Practice: prana breathing photon energy. The meaning of life: in the right breath

Hello dear readers!

Do you feel a lack of energy and strength? Then you should learn about prana yoga and breathing techniques!

And just in this article we talk about various types life force, the ability to accumulate energy-prana in the body and control it. Applying our tips and tricks, you will be able to master the first prana yoga exercises, strengthening your health and clearing your mind.

What is prana?

Prana literally translates as "air" and is defined as internal life energy. It is also called the energy of qi or chi, the universal breath, the basis of all life. This pure energy connects the energy and physical body and provides the body with the necessary vital elements: air, nutrition, liquid. Prana promotes the assimilation of everything necessary for the body and saves a person from unnecessary and superfluous.

To fully stimulate the human mind and body, a sufficient amount of prana is needed. Then the person is full of health and a sense of satisfaction with life, and the nervous energy is in a balanced state. If there is not enough prana, some people overeat, look for vivid impressions at any cost, which leads to various diseases and depression.

10 types of pranas in yoga

According to the teachings of yoga, prana moves through energy channels - nadis, which are associated with certain points. human body. There are ten basic energies or types of pranas moving in all the nadis. These are the five major prana vayus and the five upa pranas.

The main energies are pranas circulating in the human body:

Apana. This is a descending life force that moves in the lower abdomen of the body and is concentrated in the anus. Functionally, apana is responsible for the reproductive and excretory systems of the body. This prana is connected with the earth element.
Udana. Ascending energy, which is localized in the upper chest, throat, neck. Udana provides the functions of speech, facial expressions, sensory organs and stimulates the physical growth of the body. Ether is the element to which this energy corresponds.
Prana. The energy is directed inwards, it travels in the chest, heart and lungs. Prana nourishes and supports the whole organism, therefore its element is air.
Samana. This balancing force of life is located in the navel and is responsible for metabolism and digestive functions. Samana distributes the ingested food and liquid throughout the body. Its element is fire.
Vyana. The spreading energy of vyana passes through the entire body and limbs. With the help of this vital force, blood circulation in the body occurs and movements are carried out. Water is the element associated with vyana.

Upa-pranas include five more types of energies that do not leave the human body:

Naga is responsible for gagging.
Kurma controls vision, eyelid movement, blinking.
Krikara causes thirst and hunger.
Devadatta causes laziness and acts on yawning.
Dhanajaya, spreading throughout the body, strengthens the body, provides its nutrition.

If all pranas are in a harmonious state, then the body functions fully. If one of the energies fails, the others fail as well.

What can prana yoga give?

In youth, a person is full of vital energy and is not afraid of any obstacles in his path. Prana gives self-confidence and quick recovery after exertion. A pure mind gives rise to new ideas, a person is able to sleep and eat less when he is filled with the power of life.

Lack of energy-prana can lead to diseases and rapid aging of the body. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to manage your energy, not wasting your strength on seductive desires and unreasonable actions. Prana yoga teaches a person to properly handle the energy of life, control the body and mind, accumulating and properly distributing forces.

The ability to save and transfer prana to other people gives yogis the ability to heal various ailments. Working with energy allows you to control the process of metabolism in the body. At a high level of mastery of prana yoga, a person can develop telepathic abilities and exchange thoughts with other people. It is believed that constant practice leads to a special state of samadhi - staying in the Highest Reality or enlightenment.

Prana yoga exercises: benefits and contraindications

Prana yoga or breath yoga is based on all kinds of breathing techniques that increase internal energy. Various exercises aimed at controlling and holding the breath are called pranayama. The practitioner purifies his "subtle body", transforms the inner life force and controls it.

Thanks to breathing practice, all the cells of the body are filled with oxygen, increasing blood circulation. All groups of respiratory muscles are involved and massage takes place internal organs. Specific breathing helps to strengthen nervous system, relaxes and calms the person. Human consciousness becomes more stable, the adaptive properties of the organism increase.

