Surya Bhedana Pranayama.....

Stage 1 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the right nostril.

Breathe out through the left nostril. Allow the exhalation to be longer than the inhalation.

Stage 2 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the right nostril. (Puraka)

Hold after inhalation. The first few times hold for a few seconds. Gradually increase the durartion of the time after inhalation. (Antara Kumbhaka)

Exhale out through the left nostril. Allow the exhalation to be longer than the inhalation.

Stage 3 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the right nostril. (Puraka)

Exhale out through the left nostril. (Rechaka)

Hold after exhalation for a few seconds. Gradually increase this time reflecting upon how the breath and nervous system responds. (bahya Kumbhaka)

Stage 4 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the right nostril. (Puraka)

Hold after inhalation. (Antara Kumbhaka)

Exhale out through the left nostril. (Rechaka)

Hold after exhalation for a few seconds. (bahya Kumbhaka)

Stage 5 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the right nostril. (Puraka)

Hold after inhalation. (Antara Kumbhaka)

Exhale out through the left nostril partially blocked so that it lengthens. (Rechaka)

Hold after exhalation for a few seconds. (bahya Kumbhaka)

This can be practiced without the retention Kumbhaka or it can be slowly introduced in a safe progressive way.

Stage 6 - Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Breathe in though the partially blocked left nostril. (Puraka)

Hold after inhalation. (Antara Kumbhaka)

Exhale out through the left nostril partially blocked. (Rechaka)

Hold after exhalation for a few seconds. (bahya Kumbhaka)

This can be practiced without the retention Kumbhaka or it can be slowly introduced in a safe progressive way.

(article based on http://www.yogapranayama.net/breathing-technique/surya-bhedana-pranayama.html ... with thanks)

Shitkari Pranayama

Shitkari Pranayama cools the body and quenches thirst.

Preparation

• Sit on your favourite Asana (Padma asana, Vajra asana or Sukh asana) in a well ventilated room free from any distractions. Keep the waist, back, neck and spine erect. For the beginners, you can sit on a chair or sit cross legged on the yoga mat/ carpet keeping your back, neck and spine erect.
• Keep your hand in gyan mudra (press your first finger against the thumb and keeping other three fingers straight) on the knees.

Steps

• Fold the tongue so that the tip of the tongue might touch the upper palate.
• Draw in the air through the mouth with the hissing sound "SSSSS". The air flows over your tongue.
• Now, bring your tongue inside the mouth and retain breath as long as you are comfortable.
• Exhale slowly through both nostrils.

Practice

• Do this pranayama 10 to 20 times.
• This pranayama can be done while standing/ walking also.
• You can practice this pranayama in the morning as well as in the evening during the summer season.

Benefits

• Purifies blood.
• Quenches thirst.
• Cools body.
• Makes you more beautiful.
• Reduces high blood pressure.
• Helps to cure acidity, indigestion and fever.
• Reduces the effect of poison, snake bite.

Caution

• This pranayama is prohibited for low blood pressure patients.
• Heart and asthama patients should not hold breath.
• Do not practice this pranayama in winters.

(Article based on http://www.yoga-for-beginners-a-practical-guide.com/shitkari.html... with thanks)

Shitali Pranayam

Shitali-means cool
This breath cools the body so it is best done in hot weather or at the end of a vigorous
yoga session.

Procedure-
1) Sit in sukhasana or padmasana.
2) Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.
3) Roll the tongue, curling the sides in towards the center to form a tube. Stick the end of the tongue out between your pursed lips. If you can’t roll your tongue, just purse the lips making a small “o” shape with the mouth.
4) Inhale through the tube of the tongue.
5) Exhale through the nose.
6) Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect.

Restrictions :
Do not Practice more than ten rounds at a time. While practicing Shitali for the first time, some practitioner would catch cold or get a sore throat. In such case it is better to stop further practice.

Benefits :
1) It cools the whole body and the nervous system.
2) It will have a pacifying and relieving effect for various troubles such as headache, fever etc.
3) It activates the liver and spleen, improve digestion and relieve thirst.
4) Shitali pranayama is highly recommended as an immediate remedy for nervousness.

BHASTRIKA --- PRANAYMA - IV

Procedure

Sit in a comfortable Asana. Breathe in through both the nostrils forcefully, till the lungs are full and diaphragm is stretched. Then breathe out forcefully also, but see that the abdominal cavity does not blow up due to the air breathed in. Depending upon the capacity and health of an individual, this Pranayama can be done in three variable speeds viz. slow speed, moderate speed and at high speed. Individuals with weak lungs and heart should do this at a slow speed while performing Recak and Puraka A healthy individual and one used to doing it, should do it initially at a slow speed and then gradually increase the speed to moderate and then high. This Pranayama should be done for 5 to 10 minutes.

While inhaling in the process of doing Bhastrika make a vow and focus in your mind as if all the divine powers, purity, peace and joy, all that is good in the universe around you is entering inside your body and that you are getting filled with the divine powers. Pranayama done with this kind of vow in mind imparts a special benefit to the individual.

Benefits:

Diseases like cold, cough, allergy, asthma, respiratory diseases of all kinds, are cured. Lungs become strong and due to the heart and head getting adequate quantity of pure and fresh air, health is improved.
Diseases of the throat like thyroid, tonsils and other ailments of throat are cured.

