Pranayama: The importance of breathing in Yoga and how to use it to calm stress

  • 2017

3 Pranayama exercises that will calm your stress

In Hinduism Prana is a word that comes from the script and means energ a vital . Prana is found in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, in all living beings, in fire and in the air. Prana connects us with the energy of the cosmos, which is also in us . Prana is not air, but it is much more subtle and is part of the air, as if it were an electromagnetic force.

Prana can be absorbed by the sun, water and air. When it is absorbed through the air it is called Yoga of the breath. Some teachers consider Pranayama more important than practicing Yoga poses, or asanas, for the purpose of leading a yogi life.

Pranayama ( ayama : dominate) is controlled breathing, used in yoga, to awaken the connection with that "energy of life." Through pranayama exercises, we reestablish that connection and we can dramatically change our moodiness or nervousness.

Yoga gives us three main tools to achieve calm and physical and mental peace.

In the first place it helps us to calm the stress through the elongations of the muscles and the vertebral column, by means of which we manage to relax the possible contractures using the asanas .

The second step is to oxygenate the body through breaths, pranayama, which also stabilizes the heart and respiratory rate.

The deep and conscious breaths introduce us to the third step which is the relaxation and meditation that closes the practice of yoga. A simple meditation practice is to concentrate our mind on breathing, the air entering and leaving our body, inhalation ... exhalation

Pranayama: prana control

Practical exercises

In this article, we will focus on the second step of stress release, through breathing and reconnecting with the energy of life.

Chair breathing

These exercises are ideal to incorporate into a hectic routine, as it can be practiced while sitting in the office. You can perform them one after the other, it will not take more than 4 minutes. You will feel renewed, with less stress and tension, it will help you concentrate and unleash creativity, in addition to connecting to your higher consciousness.

Preparation : sit with your spine straight and your feet flat on the floor. Do not lie against the back of the chair. Elongue your spine with your chin slightly up. Place your hands on your knees and relax your shoulders, stomach and relax your eyes forward . Keep in mind that if you start to feel dizzy or feel too much oxygenation you should stop doing so and wait for normalization of breathing.

BEFORE ANY DOUBT PREVIOUSLY CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

# 1 Bhastrika Pranayama

Just breathe deeply. May your chest and abdomen expand completely on inhalation, and contract fully on exhalation. Continue performing the exercise for 1 minute. You will find a great calm.

# 2 Fire Breath of Kundalini Yoga

For no more than a minute, start breathing quickly through the nose with equal emphasis on inhalation and exhalation. It will be like a sniff very fast. Maintain shallow breathing, at the tip of the nose, without paying special attention to the stomach or diaphragm.

# 3 Step breathing

Finally, perform the following breathing pattern to calm your system, focus your mind and feel centered. Inhale slowly for 5 seconds, then hold your breath for another 5 seconds, and exhale slowly taking 5 seconds to complete the exhalation, then hold the air for another 5 seconds. It is an entire cycle of 20 seconds, you can try to reach 6 complete cycles, in total there are two minutes. If at the beginning the 5-second intervals become too long, you can start with 3 or 4 seconds.

When finished, close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, smile, exhale and ... back to work.

DRAFTING: Carolina Cobelli, editor of the great White Brotherhood family

SOURCE: http://elyoga.about.com/od/Tradicion/a/Prana-La-Energia-Vital.htm

http://anmolmehta.com/energy-breathing-exercises-yogic-breathing-techniques/

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