Since there are breath holdings in the exercises, it is necessary to pay attention to some contraindications:

chronic diseases;
traumatic brain injury and mental disorders;
heart disease and high blood pressure;
eye diseases and respiratory diseases;
oncology of any degree;
pregnancy.

Breathing exercises for beginners

Full yoga breathing consists of clavicular, thoracic and diaphragmatic breathing, and many breathing exercises are aimed at improving health and clearing the mind. Prana yoga includes various techniques and exercises, it is better to familiarize yourself with complex ones under the guidance of a master. We will only talk about a few with which you can start an independent practice.

First of all, you need to master full breathing. Sit comfortably, preferably in a lotus or half lotus position. Inhale deeply with your belly, lowering your diaphragm. In the process, the thoracic and clavicular regions are gradually involved. The whole organism must be filled with oxygen and prana. Now slowly exhale the air, completely relaxing.

And is very effective.

Nadi Shodhana exercise

Sitting in a comfortable Turkish position, on the heels or in the lotus position, lightly press the right nostril with your thumb to block the air. Take a calm full breath in the left nostril. Now, releasing the right nostril, block the left nostril with the ring finger, exhaling fully with the right. Without changing the position of the fingers, do the same in reverse order. Repeat this cycle 10 times.

Vrajana - walking exercise

When walking or going on business, you can practice this simple and useful exercise. Inhale and exhale through your nose without delay. Slowly inhale deeply for 4 steps and exhale for 6 steps. Over time, the number of steps to inhale and exhale can be increased.

Sitali pranayama

This exercise helps to normalize digestion, reduces sweating of the hands and feet, and purifies the blood. To do this, sit comfortably and curl your tongue into a tube and slowly inhale air through it. Now swallow and, closing your mouth, slowly exhale through your nose.

Doing these regularly simple exercises, within a month you will feel an improvement in well-being and will be able to move on to mastering more complex techniques.

What to remember:

1. Prana is the pure energy of life, which is the basis of all living organisms.

2. There are 10 types of pran energies.

3. Prana yoga helps to accumulate and properly distribute vital energy.

4. Breathing exercises have contraindications, so you must follow the recommendations of doctors.

5. Simple Techniques You can start mastering breathing on your own, and more complex ones under the guidance of an instructor.

See you in the next article!

Even people who are superficially familiar with Indian practices will name the meaning of the word "prana" - life energy. But Sanskrit is ambiguous and symbolic, the narrower meaning of the word is simply "breath". "Yama" means "stopping", an action subject to the control of the mind. Thus, the yogic practice of pranayama is breathing under control.

“Is it natural? Why teach yourself to breathe in some special way, everyone knows how to do it from birth, and if they didn’t know how, they wouldn’t live! This is true, but few people breathe correctly: look how many young people are suffocating after running up the stairs to just something on the fifth floor! And what about the rare, "crushed" breathing of people experiencing severe stress? And the sudden feeling of "lack of air" in a confined space? What about the ugly and unhealthy habit of mouth breathing?

If you take care of your breathing, this will not happen. By controlling it, you control your life force and energy! Proper breathing leads to a good supply of oxygen to the brain, you will begin to think more clearly and feel more cheerful. And conscious control over your body has never harmed anyone.

In most practices, we breathe through the nose. The main thing we will use:

breath,
breath holding immediately after inhalation,
exhalation. delay after exhalation.

Try some pranayama exercises for beginners.

Vrajana

Vrajana is performed with normal walking, you can try it during any walk or leisurely way somewhere, even to the store. Just do not breathe near the gassed and dusty highways!

Inhale deeply, slowly, in rhythm with your step. Four steps - inhale, and then exhale without delay, it is advisable to stretch it for six so that it is truly full. If it is difficult - distribute the inhalation and exhalation into steps "equally". It will take about 10 days - and the result will surprise you.

Surya Bhedana

Surya Bhedana will help if you experience discomfort associated with heat generation: you feel cold when others are not cold, you feel chills from stress. It improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, increases blood pressure, cleanses the nasopharynx, calms and trains the central nervous system.

