Simple Breathing Techniques That You Can Practice At Your Home

How To Keep Your Mind Calm, Stable And Peaceful During The Corona Pandemic Without Any Supervision From Anyone

In my last blog, I had shared 21 free body exercises you could practice at home to remain physical active and fit. In this blog as promised I shared few breathing excercises that you can employ to get some mental peace, focus and positivity in life. It will also impact your physical health positively.

Before we begin to learn Pranayams, let’s understand what is Pranayam.

Pranayam

Pranayam (प्राणायाम) is made up of (प्राण (Lifeforce)+ आयाम (Expansion)). So it literally translates to the expansion of our life force.

This life force is the force that makes us all sentience and alive. Colloquially, Pran has been used to mean breathe but breathe is just one of the expression of the life force (प्राण) in our body. Other expressions are digestion, blood circulation, heart beating, etc etc. It is said there are five types of Prans.

1. प्राण
2. अपान
3. उदान
4. समान
5. व्यान

We will not discuss them in this blog. Breathe is the most profound expression of pran because it is volunteer and involuntary at the same time for a normal human being. Yogis have full control over their breathing and hence for them, it is a voluntary activity.

Expanding the life force in your being is what is known as Pranayam the positive effect of which reflects in your life in physical, mental and spiritual domains.

Pranayam helps us become more focused, energetic, determined, physically fit, calm and peaceful.

Many rishis have talked about Pranayams in different ways in different Sanatan Dharam literature, like Hathyogapradipika, Gherand Samhita, Shiv Samhita, Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Gita, and many more. These descriptions have alignment as well.

Let’s discuss some Pranayams (breathe control exercises). There are Pranayams which are beyond, just breathe control and are used for more intense practices and arousal of super consciousness. But they are out of scope for us hence we will discuss the simpler ones which can used my general public not just yogis.

These pranayamas are mostly mentioned in the three major books of Hath yoga, Gherand Samhita, Hathyogapradipika and Shiv Samhita. The description of Aasans, Mudras, Pranayams are not given by Patanjali in his yoga sutra. They have been talked about in most detail in Gherand Samhita. If you are interested to know about yoga in more detail then you can refer to any of these books.

Let’s begin!!

Nadi Shodhan (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Nadi Shodhan (नाड़ी शोधन) also known as alternate nostril breathing is a hath yoga Pranayam. Nadi means subtle energy channels in our body and shodhan means cleaning. Hence, Nadi Shodhan is a breathing exercise that cleanses your energy channels. It is also known as अनुलोम विलोम.

As per yoga, it is said that there are three energy channels in the body, namely Ida( ईड़ा)।, Pingla (, पिंगला)and Sushumna (सुषुम्ना). For an average person, it is said that Sushumna is closed. Ida is on the left side in the vertebral column and Pingla on the right. Sushumna is the middle.

These channels get blocked or are not able to function properly due to stress, lifestyle, accident etc.

Nadi Shodan or alternate nostril breathing helps you clean these blocked energy channels, expand the life force in our body and make us calm.

Many people do it first before beginning their yogic practices. Swami Vivekananda has advised to do it four times a day 7–8 reps for cleaning of channels. I also do it first thing at the beginning.

Benefits

1. It calms the mind, releases accumulated stress.
2. Improves blood circulation and strengthens respiration.
3. Balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
4. Purifies and maintains equilibrium in the Nadis to smoothen the flow of prana (life force) through the body.
5. Maintains body temperature.

How to Do It

The technique is pretty simple. You have to sit comfortably with your backbone straight and a gentle smile on your face. Then you have to practice alternate nostril breathing. Watch the video for knowing the posters of hands and the correct way of doing.

Who Should Not Do It

There is no such instruction about this technique. You can practice it a few times a day. Practice it with an empty stomach.

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Kapalbhati

Kapalbhati is made up of Kapal (कपाल)+ Bhati (भाति). Kapal means forehead and Bhati means to shine. Hence, Kapalbhati is a Pranayam which makes your forehead glow.

Benefits

1. Expedites metabolism
2. Clears the nadis
3. Improves blood circulation
4. It detoxifies your body by removing toxins via exhalation
5. Helpful to diabetes patients
6. Improves digestion and functioning of all digestive organs
7. Aids weights loss and tones body
8. rejuvenates your nervous system
9. Makes you feel calm and peaceful

How to Do It

1. Sit comfortably with backbone straight and keep a gentle smile on your face.
2. Place your hands on the knees with palms facing the sky.
3. Take a deep breath in.
4. Pull your stomach in during exhalation.
5. After exhalation the breathe will come automatically in your lungs

Do as per your comfort and watch the video for understanding the way of doing.

Who Should Not Do It

1. People with artificial pacemaker or stent
2. People with epilepsy
3. Hypertension
4. Hernia patients
5. People who have backache due to slip disc, or have recently undergone abdominal surgery
6. Pregnant women, menstruating women and women who have just had a baby

These people should practice Kapalbhati Pranayam slowly. Some people say that these types of people should not practice Kapalbhati but Yoga guru Baba Ramdev says that there is no such danger. One has to do it slowly and with assurance.

