Pranayama
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or control.
All breathing exercises are good for our whole physical body as well as our thinking process. They provide us more oxygen, calm our mind.
All breathing exercises are good for our whole physical body as well as our thinking process. They provide us more oxygen, calm our mind.
Types of Pranayama-
1.Bhastrika
Bhastrika, a kind of pranayama, is a breathing technique where breathing is forcible and through the nose, with equal time for inhalation and exhalation. Bhastrika Pranayam is aimed at keeping the inhalation cycle equal to exhalation, yet making breath deeper and longer. Deep breath inwards and long exhalation outwords with equal time intervals constitutes this pranayam technique.
- Sit comfortably.
- Keep your spine straight.
- Inhale / Breath in with both the nostrils.
- Fill up fully your lungs upto diaphragm with air.
- Donot expand your stomach, expand your chest ribs.
- Inhale / Breath in comfortably.
- Exhale / Breath out with both nostril.
- Exhale / Breath out comfortably.
- (Exhale / Breath out with some force if you are experienced practitioner or if you are doing this exercise for more than a month)
- Always take advice from registered medical practitioner before doing any exercise.
- Do this breathing exercise for two to five minutes.
2.Kapalabhati
is an important part of Shatkarma (sometimes known as Shatkriya), the yogic system of body cleansing techniques.The word kapalbhati is made up of two words, kapal meaning skull ( here skull includes all the organs under the skull too ) and bhati means shining, illuminating. Due to the process, the organs under the skull mainly the brain and the small brain are influenced in a good manner. Hence the word is used in that way. It is intended mainly to the cleaning of the cranial sinuses but has many other effects, according to the Gherand Samhita and other sources. The Technique of Kapalabhati involves short and strong forceful exhalations and inhalation happens automatically. There are three forms of Kapalabhati:
- Vatakrama kapalabhati, a practice similar to Bhastrika, a technique of Pranayama, except that exhalation is active while inhalation is passive, the opposite of normal breathing.
- Vyutkrama kapalabhati, a practice similar to Jala neti, it involves sniffing water through the nostrils and letting it flow down into the mouth and then spitting it out.
- Sheetkrama kapalabhati, can be considered the reverse of Vyutkrama kapalabhati, in which water is taken through the mouth and then expelled through the nose.
3. Baharya Pranayam
Baharya Pranayam can be performed as follows;
- Firstly breathe out the air.
- Now touch the chin to chest slowly and squeeze stomach completely.
- Hold out in this position for a while.
- Then followed by the release of the chin and then breathing in slowly.
- Baharya pranayam can be performed around 3 to 5 times normally. And during the winter season this practice can be increased up by practicing around 11 to 20 times.
4. Anulom Vilom Pranayam
Pranayam comprises a class of breathing exercises, which when practiced as a controlled breathing it brings about balance in body and mind. Therefore Anulom pranayam is practiced as follows;
- Sit in any comfortable balanced meditative pose as the Sukhasana or the Vajrasana. Those who are unable to sit down can sit on a chair and do the breathing exercises. However sitting down in a proper yogic posture is most beneficial.
- Left hand is to be kept on the left knee and the right hand on the bridge of the nose and the 4th and the middle fingers on the left side of the nose.
- Folding your index and middle fingers. Do not twist your nose; only press it on the bony region to the control breathing.
- Now begin to first exhale through left nostril, and then inhale through the same, by closing the right nostril. Then exhale through the right nostril and lastly exhale through the left nostril.
5. Bhramri Pranayam
Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three on base of nose touching eyes. Inhale & now exhale out through nose while humming oooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Benefits: With the practice of this Pranayama the mind becomes steady. It is beneficial in conditions like mental tension, agitation, high blood pressure, heart disease etc. It is also useful for meditation.
Benefits: With the practice of this Pranayama the mind becomes steady. It is beneficial in conditions like mental tension, agitation, high blood pressure, heart disease etc. It is also useful for meditation.
6. Udgeeth Pranayam
Udgeeth pranayama means chating of OM in a loud pitch. While chanting, the sound of "O" should be 3 times longer than the sound of "makar" (mmm), which is often transcribed in samskrita as "O3M". Inhalation and exhalation should be long, slow, soft and subtle.
Proceed as follows:
Inhale slowly and when ready to exhale, chant OM slowly and steadily. With practice, lengthen each breath to one minute, that is , to say inhalation and exhalation should total one-minute of time. Visualize the breath entering and moving inside the body.
Duration:10 mins or more
Benefits: Good for insomnia and for deepening the quality of sleep and relieving bad dreams.
Proceed as follows:
Inhale slowly and when ready to exhale, chant OM slowly and steadily. With practice, lengthen each breath to one minute, that is , to say inhalation and exhalation should total one-minute of time. Visualize the breath entering and moving inside the body.
Duration:10 mins or more
Benefits: Good for insomnia and for deepening the quality of sleep and relieving bad dreams.
7. Ujjayi Pranayam
Ujjayi technique for beginners:
Sit in a comfortable yoga pose like Padmasana or Sukhasana. Take long, deep breath with both nostrils along with contraction inside the throat which makes the breath long and thin. The friction of air should be felt inside the throat when it is contracted and a hissing sound of breath is produced itself. Now exhale out very slowly. Repeat this process three times daily.
After some days of practice:
Three more steps are added to complete Ujjayi Pranayama process. After breathing inside with contraction in throat, try to touch your chin to the upper side of chest (Jalandhar Bandha). Hold the breath inside for maximum 10 seconds (Kumbaka).
Now exhale out slowly with left nostril, by closing right nostril with your right hand thumb. Exhale must be done by left nostril only. This is complete process of Ujjayi.
Duration
Initially it should be practiced for 3 times. As practice increases, it can be performed maximum 11 times a day
Sit in a comfortable yoga pose like Padmasana or Sukhasana. Take long, deep breath with both nostrils along with contraction inside the throat which makes the breath long and thin. The friction of air should be felt inside the throat when it is contracted and a hissing sound of breath is produced itself. Now exhale out very slowly. Repeat this process three times daily.
After some days of practice:
Three more steps are added to complete Ujjayi Pranayama process. After breathing inside with contraction in throat, try to touch your chin to the upper side of chest (Jalandhar Bandha). Hold the breath inside for maximum 10 seconds (Kumbaka).
Now exhale out slowly with left nostril, by closing right nostril with your right hand thumb. Exhale must be done by left nostril only. This is complete process of Ujjayi.
Duration
Initially it should be practiced for 3 times. As practice increases, it can be performed maximum 11 times a day
8. Nauli Kriya
This is done as follows:
Stand with legs apart. Bend and hold the thighs with the corresponding hands. Exhale deeply and retain breath outside. Pull up abdominal muscles inward, as far as possible. Maintain this lock as long as the breath is retained outside. It may take three to four months of consistent practice to master this exercise, as various abdominal muscles have to be brought under control.
The main purpose of doing Nauli is to regenerate, invigorate and stimulate the abdominal viscera and the gastrointestinal or alimentary system.