You need to breathe calmly and measuredly, inhale only into the right nostril, and exhale into the left. Close the “unnecessary” nostril with your finger. After inhaling, hold your breath for a second, closing the right nostril, but not opening the left. Breathe deeply, completely filling your lungs with air. 8-10 cycles.

Sitali

Sitali will help those who have increased sweating - constantly wet palms and feet, problem skin. This exercise makes the blood more “active”. By the way, it helps not to suffer from heat in a hot climate - sitali pranayama is also called "cooling breath".

Take a comfortable asana (meditation posture) or just sit comfortably. Curl your lips with your tongue sticking out. Exhale as completely as possible, and then inhale deeply, completely through your mouth. After filling your lungs, hold your breath - ideally for 8 seconds. Exhale calmly through your nose. Repeat 4-8 times, but don't get carried away.

Ujjayi

Ujjayi (from Sanskrit "uji" - victory) - a convenient exercise, performed standing, sitting, walking. First, make sure you breathe calmly and evenly. Inhale slowly, slightly straining your throat, so that the sound of your inhalation resembles the sound "sa" - deep, to the very ribs, to the diaphragm.

Freeze for a moment or two and gradually exhale with the sound "sa". Do not strain excessively - no coughing, wild grimace on the face, shoulders raised to the ears, head thrown back, stone shoulders!

Ujjayi, performed correctly, helps with heart diseases, saves from insomnia and nervous tension - it stimulates the central energy channel of a person (sushumna). Even after such simple exercises You will feel your breath increase in volume. Do not suppress it - you need to work with it correctly, improving its quality.

Illuminate the skull!

That's right - "enlightenment" or even "shine" of the skull - the name of the practice of kapalabhati is translated from Sanskrit. It is needed to cleanse all the paths of prana in the head.

This technique uses "to its fullest" exhalation force. Inhalations should be even, calm, deep, and air emissions should be sharp. This practice has many positive health effects:

brain activity, concentration of attention increases, memory improves;
there is a training of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, the vital volume of the lungs increases;
due to the active production of red blood cells, blood supply to tissues and organs improves, hematological parameters improve;
harmful gases (carbon dioxide) are removed from the cells of the body;
anxiety is significantly reduced, which leads to a general recovery. This practice is also called “fire breathing”, which burns all the rubbish in the body.

Consider, using this technique as an example, how breathing is used in yoga for weight loss.

You need to sit either on the floor - on your heels or in padmasana if you can - or on a chair. Straighten your back, but do not strain. Put your palms on your knees, relax as much as possible shoulder girdle and the stomach - it will become our main "protagonist".
Carefully, slowly exhale through your nose, feeling your lungs empty. At the same time as you exhale, pull your stomach inward. Now just relax it - the lungs will automatically begin to fill with air again.
Pull in your stomach with effort (as if “deflate”) - exhale! Relax - inhale. Repeat. Move your muscles abdominals need it fast! Control this process, pay attention not to breathe with your chest! Do 10 times.

Soon it will come naturally. Do 3-5 such “visits” per day. Over time, you can increase the number of repetitions up to 20 times.

Watch the rhythm of breathing and ensure that there is no excessive tension. After completing the exercise, do not jump up immediately, sit quietly for a minute or two, balance your normal breathing.

In addition to the fact that the work of the abdominal muscles makes them elastic, this technique:

regulates metabolism;
has an activating effect on the work of the liver - the main filter in our body;
reduces the feeling of hunger;
increases stress resistance (in the fight against excess weight, this is important: many people "jam" negative emotions).

Unaccustomed to training, the abdominal muscles may ache - this is normal, they will soon get used to the loads. But if you feel a sharp deterioration in the condition - stop exercising until you return to normal. Most likely, this happened from overvoltage.

