"Breathe in relaxation. Breathe out tension."
What is Pranayama?
A few weeks ago I already wrote an article about Pranayama and since I think Pranayama is very important, here comes another post.
Pranayama simply means breathing exercises.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the eight-limbed path of yoga was described. There are the eight stages of yoga to master and the 4th stage is dealing with the breath – pranayama.
You can find a detailed description of pranayama in my blog article: Pranayama
Important: Please do not put pressure on yourself, relax. It may take some time here for your breathing to flow harmoniously. Caution is advised if you are pregnant, a smoker, or suffer from blood pressure problems or heart problems. Check with a doctor here to see what is possible.
Effects and breathing exercises
Ujayi:
This breathing exercise is also called Oceanic Breath or Victorious Breath. This breath sounds like the sound of the sea or even the blaze of a gas flame. It helps you to control your breath.
The Ujayi breath also helps to direct the concentration to one’s own body and to oneself. It is a victory over the wild thoughts in our mind that always want to distract us.
This breath cleanses the respiratory tract, especially the throat and gets rid of excess mucus. You absorb so much prana with the Ujayi breath that you can get through the most difficult asanas. It helps you to have more concentration and depth in the exercises.
Especially when lying down, Ujayi “givesamazing relief to patients suffering from dilatation of the ventricles and congenital heart defects” (B.K.S. Iyengar, “Light on Pranayama”).
Technique:
Imagine you are sitting in front of a pane of glass and want to breathe on it. Make the sound “Haaa” with your mouth open. Keep your mouth open and breathe in and out deeply and calmly, and now produce the sound “Haaa” with each inhalation and exhalation. Now close your lips and continue breathing through your nose. Continue to make the sound “Haaa”. Let the breath become even slower and deeper, so that it sounds like the sound of the sea.
Nadi Shodana, Anuloma Ujayi and Viloma Ujayi - alternate breathing:
Nadi Shodana means “purification of the nadis”. All 72,000 nadis are opened so that the prana can flow better. The literal translation from Sanskrit into German is: energy channels (Sanskrit: Nadi), purification (Sanskrit: Shodhana). In combination with breathing pauses (Sanskrit: Kumbhaka), Nadi Shodana becomes a pranayama exercise.
Alternate breathing promotes concentration and prepares the mind for meditation. It helps to find inner peace and strength. The effects of the asanas last longer.
Technique Nadi Shodana:
Left hand to Chin Mudra, right hand to Vishnu Mudra. Close the nostrils alternately with the right thumb and ring finger. Now inhale on the left, hold the breath by closing the nostrils with both fingers and exhale on the right. Then inhale again on the right, hold your breath and exhale again on the left. This is a cycle.
For the beginning, let the breath pause only for a short time or omit it altogether. Always practice in a way that makes you feel good.
Technique Anuloma and Viloma:
In the breathing exercise Anuloma Ujayi you inhale with both nostrils with the Ujayi breath and exhale through one nostril at a time. The finger technique is the same as for Nadi Shodana. This breathing exercise causes the breathing to slow down and the mind to calm down. There are no pauses in this breathing exercise.
With Viloma Ujayi breathing, you inhale through one nostril and exhale with open nostrils with Ujayi,. The deep inhalation has an energizing effect and promotes YAN energy. If you have high blood pressure, please practice only gently!!!
Sitali Pranayama:
The Sitali breathing exercise is a cooling breathing. It’s great when things are heated inside or around you. On hot summer days, or when you generally want to “cool down” a bit.
Technique:
Sit down quietly. Close your eyes. Stretch the tongue slightly forward. Roll the tongue so that the center of the tongue is down and the side edges of the tongue are facing up. Inhale the air very slowly and deeply with a slight hissing sound over the tongue. Imagine that you are breathing in cooling, relaxing, harmonizing energy. Imagine that this power fills you from your head to your toes. Then quickly but silently exhale deeply through the nose. Repeat for about 10 breaths. Then let the breath flow on its own for a few breaths and trace.
Variation: If you cannot roll the tongue lengthwise, give the underside of the tip of the tongue against the cutting teeth. Press the center of the tongue forward below the incisors. Inhale hissing over the tongue through the mouth (continue as above). Then, by the way, the breathing exercise is called Sitkari.
Kapalabhati:
Kapalabhati literally means “shining skull” or “shining head”. The energy rises high to the head and there is a feeling of radiance. This breathing exercise helps to clear the head, activates, makes awake and concentrated. It helps against fatigue and leads to inner joy and strength. In addition, this pranayama exercise increases lung capacity and acts like a gentle heart massage.
Technique:
Through my experience here, I would definitely advise you to practice this with an experienced teacher. The LOFTSTUDIO in Augsburg is recommended here. Tim is an experienced teacher in Breathwork and often has his Hatha Yoga classes begin with Kapalabhati. A clear recommendation from me.
Have fun practicing and feel free to let me know in the comments how you are doing with the breathing exercises.
Here you will find the first part of the Pranayama series.
