Breathing: It sounds simple. After all, people breathe automatically, day and night, without giving it much thought. However, with meditation, it's important to practice the correct type of breathing in order to maximize the positive effects of meditating.
This section gives an overview of the Breathing Techniques for the Beginner. Yoga Breathing or Pranayama revitalizes the body, steadies the emotions and creates great clarity of mind.
Before practicing the exercises, you should be sure that you understand how to breathe correctly and how to make full use of the diaphragm. In order to facilitate the flow of Prana and ensure that there is space for expanding the lungs, Yoga Breathing exercises are performed sitting down with the spine, neck and head in a straight line - either in the Easy Pose, the Lotus Pose or if neither is comfortable, sitting on a chair.
Beginner Yoga Breathing Techniques
Kapalabhati and Anuloma Viloma are importance in Basic Session of Asanas and should form the backbone of your Pranayama. Practice them exclusively to begin with, before your daily set of Asanas.
Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati is a Breathing Technique used specifically for cleansing. If you have a lot of mucus in the air passages or feel tension and blockages in the chest it is often helpful to breathe quickly.In Kapalabhati, the Breath is short, rapid, and strong. We use the lungs as a pump, creating so much pressure as they expel the air that all the waste is removed from the air passages, from the lungs up through the nostrils.
Kapala means "skull," and bhati means "that which brings lightness." Kapalabhati is a good thing to do when we feel heavy or foggy in the head.
If we have problems with the sinuses or feel numb around the eyes, Kapalabhati can help to clear this area as well.
The Kapalabhati Breathing Techniques namely that we clear the nasal passages with the force of the breath. we must be very careful with these techniques because there is a danger of creating tension in the breath.
we may also become dizzy when we breathe rapidly; for this reason we always conclude the practice of Kapalabhati with some slow breaths. It is important not to breathe rapidly too many times, but after a few rapid breaths take several slow ones in which we emphasize the long exhalation.
One Round of Kapalabhati (Cleaning Breath)
Take two normal breaths. Inhale. Now exhale, pulling in your abdomen. Repeat twenty times, keeping a steady rhythm and emphasizing the exhalation each time. Then inhale, exhale completely, inhale fully and hold your breath for as long as you comfortably can. Slowly exhale.
Anuloma Viloma
Anuloma Viloma is also called the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4.
The left nostril is the path of the Nadi called Ida and the right nostril is the path of the Nadi called Pingala.
If you are really healthy, you will breathe predominantly through the Ida nostril about one hour and fifty minutes, then through the Pingala nostril. But in many people, this natural rhythm is disturbed. Anuloma Viloma restores, equalizes and balances the flow of Prana in the body.
One round of Anuloma Viloma is made up of six steps, as shown below. Start by practicing three rounds and build up slowly to twenty rounds, extending the count within the given ratio.
The Vishnu MudraIn Anuloma Viloma, you adopt the Vishnu Mudra with your right hand to close your nostrils. Tuck your index and middle finger into your nose. Place the thumb by your right nostril and your ring and little fingers by your left.
One Round of Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
- Inhale through the left nostril, closing the right with the thumb, to the count of four.
Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.
Exhale through the right nostril, closing the left with the ring and little fingers, to the count of eight.
Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the ring and little fingers, to the count of four.
Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.
Exhale through the left nostril, keeping the right closed with the thumb, to the count of eight.
Benefits of Anuloma Viloma
The exercise of the Anuloma Viloma produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This will make both sides of the brain, the left side which is responsible for logical thinking and the right side which is responsible for creative thinking to function properly. This will lead to a balance between a person's creative and logical thinking. The Yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the Nervous System.
Other Yoga Breathing
Bhramari or Nasal Snoring is more difficult than the usual mouth snoring. But with with enough practice and patience, you will eventually be able to perform this technique. If you are unsure where and how to start with Bhramari, then let this article help you.
Sitkari pertains to the sound made by drawing air in through the front teeth-either tightly closed or slightly opened-with the tongue tip regulating the air pressure and sound. Learn more about this technique in this article.
Sithali
The breathing technique Sitali or tongue hissing refers to the sound caused when air is drawn in through the protruding tongue folded into a tube. This basic breathing technique can be performed by following the steps found in this article.
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