Look at the photo of pranayama and pay attention to the bodies and faces of practicing people: they don’t “clamp” at all, they don’t do anything through force. You don’t set an Olympic record, but do yoga, don’t “tear your navel” - better meditate on it!

jala neti

The nose plays a major role in breathing practices ah - yogis even believe that breathing through the mouth is as unnatural as eating through the nose - and therefore he must be ready for them. Namely - clear of mucus.

No proper breathing is possible with a nose tightly clogged with a known green substance. The Jala Neti procedure will help to clear it - this is the most beautiful name for the most common, but very effective nasal rinsing with salted water.

There are special teapots for this purpose "neti-pot" - they are sold in specialized stores. But you can also use the Aqua-Maris teapot from the pharmacy, and the usual small custard.

You will need 1 liter (more per clogged nose) of boiled or drinking bottled water. Dilute with boiling water to body temperature and add salt - 1 teaspoon per 0.5 l of water.

Bend over the sink, left nostril up, and slowly pour the solution into it from the spout of the teapot. Purpose: Water should flow out through the right nostril. If it gets into your mouth or your ears are blocked, most likely you need to “adjust” the tilt of your head.

At first, water, washing the nasal passages, will drip, and then a trickle will flow from the “lower” nostril. Gradually ensure that the water flows freely in both directions. Soon this practice will take no more time than brushing your teeth, and your nose will be clean! In the future, every day - if the nose does not clog - you do not need to practice it. Once a week for prevention.

During rinsing, do not draw water into your nose - and then do not blow your nose! After finishing the practice, take quick sharp exhalations with the help of the abdominal muscles for a minute, as you already know how - excess water will be removed, you will dry the sinuses.

Jala Neti helps:

from rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis;
diseases of the eyes and ears;
for the prevention of colds in the autumn-winter period;
from hay fever (allergic rhinitis);
in cases where you inhaled harmful substances - dust, paint, varnish and other toxic fumes.

About results

So, breathing practices are the way to cleanse and improve the whole body, they can be called complex yoga therapy.

The initial exercises and the elementary jala-neti procedure are available to absolutely anyone, they take almost no time, and the benefits from them are a whole wagon of health.

Only laziness can interfere with the implementation. But one has only to start - and you will notice that the habit of regular practice heals from it too!

Photo of pranayama

There are such concepts, the essence of which is universal and fundamental in many esoteric practices, regardless of its name. One of these global concepts is Prana - the great vital energy in the view of Indian yogis and esotericists, which in Taoism, traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine is equated with the concept of Chi-energy.

Prana as an esoteric concept

Prana is a concept as simple as it is complex. Invisible Prana fills the entire Universe and every organism, giving them vitality and energy of creation.

Prana people call:

free energy of the Cosmos;
universal strength;
that which connects the physical and astral body;
vital universal energy;
the life of all living organisms;
the energy that moves the mind;
body energy;
driving force of insight;
the embodiment of self-realization;
the source of all abilities.

Prana can be of different quality, but it is everywhere: in the air, in food, in people, in all living organisms, in plants and trees, in space.

The influence of Prana on the physical organisms of people

Each breath of a person fills his body with Prana, after which it spreads throughout the body through the Nadi system - the smallest channels. From the interlacings of Nadi, powerful centers of human energy are composed - chakras that control the whole organism.

Prana allows our organs to:

eyes - to see;
earsam--to hear;
tongue - feel the taste;
skin - to feel touch;
nose - to smell odors;
brain to think.

In addition, Prana drives blood from the heart, accompanies the processes of secretion, digestion and excretion. Prana in the human body has different forms and various functions.

There are 5 main forms of Prana:

In addition, Prana unites the bodies: the astral and the physical. When Prana leaves the physical body and passes into the astral body, the death of a person occurs.

Prana is a powerful energy that moves our mind. If we subjugate Prana to ourselves, then by making it move with the mind, we can move anything. This applies to other paranormal abilities as well.

Consciousness and Prana are always interconnected. Prana vibrations make your consciousness move. If you manage to control Prana, then consciousness will also be controlled by you. If you can control the mind, then Prana will automatically become controlled by you.

