Pranayama Yoga is an essential part of yoga with immense benefits ranging from physical to mental. The science of Pranayama helps people move towards a healthier and happier life. As we bifurcate the word Pranayama, it results in making sense, to control the vital force energy of life. This control is done by the breathing exercises. Regular breathing during various Pranayama techniques helps in controllinTg the flow of energy through the channels of the body. The regular practice of Pranayama helps in maintaining the proper balance between mind, body, and soul, thus achieving the factual overall transformation.
The practice of Pranayama Yoga is not new, but since the ancient era, people have been doing Pranayama for their good physical health, emotional stability, and mental clarity. It is the path that leads a person toward vitality, inner peace, and awareness. Including breathing exercises in your daily life routine can help you fight against physical, mental, and emotional issues. This can also bring out an exceptional transformation that a person can dream of. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced-level yoga practitioner, you can explore the ocean of physical, mental, and spiritual stability with breathing exercises. In this blog, you can come across the meaning of Pranayama, its benefits, instructions, and types, and benefits of Pranayama.
Know About Pranayama Yoga
In Pranayama Yoga, practitioner regulates their breath in such a way that it results in an increase in the vital forces or energy within the body. This practice is not only about the proper intake of oxygen, but with each breathing exercise, you can get awareness, calmness, mental clarity, and good mental & physical health. Ancient textbooks of yoga, such as the Yoga Sutras, Yoga Pradipika, and Bhagavad Gita, tell us the importance of daily Pranayama practices. This is the best path to enhance mindfulness, overall well-being, and reduce stress levels.
Benefits of Pranayama Yoga
The Pranayama Yoga helps in attaining several benefits such as:
It helps reduce stress and tensions by creating harmony in nervous system. This in turns is beneficial in encouraging relaxation.
This is the best yoga exercise to enhance your focus and relax the mind. It is also beneficial in improving mental clarity.
It helps in increasing the amount of oxygen inhaled and the functioning of the lungs.
It is a wonderful yoga exercise to manage your anger, restlessness, and anxiety, that promotes mental stability.
Pranayama supports the detoxification and circulation process, which helps boost immunity.
The regular practice of Pranayama opens the blocked path of energy flow inside our body and is helpful in spiritual growth also.
Preparatory Steps of Pranayama
There are some basic steps that act as preparatory steps or warm-up steps of Pranayama. You must follow these steps if you want to do Pranayama correctly. These are:
Choosing the right place
If you initiate your Pranayama Yoga practices, you must choose a clean, ventilated, and calm place. The best time to do Pranayama is early morning, and without eating anything.
Sit in a Comfortable Position
Choose easy meditative poses to start practice. Keep your spine straight.
Focus and Relax
Bringing the utmost state of focus and relaxation is always best for Pranayama. Normalize yourself by breathing and bringing awareness.
Types of Pranayama Techniques
Pranayama Yoga is of various types that come with various benefits and techniques. Some of the major techniques of Pranayama are as follows:
Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodhana
This breathing technique is helpful in the purification of the flow of energy through the nadis, relax mind, and creates harmony among both sides of the brain.
Steps:
Close your right nostril with the same thumb while sitting in comfort.
Then start inhaling through the other nostril.
Now close the nostril from which you are inhaling and release the right-hand side thumb.
Now start exhaling from the right side.
Now, start the same procedure from the right side.
This completes one cycle.
Bellows Breath or Bhastrika Pranayama
It has a magnificent effect on boosting awareness, cleaning of the respiratory system, and providing energy to the body. If you are suffering with high bp and heart issues, you have to avoid this technique.
Steps:
Expand your lungs by inhaling deeply through both nostrils.
Now, exhale with a hissing sound with a good force.
Exhale forcefully through the nose with a hissing sound.
Start repeating with a good speed for around 10 to 15 breaths.
Take a rest between each round.
Skull-Shining Breath or Kapalabhati
It helps in better digestion, and overall detoxification, and useful in making your brain function in a right way. If you are on menstruations or having pregnancy, avoid doing this exercise.
Steps:
Put your hands on your knees and sit upright.
In this exercise, the inhalation process is very gentle followed by a forceful exhalation that is done by contracting your abdominal muscles.
Between each exhalation, take an inhalation passively.
Initially, do 30 strokes and increase as per your strength.
Controlled Alternate Breathing or Anulom Vilom
This exercise is best for balancing energies and promoting emotional health.
Steps:
This is done by closing one side of your nostril.
From the other side of the nostril, start inhaling for 4 breaths.
You can also close both sides for a few seconds.
Now, exhale from the other side of your nostrils.
Now repeat the process by changing the sides of the nostrils.
Keep this process slow and steady.
Bee Breath or Bhramari
It is useful in reducing stress, tension, anxiety, and depression. Also, the regular practice of Bhramari Pranayama Yoga is useful to enhance focus.
Steps:
Close your eyes by sitting in a pose of meditation.
Close your ears with your finger.
A profound inhale is done.
At the time of exhalation, make a sound like a humming bee.
This will help in maintaining vibration in your head areas.
Cooling Breaths or Sheetali and Sheetkari
The purpose of these exercises is to calm the mind, control blood pressure, and cool your body. You can do it after an intense workout or during a hot humid climate.
Steps:
In Sheetali, inhale through your tongue rolled and curled.
However, in the case of Sheetkari, inhalation is done between the teeth’s gap. Inhale with a hissing sound.
Now, exhale through both nostrils by closing your mouth.
Guidelines and Precautions
Don’t start your practice in a hurry, but start with a gentle and simple techniques for getting perfection.
Try to practice in the morning without eating. Do it after 3 hours of eating
If you are suffering from asthma, Heart disease, High BP, etc, consult your doctor before joining Pranayama classes.
Start Pranayama under experienced yoga teacher
For better results, practice Pranayama Yoga daily.
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