the pranayama. The energy flows from our fingers on to the sense organs like nose, ears, eyes and soothes them.


2. This pranayama calms down the nerves and has a extremely sooting affect. It also give the practitioner the taste of meditation, as the effect is quite similar to that.


3. This is also beneficial in Hypertension and increases confidence.


4. If children practice this pranayama regularly it helps them in studies by increasing their memory and concentration power.


5. This pranayama also increases the vital capacity of the lungs and helps practice deep breathing.

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Benefits of Padmasana - Yoga Lotus Pose

Padmasana (Lotus Pose) is one of the poses which is used for meditation. It is the most recommended pose for sitting in meditative poses and Pranayama. At the same time this pose is difficult for most people to achieve as this requires flexibility in the leg muscles. But with practice it is possible to remove the stiffness in the legs and sit in Padmasana. In future I will be writing about preparatory asanas which removes the stiffness and prepares us for this pose.

Padmasana Basics

In Padmasana sole of each foot rests on the opposite thigh as close as possible to the pubic bone. The hands rest on the knees, with the index finger and thumb joining each other in a circle, rest of the fingers straight in Dhyan Mudra.

Padmasana, provides the back natural curve of spine and back does not tire easily because it is easier to keep the back straight. If we sit cross legged without Padmasana, our body is in contact with the floor only with the buttocks and part og the shins resting on the toes. In this way of sitting back is not straight in it natural position and we need to exert pressure on the back to keep it straight. This puts stress on the back and it starts tiring very early. Where as if we practice sitting in Padmasana in correct manner in which the knees start touching the floor, it becomes almost like a tripod which provide 3 points of contact on the floor for our body. Also the two knees and buttocks are at the ground level, and it provides a steady and stable base for the body to be straight.

Benefits of Padmasana

Since the back is straight and spine is in its natural curve position, it is excellent pose for meditation as the body is alert and not stressed. This will prevent yogi from dozing off during the meditation at the same time makes it easier to sit in meditation, which is essential in the long run for the Sadhana.

This asana is very appropriate for Pranayama and it helps to move the flow of Prana from the lower spine to to head as it helps achieve proper spine position required for flow of pranic energy(Life force energy).

Nerves in the lower region of the body is massaged, and it increases the blood flow to the lower region of the body therefore toning lower back and abdomen. This also removes stiffness in knees and ankles.

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Kapalbhati Pranayama

Kapalbhati pranayama is one of the most popular Pranayama practiced. Kapal means forehead and Bhati means light. Practicing the pranayama brings luster to the face and forehead and hence its name.

This pranayama has been popularized in India in last seven to eight years by Swami Ramdev and today millions of Indians do it everyday. We hear almost miraculous healing experiences of people who practice it daily. For people suffering from more chronic problem they should practice it twice daily. If this pranayama is followed by Nadi Shodhan pranayama the benefits increase.

Kapalbhati should be done after Jal Neti for throwing out excess water.

How Kapalbhati Pranayama is done?

Kapalbhati is also easy to do and learn. People suffering from High blood pressure and heart diseases should do it very slowly. In case they feel exhausted this should be discontinued.

1. Sit in a position where in the spine is erect and back is relaxed. Traditionally this is done in Padmasana(Cross legged Lotus pose). If that is uncomfortable then sit in a Chair with a flat base.
2. Exhale forcefully from the lungs. You stomach will go in automatically if this is done properly.
3. Just concentrate on continuous exhalation, The inhalation will be automatic.
4. Practice this for 50 times and take some rest. Then again do 50 rounds. Perform 5-6 sets of 50 rounds.
5. Gradually your stamina will increase and you would be able to practice for 15 minutes.
6. If is always better to do the practice very slowly, as it will relax you more.
7. If you practice in crosslegged position, you can reverse the leg position after 2 sets and then keep on changing as per your convenience.

Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayama

In my personal experience the most beneficial aspect is the calmness we are able to experience. This is one of the way we can achieve Conscious Relaxation. Whenever I get time I go till 1400-1500 rounds slowly. This takes around half an hour. I feel extremely relaxed and really enjoy the time. Since Kapalbhati reduces stress by a large extent, this is most beneficial to cure depression and remove negative thoughts.

There are multiple health benefits which can be experienced by the practitioners.

1. Face become Lustrous and attractive.


2. Diseases related to lungs like asthma, respiratory troubles, allergies, sinus, etc. are cured.


3. Increase immunity to Cold and cough is observed.


4. Diseases of heart, lungs and brain get cured.


5. Obesity reduces and problems of blood sugar, prostate glands etc. are also cured.

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