The level and quality of a person's Prana can be understood by what a person likes. For example, if a person puts sensual pleasures above all else, this means that his mind does not allow Prana to rise above the genitals. But thanks to meditation, this energy can be learned to control consciously.

The strength of manifestation, purity and quantity of Prana determine the incarnation of each person, as well as the possibility of his self-realization. Therefore, the strength of personality is a reflection of the natural ability of each individual to control Prana.

People who unconsciously or consciously use pranic energy for themselves achieve great success in life, have a huge impact on others, attract more than people around them. The radiance of Prana can always be seen in the eyes of a highly spiritual person.

Pranic Breathing: Pranayama

Prana is the vital energy that acts on all existential levels. When a person desires, acts, thinks, speaks, moves, writes, dances, his Prana is consumed.

Prana manifests itself externally through the breath. When we breathe, there is an exchange of energy between the universe and the body. Knowing how to consciously control your breath, you control Prana. This skill is given by Pranayama (from Sanskrit "breath control") - the step of yoga following asanas.

This is a special system of breathing exercises that allows you to: cleanse the Nadis and the subtle body of impurities, accumulate and transform the energy of life, and also increase the energy level of the body. The result of prolonged practice of Pranayama is the awakening of the Kundalini.

Amazing features of Pranayama:

In addition, the practice of Pranayama helps to curb excessive sexuality, as it raises energy from the lower to the upper chakras.

A person who practices Pranayama is different:

wonderful appetite;
great physical strength;
excellent figure;
cheerfulness;
enthusiasm;
courage;
cheerfulness;
vital energy;
the ability to concentrate.

Restrictions for classes are the age of up to 18 years. The need to keep the air as clean as possible at all times. It is not recommended to use these exercises if you have: traumatic brain injury, high blood pressure, asthma, blood diseases, acute inflammatory processes. You can not use alcohol, tobacco, stimulants, coffee (often with prolonged practice, people completely lose their craving for these substances).

A complete Pranayama cycle includes four phases:

Breathing in most Pranayamas is nasal. Including previously unused respiratory muscles, a person actively stimulates the corresponding chakras, reveals their psychological functions:

pectoral muscles - teach to enjoy life and love;
abdominal muscles - enhance social adaptation and a sense of inner strength;
collarbones - release the human right to inner freedom and decision-making.

The most common practices of Pranayama.

Yogi deep breathing technique full breath with consistent awareness when inhaling 3 main zones (abdomen, collarbones, chest). It leads to complete tranquility of the mind.

Kapalabhati - rapid breathing with sharp exhalations. It is considered Shatkarma - an action that purifies the mind. It instantly fills the body with energy and invigorates.

Bhastrika (fur) - performed like Kapalabhati, but harder and more amplitude. The criterion for the correct performance of Bhastrika is the appearance in the stomach of a sensation of a “fiery” hot ball. The energy value of Bhastrika is the pumping of energy from Manipura to Anahata, and then its further redistribution in the circle of blood circulation.

Nadi Shodhana (channel cleaning) - alternate breathing through the nostrils. Such Pranayama visualizes breathing, cleanses the main energy channels, calms the mind, introduces a person into a state of joy and lightness.

Surya Bhedana - inhale through the right, and exhale through the left nostril - allows you to instantly activate the body.
Chandra Bhedana - inhale through the left and exhale through the right nostril - helps to relax and calm down.

Brahmari Pranayama (buzzing bee) - cleansing Pranayama, when a deep breath is replaced on exhalation with a sound resembling the buzzing of a bee. Performed with closed lips. This type of Pranayam stimulates the body by changing the vibrations of its cells in such a way that the internal environment of the body becomes completely unsuitable and completely unbearable for viruses.

Murcha Pranayama (long exhalation) - a slow breath, a pause for a couple of minutes, a very slow exhalation. She is closest to meditative state. The mind calms down and the increased energy level allows the person to be aware of more information than usual.

