VANAPRANAYAMA - Path to healthy and fulfilling life!

                                 VANAPRANAYAMA

VANAPRANAYAMA - Path to healthy and fulfilling life!

Day to day stress, tension and physical habits can create energy blocks in our bodies. Without even noticing it, breathing can become gradually more shallow, thereby restricting the flow of breath and prana (life force).

Regular and sustained practice of pranayama can supercharge whole body.

Benefits of regular practice of Pranayama include:

• Treating a range of stress related disorders.
• Improves the autonomic functions.
• Helps relieve asthma.
• Reduces signs of oxidative stress in the body.
• Can assist in steady mind, strong will power and sound judgement.
• Helps enhance ones perception of life.
• Causes positive change in cardio respiratory system including lowering of blood pressure.
• Excellent for weight loss, inch loss and retention of youthfulness.
• All menstrual related problems can be resolved by regular practice of pranayama.

Pranayama 1- Spinal Breathing:

• There are 7 Chakras or Energy centre's in human body, which gets activated by pranayama.
• Sit in sukhasana and imagine a tube like structure from muladhara chakra to sahasrara chakra.
• Then, from sahasrara chakra (pineal gland) to ajna chakra (in between eyes, just above nose).
• Tube is in shape of number 7.
• Breath-in imagining breath flows in tube from muladhara to sahasrara to ajna chakra.
• Then, breath out imagining breath flows from same tube from ajna to sahasrara to muladhara.
• Care should be taken that breath-out air don't flow out to atmosphere through muladhara.
• This pranayama helps in raising kundalini energy in a human body.

Pranayama 2 - Bhasthrika:

• Sit with spine erect, face parallel to ground, palms facing up resting on thighs.
• Inhale and exhale through nose rapidly without making any noise. (see arrow mark in fig.).
• The action should be smooth without damaging internal nose.
• Repeat the inhalation & exhalation action for at-least 54 count initially. (slowly increase it to 100,150,200,250,300,350,400,450,500,550,600 and so on for each day).
• Increase 50 count each day. Bhasthrika gives strength and makes body energetic all day.

Pranayama 3 - Kapalbhathi (Fire Breath):

• Sit with spine erect and body slightly bent forward, hands resting on thighs or holding hip.
• Exhale through nose bringing bowel in-wards rapidly. (see arrow mark in figure)
• Both exhaling action and bowel in-ward action to be done in tandem.
• Repeat the action for at-least 50 count on 1st day and increase it to 100 on 2nd day.
• Increase 50 counts per day. (i.e 150, 200,250,300,350,400,450,500 on successive days).

Pranayama 4 - Shunyak:

• Sit with spine erect, face parallel to ground, palms facing up resting on thighs.
• Inhale fully simultaneously bringing chin touch throat (Jalandhara bandha), contracting stomach fully in-wards (Uddiyana bandha) and lifting the genitals up(Mula bandha).
• Retain the breath in this position for at-least 10 sec. and come back to normal position.
• Repeat the action for at-least 10 counts initially. Then, increase it to 20,30,40,50 gradually.
• Increase 10 counts daily.
• Bandhas alleviate stress and mental restlessness and bring about inner harmony and balance. 

Pranayama 5 - Kapalbhathi (Fire Breath):

• Sit with spine erect and body slightly bent forward, hands resting on thighs or holding hip.
• Exhale through nose bringing bowel in-wards rapidly. (see arrow mark in figure)
• Both exhaling action and bowel in-ward action to be done in tandem.
• Repeat the action for at-least 50 count on 1st day and increase it to 100 on 2nd day.
• Increase 50 counts per day. (i.e 150, 200,250,300,350,400,450,500 on successive days).

Pranayama 6 - Anulom Vilom with Bandhas:

                                                             

• This pranayama is combination of nostrils breathing with all 3 bandhas.
• Sit with spine erect, face parallel to ground, keep left hand on left thighs as shown in fig.
• Keep right hand index and middle finger between eye brows.
• Close the right nostril using thumb and in-hale slowly through left nostril, simultaneously doing jalandhar bandha, uddiyana bandha and mula bandha.
• Inhale simultaneously bringing chin touching throat (Jalandhara bandha), contracting stomach fully in-wards (Uddiyana bandha) and lifting genitals up (Mula bandha).
• Retain the breath for atleast 4 sec and exhale it slowly through right nostrils.
• Now, close both the nostrils using thumb and index finger for 2 sec and release it.
• Repeat the above steps for other nostril. 
• Start this with 5 times on per day and slowly increase to 25 times.(5, 10, 15, 20, 25)

Pranayama 7 - Shunyak:

• Sit with spine erect, face parallel to ground, palms facing up resting on thighs.
• Inhale fully simultaneously bringing chin touch throat (Jalandhara bandha), contracting stomach fully in-wards (Uddiyana bandha) and lifting the genitals up(Mula bandha).
• Retain the breath in this position for at-least 10 sec. and come back to normal position.
• Repeat the action for at-least 10 counts initially. Then, increase it to 20,30,40,50 gradually.
• Increase 10 counts daily.
• Bandhas alleviate stress and mental restlessness and bring about inner harmony and balance. 

How to Breathe Correct in 2mins: (Important Video)