Yoga Breathing Exercises Or Pranayama For Freeing The Mind
Yoga is not to be thought of as just a series of awkward movements useful for making your body subtle and flexible
. While yoga will achieve this, its benefits are much more profound. The various elements of yoga are all fundamental and without them yoga postures become simply physical movement. These elements; asanas, breathing, gaze and meditation when performed correctly will allow to become one with yourself and providing a level of awareness never before experienced.
Today we are going to take a look into pranayama, the art of breathing and breath control. With pranayama we are conscious of our breath travelling though our lungs. While this exercise that we are going to discuss is a little difficult to master, your efforts will be well worth it. Believe me.
Ujjayi breath control
This specific exercise is performed by making a soft, yet audible, sound in the back of your throat while inhaling and exhaling through the nose. In this breathing practice, you will be breathing deeply while restricting the back of throat allowing the air to swirl in the back of the throat so as to create a low humming sound. The sound should resemble that of wind in the trees or ocean waves . Some people have also said this sound resembles the famous dark villan of Star Wars: Darth Vader, however I dont think he was practicing pranayama. Follow the humming sound as it will help you concentrate on the synchronization of breath.
Some of you may find it difficult to produce the humming sound, but there is a simple exercise to help you. Try sitting upright and deeply inhale through the nose and then exhale through the mouth, however, while exhaling make the back of your throat vibrate and hum or purr as if you were whispering. You should be able to feel the air passing through your throat. Breath like this several times then midway through exhaling close your mouth and exhale through your nose.
The second part is also tricky to perform correctly. While inhaling through the nose you should try to replicate the same swirling sound in your throat. As with all new things, with practice you will be able to do this automatically without effort.
With this breathing exercise we must be totally relaxed, this may seem odd but you should also keep your face muscles relaxed during the exercise. Your chest shouldnt heave and your collar bone should only slightly raise and fall.
We are trying to create a smooth rhythm in our breath throughout this pranayama. Learn to listen to the breath in order to achieve the best results.
The correct position for pranayama
What is the correct position for performing this pranayama exercise? There isnt one. It can be performed either sitting or lying down. In this article I want to talk about the lying position as I think this enables a greater level of relaxation. We will need some props for this (yoga blocks, folded blankets, thick books,etc.) as your chest, neck and head must be raised from the floor. Your back should be gently arched with your thighs and backside on the floor while your upper back should be supported to just below the same height as the tops of your thighs(8-10 inches), your neck and head should also be comfortably supported. It is important that your head is not inclined backwards, but slightly higher than your neck. It is also a good idea to cover your eyes and ears.
Relax your throat and your entire body, try to focus on an imaginary point inside your chest. Gently close your eyes and look downwards towards the imaginary point, this will help you relax. If your eyes are looking upwards your mind will become full of invasive thoughts. The next step is to breath normally, becoming acquainted with this position and your body. Fully expand your chest but do not tense your diaphragm.
The next step is to inhale normally but exhale deeply and slowly releasing all of the air from your lungs, feel it leave your body. You should try to synchronize as much as possible the movements of your abdomen and diaphragm and keep the flow of your breathing stable at all times. Do this for about 15 cycles.
The next phase is the exact contrary of the previous one. Here we are inhaling deeply but exhaling normally without effort. You should experience your breath rising from your lower chest to your throat, be conscious of this. Once again 15 cycles.
Finally, you will be breathing in and out deeply and peacefully in a controlled manner, completely filling your lungs with air and then totally emptying your lungs. End the exercise by exhaling. One again 15 cycles is sufficient.
After you have finished, gently sit up from the supports under your back and head, remove them, then lay on the floor in a Savasana posture the corpse and relax for 3-5 minutes.
If it is too difficult to perform the humming sound in your throat, just practice the breathing exercise without the sound. You can always practice later.
by: Nico Webb
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