Gradually, a person learns other methods of Pranayama:

Combination of alternate nostril breathing;
Breathing in a certain rhythm;
Visualization of the movement of Prana through the body;
Mental coloring of the inhaled air in different colors.
Aerobatics for yoga - a combination of all techniques.

Pranayama exercises are usually performed in postures:

Padmasana;
Ardha-padmasana;
Sukhasana.

Sometimes Pranayama is practiced in the lying position. For the correct distribution of energy throughout the body, mudras are used along with Pranayama.

Pranayama is a powerful technique that affects the emotional and physical state a person is much faster than asanas. Classes without an experienced teacher can be hazardous to health. For effective classes, one must prepare the body and spirit by practicing asanas.

Prana nutrition: truth and myths

Food and breath are the main ways in which Prana fills the body. Food serves for a grosser manifestation of Prana than air, so many yogis claim that they prefer to receive Prana through breathing. The regulation of the work of the lungs is the most effective means of saturating the body with the energy of life.

People who have completely or partially refused physical food and water, who receive Prana from the air through breathing, are called prano-eaters (synonyms: sun-eaters, breatharians). And the philosophy of this way of life is called pranaedenie.

Pranoeds argue that the vital activity of any organism can be completely provided by Prana.

Inhaling Prana at any time, filling his stomach with it, focusing it in the navel, on the toes and the tip of the nose, the pranoed achieves the following states:

Freed from any disease after 6 months;
Achieves a feeling of lightness in the body;
Becomes wise and eloquent;
Conquers thirst, fatigue and fear;
Enjoys his life.

Modern science does not yet recognize such a phenomenon, which contradicts scientific ideas about the principles of life of living beings on Earth. However, from time to time, yogis demonstrate to scientists unique opportunities in pranoedema. Whether this is real or not, only personal practice can give an answer.

As many people know, yoga has many aspects, each of which studies a certain effect of the vital energy flowing in the human body on its mental, spiritual and physical state. One such aspect is prana yoga or the yoga of breathing. This is a kind of yoga style that focuses on breathing, so that through practice a person can find harmony, as well as strengthen his health and clear his mind. This practice allows you to significantly increase the energy potential of the human body. How exactly with the help of prana yoga you can achieve unity with the environment, clear your mind of "unnecessary" and learn how to enjoy life, read in this article.

Prana yoga is a complex of special exercises, by practicing which you can provide your body with everything that it urgently needs for optimal life. But before trying out such a complex, you need to study a lot of specific nuances, since respiratory manipulations, if used incorrectly, may not provide a miraculous effect.

In fact, prana yoga is very simple and amazing. But master breathing exercises recommended, having a certain "experience" of hatha yoga. The fact is that pranayamas (prana yoga exercises) are more high level and therefore require special concentration and skills from the practitioner. And if yoga beginners can get acquainted with the theory from this article, then in practice it is better for them to study with an instructor for the first time, who can literally “on the fingers” explain the technique of doing the exercises.

Life energy (prana) is the basis of all life on earth. That is why you need to start practicing, understanding the basic aspects and principles of yoga, through which it is able to change the physical and energy body of a person.

Internal life energy is necessary for every person. A practitioner who regularly receives such nourishment will be able to clear his mind, getting rid of unnecessary thoughts, and also improve his health, which is also an important point in the teaching. With an insufficient level of prana, a person may begin to seek pleasure in something else (food, vivid impressions, etc.). This, in turn, can lead to not very favorable consequences: depression, apathy, diseases.

The main pranas in this direction

If you delve into the basics of the teachings of yoga, you can understand that all vital energy moves inside human body in the form of flows through energy channels. They are called nadis, and represent a whole system that connects the energy and physical body of a person through certain points in the body. However, they are not lymph nodes, nerve endings or blood vessels.

Only 5 main energy flows and the same number of pranas move through such a system. Each of these vital forces circulates in a certain cavity of the body and is responsible for the functioning of various body systems. And, if all pranas function in harmony, then the human body will work without failures. If in any of the channels or energies there is a failure, the general harmony of prana will be violated.

