One common thing affecting most of us these days is stress. It puts one off emotionally too. Why fall back on medicines when Yoga is there to battle out your stress, anxiety, and depression. In comes Pranayam (also spelled Pranayama). What is it? It is an ancient Indian practice related to controlling your breath. It also brings relief from asthma. Your next question might be ‘How to Do Pranayama Breathing in Yoga’. That is what this blog is about. I will take you through all of this – pranayama breathing in yoga, pranayama techniques, breathe yoga, prana yoga. Let’s get started on what Pranayama is.
“Pranayama” has three yoga prerequisites namely – Yama, Niyama, and Asana.
Bottomline: Along with regularly practicing Pranayama you would need to follow:
- DIETARY and MIND RESTRICTIONS
- A proper TRAINING in the ASANAS
Swami Vivekananda used to say, a fit body is THE prerequisite of a fit mind.
Now let us know the various pranayama techniques.
Method 1 – Bhastrika Pranayama
Outline: “Bellows” breath.
- Start this prana yoga by breathing in deeply through your nostrils. This is the ‘Inhalation’ stage.
- Then breathe out quickly through your nostrils. You will feel your collar bones relaxing, your chest deflating and abdomen shrinking. This is the ‘Exhalation’ stage – faster than the inhalation stage.
- Repeat this process of breathe yoga for 5 minutes.
- With practice, you can do this breathing exercise better and faster.
Method 2 – Kapalbhati Pranayama
Outline: This pranayama breathing exercise is known as ‘Shining Forehead Breath’.
- Take a deep breath and fill yourlungs to its
- Now, exhale through both your nostrils forcefully.
- It will take less time than the time you took to inhale.
- Repeat this prana yoga for 15 minutes.
- You can take 1 min rest after every 5 minutes.
Method 3 – Anulom Vilom Pranayama
Outline: One of the best pranayama techniques is the ‘Alternate Nostril Breath’. Here’s a simple guide to tell you how to do pranayama breathing in yoga.
- First, close your eyes.
- Focus on your breathing.
- Close your right nostril by simply pressing the thumb against it. A nose-blocking technique it is.
- Now inhale through your left nostril. Take a deep breath… very slowly.
- Remove your thumb from the right nostril now.
- Keep your right hand on your nose.
- At this point, you need to close your left nostril by using your ring and middle finger.
- Now exhale slowly through the right nostril.
- When you are through with exhaling, then keep your left nostril closed.
- Breathe through your right nostril.
- Close the right nostril and open the left nostril.
- Breathe out slowly through the left nostril.
- This completes one round of Anulom Vilom Pranayam.
- Continue doing it for 15 minutes.
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Method 4 – Bahya Pranayama
Outline: It is called the “External Breath”.
- One of the most popular yoga breathing exercises that is super simple too. You can start by inhaling deeply through your nose.
- Now exhale forcefully.
- Touch your chin to your chest so that it helps you suck in your belly completely.
- Hold this position, and your breath, as long as you feel comfortable.
- Time to lift your chin.
- Breathe in slowly.
- Repeat this pranayama breathing exercise 3 to 5 times.
Method 5 – Bhramari Pranayama
Outline: The “Bee Breath”.
- Again one of the easiest pranayama techniques, you can start practicing by closing your eyes and focusing on breathing.
- Put your thumbs on your eyes, your index fingers above your eyebrows, and your remaining fingers along the sides of your nose. Each pinkie finger is to be kept near the respective nostril.
- Breathe IN deeply through the nose.
- Use your pinkie fingers to keep your nostrils closed (partially).
- Start making the humming sound, then breathe out through your nose.
- The humming sound should come from your throat.
- Do this prana yoga 3 times.
Method 6 – Udgeeth Pranayama
Outline: This is a “Chanting Breath” exercise. Want to know How to Do Pranayama Breathing in Yoga? Go ahead and follow these simple instructions:
- Time: The right time to do prana yoga is in the morning on an empty stomach or 15 minutes after tea or coffee. Should be done preferably after a bath.
- Place: It should be spacious with sufficient amount of air and light. It will be good to keep the windows open so that you can enjoy the fresh morning breeze while performing yoga. When pranayama breathing exercise is done in a closed room, it can cause giddiness. Also, the place should be noise-free.
- Posture: Sit cross-legged on a floor mat. Your spine (meaning your back) and your head should be straight. Make sure you look forward. Those of you having a knee problem can sit on the chair instead.
- Eyes: Eyelids should be kept closed.
- Mindset: While doing pranayama breathing exercise, relax your mind. Keep all stray thoughts away. Yoga helps to detox the mind and body.
Tip: Try to focus on your favorite deity while doing pranayama techniques. This will keep your focus intact.
Summary
The goodness of pranayama breathing in yoga is that it benefits the mind and body in multiple ways and on many levels – physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. Do the pranayama breathing exercise slowly initially and watch how it will boost your overall wellness. Remember, practice makes a man perfect. With time and practice, you can master these yoga breathing exercises. Also, consult a yoga instructor while trying these breathing exercises for the first time. Stop following the pranayama techniques if you feel faint or dizzy.
Hope this article helped you learn how to Do Pranayama Breathing in Yoga. Which of the prana yoga are you planning to do? Feel free to share your knowledge on pranayama with other health watchers here.