• This Pranayama brings about a proper balance of the three Doshas i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and maintains their balance. Blood is purified and the body gets rid of foreign objects and toxins.
• Stabilizes Prana and calms mind, and helps the upward journey

Stabilizes Prana and calms mind and helps the upward journey of Prana from Muladhara Chakra (Base Chakra) to Sahsrar Chakra(Cerebral Gland) and helpful in the Kundalini Jagran.

(based on http://knowyoga.org article......... with thanks)

Ujjayi Pranayama.....

Also known as: Hissing Breath, Victorious Breath

Benefits: Concentrates and directs the breath, giving asana practice extra power and focus.

This pranayama is most often used in association with the practice of yoga poses, especially in the vinyasa style. Vinyasa yoga is breath-synchronized movement, and the breath used is Ujjayi breath. Learn this breath while seated in a comfortable cross-legged position. Once you feel confident, begin to use it during asana practice.

1. Inhale and exhale deeply through the mouth.

2. On the exhales, begin to tone the back of the throat, slightly constricting the passage of air. Imagine that you are fogging up a pair of glasses.

3. Once you are comfortable with the exhale, begin to apply the same toning of the throat to the inhales. This is where the name of the breath comes from: it sounds like the ocean. (It also sounds like Darth Vadar.)

4. When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a loud noise coming in and out of the nose. This is Ujjayi breath.

5. Now start to use this breath during your practice. If the teacher tells you to move on an inhale, make it an Ujjayi inhale. If you need a little something extra while holding a pose, remember this breath.

Another way to think about Ujjayi Breath is to visualize your throat as a garden hose, with the breath passing through like a trickle of water. If you put your thumb partially over the opening of the hose, you increase the power of the water that is coming through. This is the same thing you are doing with your throat during Ujjayi breathing. The air that comes in through your constricted throat is a powerful, directed breath that you can send into the parts of your body that need it during yoga.

ANULOM VILOM --- PRANAYAM - II

Yoga - Anuloma Viloma

What is Anuloma Viloma?

Anuloma Viloma is a breathing technique. In Sanskrit Anuloma means with the natural order and Viloma means going against. Thus it is called Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril. A healthy person breathes mainly through the left nostril that is the path of the ida nadi, and then through the right nostril, the path of the Pingala nadi. If you are really healthy, you will breathe through the Ida nostril about one hour and fifty minutes, then through the Pingala nostril.

But in many people, this natural rhythm is disturbed. Anuloma Viloma balances the rhythm of breathing and restores, equalizes flow of Prana in the body.

What is the technique of Anuloma Viloma?

There are six steps that form one round of Anuloma Viloma. First raise your right hand, curling your forefinger and middle finger into your palm, leaving thumb, fourth finger, and little finger extended. 1. Place your thumb on the right side of your nose and apply gentle pressure just under the bone, where the fleshy part of the nose begins. Inhale through the left nostril, to the count of four. 2. Hold the breath by closing both the nostrils, to the count of sixteen.

3.Then exhale through the right nostril, closing the left with the ring and little fingers, to the count of eight. 4. Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the ring and little fingers, to the count of four. 5. Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen. 6. Exhale through the left nostril, keeping the right closed with the thumb, to the count of eight. Initially practice three rounds and gradually reach upto twenty rounds.

What are the benefits of practicing Anuloma Viloma?

Anuloma Viloma helps to balance and harmonize the functioning of the right and left hemispheres of the brain and ensures optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. It is the best technique to soothe the nervous system and calms the mind. It encourages the removal of state air and toxins as the exhalations are longer than inhalation in this technique. (aRTICLE bASED oN http://www.india-shopping.net/Yoga/anuloma-viloma.htm....)

1. kAPAL bHATI pRANAYAMA.

Kapalbhati Pranayama is a type of breathing exercise that helps you rid of various ailments over a period of time.

"Kapal" means forehead and "bhati" means shining. Eventually, Kapabhati should bring about a glow on the face of the practitioner.

Kapalabhati is done in a sitting posture. Focus on "exhaling". Inhale as normal.

Exhale and simultaneously contract the abdomen muscles with each exhalation. Keep exhaling without consciously inhaling all the time. Exhale as long as you can.

Practice Kapalbhati pranayama for about 5 minutes. You can gradually increase this to a maximum of 10 minutes. You may take short breaks when you start out on this yogic breathing exercise.

Kapalabhati helps control obesity, diabetes, kidney and prostate diseases, heart, brain and lung problems and many other diseases.

Benefits: cleansing, invigorating, warming, prevents illness and allergies

This breath consists of rapid, forced exhales followed by passive inhales. It is best done at the beginning of a yoga session. In Kundalini practice, Kapalabhati breath is sometimes done while holding poses.

1. Come to sit in a comfortable crosslegged position.

2. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.

3. Inhale to a comfortable level, and then exhale sharply and forcefully through the nose, drawing the belly in as you exhale.

4. Let the inhale happen passively, and continue this cycle of forceful exhales and passive inhales at a fast pace, so that the belly is pumping continuously.

5. Do three rounds of thirty breaths each, coming back to deep inhales and exhales between each round.

6. Come back to normal breathing if you feel lightheaded at any time.