Pranayama - Powerful Breathing Exercise

By Pradeep Mahajan

Prana in Sanskrit (ancient Indian language) is the universal principle of energy. It is all pervading and vital for life. It is found in all forms of life, in human beings, in animals & also in plant life.

Prana shines in our eyes. It is through prana that our ears hear, the eyes see, the nose smells & the brain functions. It is prana that does digestion, excretion and secretion.

Prana is spent by thinking, moving, talking, writing etc. A healthy man has abundance of prana or nerve-energy or vitality. The prana is supplied by food, water, air, solar energy etc. The supply of prana is taken up by the nervous system. The prana is absorbed by breathing. The excess of prana is stored in the brain and nerve centres.

Pranayama is a control of Prana and the vital forces of body. It is a regulation of breath. The aim of Pranayama is the control of breath.

Pranayama though it concerns with the breath, gives good exercise for the various internal organs and the whole body. Pranayama bestows good health and a steady mind.

How to do Pranayama?

Sit in a chair with chest, neck and head in one vertical line. Do not bend your body either forwards or backwards. You can sit in Padmasan or Siddhasan also. You must experience joy & pleasure in doing the same. You should not feel any undue strain. Always inhale & exhale slowly.

Whenever you feel uneasy, depressed or dejected practice pranayama. It is a sure way to feel refreshed.

1) Equal Breathing Pranayama:

Stand erect in a relaxed comfortable position, with feet apart. This practice can be done in a sitting position also. Inhale slowly and continuously in a relaxed manner to a count that is comfortable. (You can count silently in mind 1001, 1002 & 1003 etc. One can initially begin counting 1001 & 1002. Later, after practice one can go upto 1003 or more).

As soon as the inhalation is complete start exhalation in the same manner, keeping the same count as above i.e. equalize inhalation & exhalation.

Concentrate on the gentle uninterrupted long flow of the breath. Do this practice for 10 rounds.

2) Alternate Nostril Pranayama:

Sit in a comfortable position. Exhale fully. Close right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly through your left nostril. Close left nostril with index finger and exhale through right nostril. Inhale through right nostril. Close the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. Continue this pattern for 10 rounds. For the next round start with the opposite nostril. (I.e. inhale through right nostril).
Benefits:

Appetite is improved. Energy level improves. Concentration improves. Mind becomes one pointed.

It is important to avoid stress in performing pranayama.

(Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before practising pranayama, if you are suffering from any heart ailment /high blood pressure or nervous disorders).

Yoga Breathing Techniques - 5 Ujjayi Pranayama Steps For Curing Insomnia

By Outarow Chuong

If there's one medical condition which can seemingly strike anyone at anytime, that is none other than insomnia. This common sleep disorder can have psychological, physiological, environmental and medical reasons. Now, if you are one of the millions of people who are suffering from this condition, did you know that there is a type of yoga which can help cure it?

The key is to learn about the breathing techniques involved in the Ujjayi Pranayama - a style of yoga which is also called ocean breath, hissing breath and victorious breath. Ujjayi literally means rising victoriously. When you practice this style, you can use the techniques to cure any sleeping disorders that you may have.

5 Steps to Develop a Breathing Technique

To help you out, here are the five steps that you need to follow if you want to develop a technique based from Ujjayi Pranayama yoga - which should help cure you of insomnia:

• Begin the yogic breathing technique by taking five long, deep and slow breaths. This should help in the relaxation phase.


• If you are using the Ujjayi Pranayama steps to specifically cure insomnia, close your eyes during the exercise.


• Next, try to constrict your throat muscles. At this point, it would help if you will visualize that you are breathing through a hold in your throat. This type of yogic exercise is also known as 'ocean breath' because of the sound that will be made by the air passing through your throat. The point of this step in the exercise is to breathe through your throat instead of through your nose.


• Find a nice, slow and relaxing rhythm as you continue with this style. Imagine that you are in a peaceful, calm beach with only the sound of the surf as your companion.


• Continue with this exercise until you relax completely and fall asleep eventually.

As you can see, the steps involved in this breathing exercise are quite easy. The good thing about using the Ujjayi Pranayama techniques is that it will produce health benefits like lowering your blood pressure and ultimately relaxing you once you go to bed and try to sleep. As your body regains its equilibrium, your mind will also calm down and you can emerge successful in the fight against the sleeping disorder which is insomnia.

Yoga Breathing Is Feeling The Source Of Life

By Rose Windale

Breathing is the source of life, and in yoga, breathing is everything. When you say you "breathe", it is actually more than inhaling oxygen. More than inhaling and exhaling, breathing is a way of restoring balance and cleansing the body. And then again, there is a proper way, and an improper manner of doing it. In order to gain optimal results from breathing, you ought to know how to do it correctly. In the same manner as with other things, it takes time to learn proper yoga breathing. Gaining better know-how of a technique does not happen quickly. The following pointers, however, can guide you through basic yoga breathing exercises.

First there is the Kapalabhati, which is a basic technique. This method allows you to breathe in order to purify the body. In the Kriya method, there are six practices, and the Kapalabhati is one of them. In this practice, your breath is short, strong and fast. The organ primarily involved- the lungs- acts as a pump which expels waste from itself. You breathe deliberately fast, coming from your stomach and not from your chest. Another yet fundamentally important technique is to breathe through the nostrils alternately. You breathe through one nostril and then you hold your breath. Then you exhale through the other nostril.

It's inhale-hold-exhale with the ratio 2:8:4. The Brahmari breathing technique on the other hand is not used as often. You partially close the glottis while inhaling through both of the nostrils. The lips are closed causing the palate to vibrate because of the nasal airflow. Sithali, Sitkari is a technique rarely used. This yoga breathing technique works in a different manner. You stick your tongue out a bit. Then you softly curl the sides of the tongue up. Inhaling in this technique is done through the mouth. Yoga is a combination of exercises done with breathing. Fundamental to these breath exercises are yoga exercises.

One is not without the other. In any type of session, the fundamentals of breathing are taught. Breathing is the source of life, and this is one of the central focuses of yoga. Where you feel life and let it move through you and in you. With regular yoga practice, you experience inner cleansing. And you begin to gain equilibrium or balance. This is the importance of yoga as a spiritual practice. It greatly aids in healing and relaxation. You tend to yourself holistically- mind, body and spirit. For boosting and enhancing the total person, yoga is a recommended practice.

Many people have proven how it is beneficial for stress relief and relaxation, and even for weight loss. Even more so, you get to nourish your inner self- you get more in touch with yourself. And as you do, you gain better awareness of what is around you. You can learn about this holistic practice from online and offline sources. You can also opt to enroll in a health center offering similar courses, or else you can ask for the guidance of an expert.