PRANAYAMA

What is Pranayama?

The process of controlling the Prana is called Pranayama. So pranayama is the science related to vital force supplying energy and controlling the body mind complex. Breathing is the process of taking in this vital energy and removing the waste products out of our body and mind. Pranayama is both the science and art of purifying the nadis in the Pranamaya Kosha. Through regulated breathing i.e. altering the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation, it is possible to control the prana, vital force in the body. Pranayama is the process by which such conscious control is achieved through synchronized breathing. Purifying the channels along which the life stream of 'prana' flows, helps prevent and even cure a variety of physical and mental ailments. In the process, it also increases one's overall immunity and resistance to disease. Generally breathing includes inhalation and exhalation but pranayama includes retention of breath (known as 'Kumbhaka' in Sanskrit) as well. This is a very important process. The air can be retained in the lungs or out of the lungs. The ancient texts say that retention of air, increases the level of prana (energy) in the body, also it regulates the flow of pranic energy through out the body. So pranayama helps remove all the ailments and also can stop the aging process of the body.

1. Pranava
2. Kapalabhati
3. Anuloma Viloma
4. Ujjayi
5. Bhastrika
6. Shitali
7. Sitkari
8. Suryabhedana
9. Bhramari

Please Note: Not all Pranamayas can or should be mastered in a day or week or month. The process may and should take a few months. Even after that, it is not necessary to do all 8 Pranamayas daily. The daily mandatory Pranamayas are Kapalabhati and Anuloma Viloma. The rest may be done at one's own convenience

PRANAV PRANAYAMA

Close your eyes and sit quitely. Breathe in naturally. Concentrate the mind on inhaling and exhaling and think of god. God has created our eyebrows, eyes, nose, ears, lips, heart etc. in Aum shape (Hindi word). Imagine the presence of god in every particle and meditate.

Duration : 2-3 mins or more

Benefits : Deeper the experience, deeper the physical, mental and spiritual energy. Pranayam overcomes the physical disorders, gives good health and the devotee proceeds on the path of spirituality.

CHANDRABHEDAN (Left Nostril Breathing)

Chandra” means  “Moon” and Chandra Bhedana Pranayama is a cooling pranayama. The moon corresponds to the introspective, passive and artistic aspects of an individual’s personality..Keep the spinal cord erect and sit in habitual posture.

Method

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor.
2. Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
3. Close your right nostril with right hand thumb.
4. Inhale from the left nostril.
5. Close the left nostril with the right hand index and middle fingers.
6. Exhale from the right nostril.

This completes one round of Chandrabhedan pranayama. You can gradually do up to 20 rounds.

Benefit

Chandrabhedan cools the body and cures heartburn. 

Contradictions

Avoid this pranayama if you suffer from low blood pressure. Note: This pranayama is to be done only during summer.

SURYABHEDAN (Right Nostril Breathing)

Surya Bhedi pranayama can stimulate and awaken energy both in the physical and the pranic bodies. In particular, it can activate and energize the Pingala Nadi, which is associated with the right nostril or the "sun" nadi and the sympathetic nervous system.

Method

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable posture.
2. Close your left nostril with your index and middle finger of the right hand.
3. Inhaling from your right nostril.
4. Close the right nostril with your right hand thumb.
5. Exhale through the left nostril.

This completes one round of Suryabhedan pranayama. You can gradually do up to 20 rounds.

Benefits of Suryabhedan

• Increases body heat and energy levels
• Improves digestion
• Purifies blood
• Delays ageing.

Contraindications

• Avoid doing this pranayama if you suffer from acidity, hypertension or heart problems.
• It is to be done only during winter.

ANULOMA-VILOMAM

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is an amazing pranayama method to help you sense centered, with an understandable and dazzling mind for meditation. Balancing the Ida and Pingala, the mental force and vital force is one of the main objectives of Pranayama. Left nostril (Ida) and right nostril (Pingala) if balanced can awaken Sushumna (the psychic nadi or channel carrying kundalini) nadi.It is very helpful in balancing both mechanism of your Autonomous Nervous System namely Sympathetic and Para-Sympathetic Nervous system and thereby stabilizes your mind.

Method

1. Sit in a comfortable balanced meditative pose.
2. Use the right hand thumb to close your right nostril.
3. Inhale from the left nostril.
4. Close your left nostril with your right hand’s index and middle fingers
5. Exhale from the right nostril.
6. Do the reverse: inhale with the right nostril.
7. Close your right nostril with your right hand thumb.
8. Exhale with the left nostril.

This is one round of anulom-vilom pranayama.

Benefits

Anuloma-Vilomam aids in:

• Balancing body temperature
• Relieving stress
• Cleansing the nadis in your body
• Improving blood circulation
• Promoting longevity.

Remember: While practising this pranayama, you must breathe into your lungs and not into your stomach. It can be done the year round and by every one.

BHASTRIKA 

Bhastrika pranayama  is a type of breathing exercise. It improves the resistance power thus keeping disease away. It also helps in coping with stress.

Method

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor.
2. Keep the back straight and shoulder muscles relaxed.
3. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and bring your right elbow to the level of right shoulder.
4. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale through left nostril—first slowly, then a little faster
5. Do the above steps about 20 – 25 times.
6. Take a long breath in and retain it for as long as possible

This is one round of bhastrika pranayama. Now, repeat this round by closing your left nostril and breathing through your right nostril.

