Pranayama Corner
Breath enhances your yoga practice.
Breathing is the key to yoga. It's what brings the asanas to life and gives yoga its flow. The idea is to keep you awareness on your breath continuously as you move in and out of each posture. And depending on whether you want to relax, balance, or energize, you can vary your breathing pattern to get the desired effect.
Different kinds of breathing techniques.
Lengthening and then holding your exhalation after all the air is expelled relaxes you , while lengthening and holding your inhalation increases your energy. Be careful, though--if you are feeling stressed, you are better off using a balanced breath pattern, as holding your inhalation can make you more tense.
The breath ratios at the top of this chart are very relaxing, while those at the bottom are energizing. If you pay careful attention and adjust your breathing accordingly, you can both relax and energize your self at the same time.
| Inhalation |
Hold
|
Exhalation
|
Hold
|
Effect
|
4
|
1
|
8
|
4
|
Relaxing
|
4
|
1
|
12
|
1
|
Relaxing
|
6
|
1
|
10
|
1
|
Relaxing
|
6
|
1
|
8
|
4
|
Relaxing
|
8
|
1
|
8
|
1
|
Balanced
|
6
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
Balanced
|
6
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
Energizing
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
1
|
Energizing
|
|
Ujjayi Pranayama
The Ujjayi Breath is known as the victory or ocean sounding breath and is used for focusing, grounding, as well as aids us in concentration.
Ujjayi Pranayama is called the ocean sounding breath because you make an ocean sound by contracting the glottis with the inhalation and exhalation. This Pranayama is done through the nose, but it is helpful to begin practicing breathing through the mouth. To make the ocean sound, whisper the syllable "h," feeling the contraction in your throat. Keep this contraction engaged on the inhalation and exhalation. After a couple of breaths try to close the mouth, breathing through the nose while still making the ocean sound in your throat. My beginning yoga students along with my yoga kids have affectionately called this the 'Darth Vader' breath.
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Sit Cari Pranayama
Sit Cari is known as the 'hissing breath' and is used to cool the body.
Curl
the tongue touching the roof of the mouth as far back as you can to the
soft pallet. As you inhale clench the teeth together and slightly part
the lips making a hissing "ssss" sound. Exhale through both nostrils.
Repeat 5-10 times.
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Shitali Pranayama
Shitali is known as the cooling breath and it too, cools the body.
Roll
the tongue into a tube (as best as you can) and stick the tip of the
tongue out of the mouth. Inhale through the tongue and hold the breath
in for 4-5 seconds with the chin pressed against the chest. Exhale
using Ujjayi Pranayama through the nose. Repeat 5-10 times.
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Nadi Sodhana
Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is alternate nostril breathing and is generally used for balancing, calmin, anti-anxiety, and is very relaxing. Use Nadi Sodhana to slow the heart rate, regulate the heart rhythm, oxygenate the blood, and induce a feeling of calm and well-being.
Place the right hand in Vishnu Mudra (forefinger and middle finger bent towards the palm; thumb, ring, and pinkie in the air).
To do one round:
close off right nostril with the thumb and inhale into the left nostril;close left nostril with ring and pinkie fingers, open the right nostril and exhale through the right, then inhale into the right nostril; close the right nostril, open the left and exhale through the left nostril. Continue, doing 5-20 rounds.
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Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati is the breath of fire or the skull shining breath. It is invigorating, energizing, and purifying.
Kapalabhati
is a very active, forced exhalation with a passive inhalation. To
exhale, the belly quickly pumps into the spine forcing the air out of
the nose (like trying to blow out a candle through you nose). Place a
hand on your belly to feel the belly actively pumping. Play with the
tempo (45-60 exhalations/30 seconds), but keep a steady rhythm. Start
with 2-3 rounds of 30 exhalations, and gradually increase the
exhalations if comfortable.
Contraindications:
Pregnancy, menstruation, unmedicated high blood pressure, recent abdominal surgery.
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Dirga
Dirga Pranayama isthe 3-part breath or complete breath. I tis calming and relaxing. Dirga is called the three part breath because you are actively breathing into three parts of your abdomen. The first position is the low belly (on top of or just below the belly button), the second position is the low chest (lower half of the rib cage), and the third position is the low throat (just above the top of the sternum). The breath is continuous, inhaled and exhaled through the nose.
The inhalation starts in the first position, the low belly; then moves to the second position, the low chest; then to the third position, the low throat. The exhalation starts in the low throat, moves to the low chest, and finishes in the low belly. Rest your hands on the individual positions to feel the breath rising and falling through each position.
When you start practicing, you may want to individually isolate the movement in each position, using the hands. When you have a good feel for the breath moving in and out of each position, practice without the hands. Eventually relax the effort of the Pranayama and breathe into the three positions gently, feeling a wave of breath move up and down the torso.
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Bhramari
 the bee breath
soothes the nerves and calms the mind
Inhale
through both nostrils, taking a slow deep breath in. Exhale through
both nostrils using the throat to make a soft "eeee" sound, like the
buzzing of a bee. Do 5-10 rounds, making the buzzing bee noise louder
as you progress, but do not strain.
Variation:
Block off the right nostril with the thumb using visnu mudra
(as in nadi sodhna pranayama) and inhale through the left nostril
using Ujjayi pranayama. Exhale through the left nostril using
the throat to make a soft "eeee" sound, like the buzzing
of a bee. Block off the left nostril and repeat on other side,
practicing for 5-10 rounds.
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