Importance and Benefits of Pranayama

How to Do Pranayam

Pranayam (also spelled Pranayama) is an ancient part of Perform Yoga Postures practice, the fourth part of the eight-fold Yoga described in the ""Yoga Sutra of Patanjali". Pranayama is concerned with breathing and posture. Research has shown that that practicing Pranayama can relieve symptoms of asthma[1]. It is also beneficial in treating stress related disorders, such as anxiety and depression[2]. Pranayam supplies oxygen to the entire body, and exercises the lungs, the stomach and its surrounding organs.

There are a total of six types of Pranayam practice:

(A) Bhastrika Pranayama
(B) Anulom Vilom Pranayama
(C) Kapalabhati Pranayama
(D) Bahya Pranayam
(E) Bhramari Pranayama
(F) Udgeeth Pranayam

Bhastrika Pranayam:

Sit in comfortable position; you may sit even on a chair.
Breathe in until the lungs are full through your nostrils.
Feel the diaphragm move down to allow the lungs to expand and forcing the abdomen out, followed by the mid section of your chest expanding and finally your collar bone rising.
Breath out forcefully and uniformly, again through your nostrils.
Again feel the collar bone dropping, chest deflating and the diaphragm moving up as the lungs collapse allowing the abdomen to be sucked in. This process of exhaling should be much faster than the process of inhaling.
Repeat the process.
When correctly done, your chest will expand when you breathe in and deflate when you breathe out.
Continue doing this for 5 minutes.

Kapalbhati Pranayam:
Sit upright
Inhale through your nostrils a little and exhale through both nostrils forcefully.
Inhale again a little and follow with another forceful exhalation passively and effortlessly.
Continue these cycles. The frequency should be about 60 strokes/minute.
Continue doing this for 15 minutes. You may take a minutes rest after every five minutes.

Anulom Vilom Pranayam:
Sit comfortably.
Close your eyes.
Close the right nostril with the right thumb.
Inhale slowly through the left nostril and fill your lungs with air.
Close your left nostril with the ring and middle fingers of the right hand and open the right nostril.
Exhale slowly and completely with the right nostril.
Again inhale through the right nostril and fill your lungs.
Close the right nostril by pressing it with the right thumb.
Open the left nostril, breathe out slowly. (This process is one round of Anulom Vilom Pranayam.)
Continue for 15 minutes. You may take a minutes rest after every five minutes of exercise.

4. Bahya Pranayam:
Breathe air out, touch cheek to chest, squeeze stomach completely and hold for a while. then release chin, breathe in slowly. Duration : 3 times to 5 times normally.
5. Bhramari Pranayam: Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee. Do this three times.

6. Udgeeth Pranayam:
Breathe in deeply, and chant 'Om'kar. OOOOOOm ( long O and small m. Do this 3 times.
Understand the Benefits of Pranayama Practice
Depending on the intensity of the ailment a person doing regular Pranayam starts getting good results from day one. However it can take from one week to approximately nine months to get the complete benefits of Pranayam.

Health changes can include:
Respiratory troubles clearing up, in addition to improvements to allergies, migraines, High blood pressure, diseases pertaining to the kidneys, and psychological dysfunction in males and females.
The digestive system improves.
Memory improves.
Pain in the joints vanishes.
The process of aging is retarded. Falling of the hair or premature graying, the appearance of wrinkles on the face or other parts of the body at young age, diminution of eyesight etc. are all minimized.
The face becomes bright, luminous and calm.

Pranayam cures or improves the following chronic diseases:
Diabetes, H.B.P., Angina, Blockages in Arteries, Obesity, Asthma, Bronchitis, Leucoderma, Depression, Parkinson, Insomnia, Thyroid problems, Arthritis, Cervical Spondalities , Hepatitis, Chronic Renal Failure, Cancer, Cirrhosis of the Liver, Gas, Acidity


Tips:
Do Pranayam preferably in the morning with an empty stomach.
If you prefer to do Pranayam in the evening, do it on an empty stomach and keep a gap of at least 5 hours between your meal and Pranayam.
Those who cannot sit in Asanas can sit on the chair and do Pranayam.
Never hold your breath while doing Pranayam.
Do about 1 to 5 minutes of jogging after Pranayam exercises as per your physical ability.

Warnings:
Consult your doctor before doing any exercises.
Pregnant woman and persons having a fever should not do Pranayam.
Children above 5 years should do Bhastrika Pranayam for only 2 minutes, Kapalbhati and Anulom Vilom Pranayam each for 5 minutes
Even after consulting doctors, it is important to remember that Kapalbhati can be risky in those who have abdominal wounds, surgical operations, hernia, peritonitis, appendicitis, prolapse of rectum or uterus, hiatus hernia and recently delivered women.

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