Pranayama Breathing

Yogic Breathing, or Pranayama, revitalises the entire body, balancese the emotions and promotes clarity of mind. All the breathing exercises described here are performed sitting down, keeping the spine, neck and head in a straight line. This will facilitate the flow of Prana and create the space for the lungs to expand more fully.

Full Yogic Breathing;

1 Sit crossed-legged(sitting on a yoga block or cushion relieves tension in the lower back and knees). Place one hand on  the ribcage, the other on the abdomen. Keep your back straight, chin parallel to the floor and shoulders relaxed.

2 Make sure that you breathe thrugh your nose with your mouth closed. Inhale slowly, feeling the abdomen expanding first, then the ribcage, and finally feel the air filling the entire chest area.

3 As you exhale, the air will leave the lower lungs first, then the ribcage area, and lastly the chest. Check that you fill your entire lungs with air and that your breathing is slow, rhythmic and deep.

Breathe for life.

According to Yogic belief,life expectancy is linked to the frequency of respiration. The tortoise, which is a reptile, breathes very slowly and lives a long life. A small mammal, such as a rat, breathes faster and has a much shorter life. If we can learn to slow down our breathing, Yogis believe that we can add years onto our lives.

Ujjayi Breathing-the key to conscious Breathing.

The main type of breathing practiced is known as the Ujjayi ( pronounced ooh-jai-yee) breathing. In Sanskrit, uj means to expand and jayi means success- so we practice the ujjayi method of breathing to expand and flow into our success. It is characterised by a soft, deep,almost hollow sound coming from the throat.

Ujjayi breathing is not difficult to learn. All you need to do is narrow the vocal cords slightly as you inhale through the nose with the mouth closed. As the breath passes through the restricted epiglottis, the breath will vibrate at the back of the throat. Slowly draw in long breaths. As you exhale you should hear a throaty sound. The narrowing of the valve in the throat will (once you have got the hang of it) help regulate the intake of oxygen and the throaty sound will bring your attention to the breathing process.

The Benefits of Ujjayi Breathing

Ujjayi Breathing cools the mind, soothes the nreves and strengthens the abdomen. It is a useful tool that can be used in all aspects of your daily life. It helps you to reduce stree, develop mindfulness and appreciate the beauty of life in all its detail.

Anuloma Viloma-Alternate nostril breathing.

The benefit of practising this exercise is that it strengthens the whole respiratory system and rids the body of toxins that have built up through stress and pollution. Try to practice alternate nostril breathing every day.

1 Sit crossed-legged on the floor with your eyes closed.

2 Close the right nostril with the right thumb and, slowly and smoothly, exhale through the left nostril for a count of four.

3 Continuing to keep the right nostril closed, inhale through the left nostril, again slowly and smoothly for a count of four. Stay centred and breathe slowly and deeply

4 Close your left nostril with the third or ring finger of your right hand. Turn the first two fingers inwards to touch the base of the thumb.

5 Continuing to keep both of your nostirls closed, retain your breath in your lungs for as long as you possibly can.

6 Release the right nostril and exhale slowly, with control, to a count of four.

7 Inhale through the right nostril, use the thumb to close it, hold for a count of four, then exhale through the left nostril. This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati means Skull Shining and it effects are to clear the mind. The forced exhalation rids the lower lungs of stale air, clearing space for fresh oxygen to cleanse the respiratory system. The movement of the diaphragm tones the stomach, heart and liver.

1 Sit up straight with your legs either crossed or in the half lotus postion. If you are naturally flexible you can try this exercise in the full lotus postion.

2 Inhale slowly and smoothly, then exhale, contracting your abdominal muscles sharply, rasing the diaphragm and forcing the air out.

3 Inhale and relax the muscles, allowing the lungs to fill with air. Then exhale again sharply.

4 Repeat step 2 about  20 times. slowly and rhythmically.

5 Then, inhale and exhale in the same way but this time hold your breath between the inhalation and exhalation for as long as you can. Again, repeat about 20 times. Exhalation should be short and active; the inhalation is longer and passive. As a guide inhale to a count of 8 and exhale to a count of 1.