BREATHING
Awareness Techniques Different Types of Pranayama
LONG DEEP BREATHING
It’s one of the most common
ways to breathe. This type of breathe is done by using the full capacity of the
lungs in both, the inhalation, and the exhalation, slowly, with no rush.
Normally done through the nose because it aids in the breathe control, although
it can be done through the mouth as well.
Benefits
- Increases the flow of oxygen
in the body, which promotes healing and relaxations states of being.
- Prevents and decreases the
build up of toxins in the lungs.
- Stimulates the production of
endorphins, brain chemicals, to fight depression.
- Expands the lungs capacity,
which builds concentration, patience, flexibility, and resistance. This also
increases the secretion of the pituitary gland, which develops intuition.
- Pumps the spinal fluid to
the brain, which increases energy.
- Strengthens the aura, which
reduces insecurity, and decreases fear.
- Cleanse the blood.
- Gives control over the
negative emotions, which help to break bad habits, and old patterns.
In our regular daily lives we
tend to use and small of the capacity of the lungs, instead of the 100% of it.
BREATH OF FIRE
Breath of Fire is without a
doubt the most sophisticated Pranayama, breath control. It is an amazing tool
with anxiety, nerves, upset, fear, pain, sadness, etc.
Yogi Bhajan said that a
person has granted a determinate number of breaths from birth till his death,
and breath of fire it’s ONE, from the moment you start till you end. This means
you can prolong your life spam by doing Breath of Fire!
As mentioned before the way
we feel is directly related to the way we breathe. When dealing with
challenging or stressful situations in life, our body has an unconscious
tendency to pull the diaphragm in. This is the area of the Solar Plexus, where
the body keeps all the emotions.
There are seventy
two thousand nerves in our body. Out of this seventy two thousand, seventy two
are the most important. Out of this seventy two, ten are vital. In India they said that if the third Chakra, one of the focal points where all this seventy
two thousand nerves meet, it is not in balance, a person can not get healthy no
matter how much medicine is taking. A way to balance it out it’s doing Breath
of Fire in “stretch pose".
- Release anxiety,
nervousness. Breath of Fire forces the diaphragm in and out. This has a direct
impact on the Navel center, releasing the emotions as well.
- Readjust and strengthens the nervous system.
- Helps to regain control over
stressful mental states.
- Helps the heart and
circulation, flux the toxins out of the blood stream.
- Massages the internal
organs.
- Releases toxins and deposits
from the lungs, mucous lining, and blood vessels.
- Expands the lungs capacity.
How to do it
Breathing in and out through
the nose, also can be done trough the mouth, pulling the abdomen in during the exhalation towards the diaphragm, and out, in the inhalation. It is very fast, as fast as 2 or 3
times per second, and very loud. The people next to you should be able to hear
you. When perfected the rate should be 120 to 180 cycles
per minute!!
Do not expect to do it
perfectly well the first time, although this can be possible for some lucky ones. Instead,
you can start beginning by pushing the abdomen in while exhaling forcefully,
and loudly, making more emphasis in the exhalation, and start to building it up
from there, until you inhale the same amount of air that you exhale.
This is a very balance breath. Both inhalation and exhalation have equal power.
Another way to
start is practicing Breath of Fire for a few minutes in thirty sec periods, and
alternating it in between with Long Deep Breath. You can build it from there to
forty five seconds periods for two or three minutes. Soon you will be able to
do it for long periods of time without stopping or struggles.
Contraindications
There is one contraindication
when the woman it’s pregnant, or during the two first days of her menstrual
cycle. Instead do long deep breathing.
SITALI PRANAYAM
Sitali Pranayam, also known
as the “cooling breath”. It’s use with some kriyas, in segmented breaths, and
with Breath of Fire.
How to do it
- Curl the tongue into a U
shape.
- Inhale through the curled
tongue.
- Exhale through the nose.
Benefits
- It’s used to lower fevers or
the body temperature in hot days.
- Aids digestion.
- If the tongue takes bitter
at first it’s a sign of detoxification. It will pass.
BROKEN BREATHS
In some kriyas its use the
broken breaths.
How to do it
This type of breathing works
with a ratio for inhale, hold, exhale, and hold. i.e. 1:4:2:0, 4:16:2:0.
Inhale in four strokes through the nose, hold 4 sec, exhale in two strokes, and
hold the air out O.
Another common example is 4:1
ratio. Inhale in 4 equal strokes, like quick sniffs through the nose, and
exhale in one quick stroke through the nose.
Benefits
- Breaks depressions.
- Helps to heal you.
WHISTLE BREATHS
Make a little whole in your
lips from where the air comes out. Listen to the sound of the whistle as you
breathe. There are two ways to do this type of breath.
How to do it
One way is inhaling through
the nose, and exhaling through the mouth making a high pitched sound.
The other way is inhaling
through the puckered mouth making a high pitched sound, and exhaling through
the nose.
Benefits
- Activates the higher glands;
thyroid, and parathyroid.
- Changes the circulation.
KAPALABHATI BREATH
Most commonly use at the end
of the Bikram Yoga sequence.
How to do it
Sit in a comfortable sitting
position. The most commonly use sitting position for this type of breath is sitting
on the heels, although you any other one can be use too. Start exhaling
forcefully and noise the air out. At the same time you must push the abdomen
in. Then inhale through the nose quickly and force the air out, pushing the
abdomen in. This type of breath is done in a fast pace.
Benefits
- Relaxes the body and mind.
- Detoxify the body.
Continue to Meditation on the Breath