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Bhramari Pranayama (Humming
Bee Breathing)

Bhramari (भ्रामरी ) is an Indian bee. This breathing technique gets its name from it. Bhramari pranayama is highly effective in calming down the mind. It is one of the best pranyams exercises to make your mind tension free.

And obviously you can practice it anywhere. It is also called humming bee breathing because of the sound of a bee that can be heard when you practice this.

Benefits

• Instant relief from an agitated mind
• Effective in mitigating migraines
• Improves concentration and memory
• Calms the mind and prepares it for meditation
• Improves overall state of mind and being

How to Do It

1. Sit with a smile on your face, and back straight.
2. Close your eyes, be quiet for a while and just observe your body
3. Place your thumb inside on your ears and close your eyes with other three fingers.
4. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out make a loud humming sound like a bee.
5. Continue this for 4–5 times or more as per your comfort

Watch the video for a better understanding of the pranayama and way of doing it.

Who Should Not Do It

There is no such constraint with this Pranayam. But one should do it empty stomach.

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Sitali Pranayama

This is pranayam for people like me. Because it is highly effective for people who are generally sweat a lot, have temprament and anger issues and who feel wrath of the heat more than usual.

As the name suggests it cools down the body and mind.

Benefits

1. Cooling for the body (Lowers body temperature)
2. Calming the mind
3. Reduces agitation/anger
4. Aids digestion
5. Helps fight hot weather

How to Do It

1. Sit comfortably with the spine straight with a smile on your face
2. Take a few normal breathes
3. Now curl your tongue and extend it out a little
4. Inhale through the tunnel of the tongue (Observe the cooling effect in the mouth, down the throat and into the torso)
5. Release the tongue, close the mouth and exhale out through the nose.
6. Repeat a few times and experience the cooling effect

Watch the video for a better understanding of doing the Pranayam.

Who Should Not Do It

1. People who generally have a cold constitution of the body
2. During cold weather
3. People who have cold

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Ujjayi Pranayama

Ujjayi comes from Jai (जय) which means victory. This implies victory over your vices and freedom from bondage. Freedom from all kinds of negativity, stress and your own ego.

It is one of the eight KUMBHAKS mentioned in Hathyogapradipika. This Pranayam is highly effective for doing meditation. The people who find it hard to sit and meditate can get lots of help from this Pranayam.

Benefits

• Increases the breath length
• Strengthens lungs and other respiratory organs
• Improves focus
• Warms up the body
• Makes you calm and peaceful
• Extremely helpful in preparing the mind for meditation
• Stimulates your vagus nerve and can calm anxiety
• Help rectify fluid retention in the body
• Helps in chronic cold, cough, indigestion, liver problems, dysentery, fever and other diseases
• Helps in Ghatashudhhi or purification of seven dhatus (elements) of the body as per Ayurveda, namely, Skin, flesh, blood, bones, marrow, fat and semen.
• Stimulates and balances the thyroid.

How to Do It

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect and a smile on your face.

Kindly follow the instructions from the video because the exhalation and inhalation process of this Pranayam is difficult to communicate in writing.

But this is highly effective in helping you progress on your spiritual path if you find it hard to sit quietly thoughtless. This would really help you remain more peaceful and cheerful in life.

Who Should Not Do It

People who are already in deep meditative experiences don’t really need it. Other than that pretty much everyone can do it.

Chandra Bhedi Pranayama (Left Nostril Breathing)

There are two pranayama one is Chandra bhedi which is left nostril breathing and other is Surya bhedi which is right nostril breathing. I am not talking about Surya bhedi Pranayam in this blog because it increases body heat and it is advised not to practice it during summer.

And it is exactly like Chandra bhedi Pranayam just practice it with the right nostril.

Or you can choose as per the mood, weather and state of mind. I for myself practice Surya Bhedi during winters and Chandra Bhedi during summers.

During the even weathers of spring and autumn. I practice both.

Benefits

1. It reduces body heat.

2. Useful in heart burning problems

3. Reduces blood pressure.

4. Useful in fever.

5. It has a calming effect on the mind and reduces tension, stress, and other mental problems.

How to Do It

1. Sit comfortably with a smile on your face and backbone erect.
2. Make a Pranayam mudra by your fingers (press the index and middle finger of your hand towards the palm).
3. Shut the right nostril with right thumb.
4. Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril until your lungs are filled to full capacity.
5. Breathe out (exhale) slowly through right Nadi. ( Exhalation should be longer than the inhalation)
6. Repeat this process around 10 times.

Who Should Not Do It

1. Advised to not to do this during winters
2. Practice with an empty stomach.
3. People suffering from heart disease, low blood pressure or epilepsy should avoid this pranayama

3. In the initial stage, don’t hold the breath.

6. Inhalation and exhalation should be in the ratio of 1:2.

7. If you feel a little bit of discomfort then you can reduce the ratio of breathing.

8. Don’t practice if you have a cold or generally a cold constitution of the body

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