Benefits

• Releases toxins from the body
• Reduces excess fat
• Enhances digestion
• Regulates the nervous system
• Purifies blood.

Contradictions

Avoid practising bhastrika pranayama if you suffer from hypertension, heart/lung complications or hernia. Weak persons [people with some illness or a low stamina] should avoid doing this pranayama too often. 

UJJAYI 

Ujjayi breathing is practice in nearly every form of pranayama. Ujjayi itself literally means 'victoriously uprising,' which refers to the expansion and movement upward of the energy of the breath -- the prana -- through the central channel of the body known as the 'sushumna nadi.'

Method

1. Sit erect in a comfortable posture.
2. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils.
3. Hold your breath for as long as possible.
4. Exhale slowly with a whispering sound, contracting the air passage.

This is a single round of ujjayi pranayama. You can start by doing 2 – 3 rounds.

Benefits

• Strengthens the vocal cord
• Stimulates the thyroid gland
• Improves blood circulation
• Eases diseases of the lungs, chest and throat.

Contradictions

Avoid doing this pranayama if you suffer from cardiac problems. 

SHEETALI 

Sheetali pranayama is a breathing technique to reduce heat in the body. It is often referred to as the “Cooling Breath”. Using the cooling tendencies of the tongue, sheetali pranayama only allows cool, relaxed breaths to enter the body. These breaths have the effect of lowering the temperature of the body, as well as cooling the mind. People with disorders resulting from excess heat in the body/mind, such as high blood pressure, acidity, or ulcers will benefit greatly from the daily practice of this pranayama

Method

1. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Close your eyes and relax your whole body with normal breathing
3. Put the tongue on the lower lip and try to roll the tongue.
4. Inhale deeply from the mouth.
5. Retain your breath for as long as possible.
6. Close the mouth slowly and exhale through the nose.

This is one round of sheetali pranayama. You can start by doing 2 – 3 rounds, and gradually go up to 15 rounds.

Benefits

• Cools the body
• Cures acidity and hypertension
• Relieves indigestion and disorders of the bile
• Improves health of eyes and skin
• Cures tonsillitis.

 Contradictions

This pranayama is not recommended during winters. People suffering from a heavy cold must avoid shitali pranayama.

SHEETKARI

Sitkari refers to the sound made by drawing in air, a kind of reversed hissing, like that made when suddenly touching ice or a hot object. The soundlike si si si  si  is produced while inhaling through the front teeth-either tightly closed or slightly ajar and should be regulated so as to be smooth and sound pleasant.

Method

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable posture on the floor
2. Keep the back straight and shoulders relaxed
3. Place hands on the knees, fingers relaxed and eyes closed
4. Join lower and upper teeth
5. Fix front portion of the tongue against the front teeth and the rest of the tongue on the palate
6. Separate the lips and inhale from the mouth making a chilling sound
7. Retain your breath for as long as possible
8. Exhale through both nostrils

This is one round of sheetkari pranayama.

Benefits

Sheetkari pranayama cools the body and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Contradictions

Avoid this pranayama if you suffer from low blood pressure. 

BHRAMARI 

This breathing technique derives its name from the black Indian bee called Bhramari. (Bhramari) type of Indian bee; pranayama /breathing technique). The exhalation in this pranayama resembles the typical humming sound of a bee, which explains why it is named so.

Method

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor.
2. Keep your back straight, shoulders muscles relaxed and eyes closed.
3. Close both your ears with the index fingers of both hands.
4. Raise your elbows to the level of your shoulders.
5. Inhale deeply.
6. Retain your breath for as long as possible.
7. Exhale slowly making a buzzing sound like that of a bee.

Benefits

• Calms the body
• Relieves stress
• Makes the voice pleasant and melodious
• Strengthens vocal cords
• Cures diseases of the throat
• Increases concentration.

Importance of  paranayama

• The first rule for correct breathing is that we should breathe through the nose.

• This may seem obvious, but many people breathe principally through the mouth.

• Mouth breathing can adversely affect the development of the Thyroid Gland, and can retard the mental development of children.

• Pathogens can also enter the lungs through mouth breathing that makes it impossible to be healthy. It is easy to break the habit of breathing through the mouth. Just keep your mouth closed and you will automatically breathe through your nose.

• The nose has various defense mechanisms to prevent impurities and excessively cold air entering the body.

• At the entrance to the nose, a screen of hairs traps dust, tiny insects and other particles that may injure the lungs if you breathe through the mouth.

• After the entrance of the nose, there is a long winding passage lined with mucus membranes, where excessively cool air is warmed and very fine dust particles that escaped the hair screen are caught.

• In the inner nose are glands which fight off any bacilli which have slipped through the other defenses. The inner nose also contains the olfactory organ-our sense of smell. This detects any poisonous gases around that may injure our health.

• The Yogis believe that the olfactory organ has another function: the absorption of Prana from the air.
  
  If you breathe through the mouth all the time, as many people do, you are cheating yourself of all this free energy (Prana).
  
  The Yogis say this is a major factor in lowered resistance to disease and impairs the functioning of your vital glands and nervous system.
  
  The Ancient Yogis knew the importance of correct breathing and developed techniques not only to increase Health and life span, but also to attain super conscious states.

Therefore, Yoga proves to have beneficial effect on the body if done with proper breathing. However, proper breathing should also be practiced and must be done habitually.