About the benefits of practices

Prana yoga, whose breathing practices are based on certain techniques, is very beneficial for a person. Initially, it can increase one's inner potential, as well as help the practitioner learn to transform his inner strength and manage it.

The physical aspect of the benefits of pranayama breathing practice is expressed in several of its benefits at once. So, prana breath in yoga:

oxygenates the entire body;
improves blood circulation;
strengthens the nervous system;
relaxes internal organs;
creates a stable emotional background;
makes a person more stress-resistant;
increases the adaptive capacity of the human body.

Contraindications

But, even despite its harmlessness, yoga breathing exercises have some contraindications. This is due to the fact that the technique of this practice involves holding the breath. Beginning practitioners should not start pranayama tactics if they have the following diseases:

traumatic brain injury;
mental health disorders;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
any disease of a chronic nature;
eye diseases;
oncological pathologies;
diseases respiratory system;
pregnancy.

The rest, who do not have health problems of this nature and who are already familiar with hatha yoga asanas, can start prana yoga. Where exactly to start and what breathing exercises from yoga can be performed, read on.

Varieties of exercises

Having decided to try healing breathing exercises for yourself, you must first familiarize yourself with the varieties and techniques of pranayamas. In total there are several basic types of breathing that are used in prana yoga:

Calming breath. This is the most commonly practiced yoga breath by beginners. Its name is Ujayi, which literally translates as "to master something after the conquest" (or "to conquer"). With the help of this technique, yogis are able to learn to control their internal energy. As a result of regular practice of Ujjayi, a person can control his inner background and keep his life force in harmony.
Cleansing Breath - Kapalabhati. The cleansing, cleansing or fire breathing of the yogi helps the practitioner clear the mind and also open the pranic channels so that life energy can flow freely through them. How to breathe yoga Kapalabhati (fiery breath) correctly, we will describe below using several exercises as an example.
Bhastrika or Bellows Breath. This is a specific yogic technique with which the practitioner can kindle the inner fire and, thereby, bring the spiritual body closer to the physical.
Full Breath is the deepest yogic breath. This technique allows you to use all the muscles of the respiratory system and fill the lungs with oxygen completely. With this technique, a person will be able to fully provide his body with fresh air.

Pranayama complex

To master yogic breathing, you must first do the simplest pranayamas. As they are assimilated, it will be possible to move to the next level of classes, practice the breath of fire in yoga (Kapalbhati), Bhastrika and other techniques.

Pranayama Ujjayi

To master this technique, you need to take a sitting position on your heels with a flat back. This position is best because it allows you to relax. Especially after doing hatha yoga asanas.

Sitting on your heels with your buttocks, you need to close your eyes to focus on your breathing, and completely relax. Further, having narrowed the glottis in order to make barely perceptible hissing sounds, you can begin to do pranayama.

First, a measured deep breath is taken for eight seconds. Then we begin to release air from the lungs, stretching the exhalation for 16 seconds. At first it will seem difficult, but believe me, after a few sessions you will be able to gradually make pauses of 8, 16 and 32 seconds between inhalations and exhalations.

Pranayama Uddiyana Bandha

This is a whole cycle of exercises that is highly recommended to be performed in the morning on an empty stomach and bladder. The starting position for this exercise is the lotus position or the same position as in the previous case. Relaxing, you can begin to take sharp and not deep breaths and exhalations without counting. In general, beginners need to perform 450-500 breaths, although beginners who have not dealt with yoga before can do only 200-250.

After such a “warm-up”, a series of exhalations and exhalations follows with the maximum possible speed and amplitude. You can try to first make a series of five such breaths, gradually increasing this number to 2-3 series of 10-15 repetitions each.

From the last exhalation of the bhastrika, inhale calmly and slowly until a comfortable volume of the lungs is filled with air. In this case, you need to fix your breath by pulling up the dimple under the Adam's apple and the root lock. It is better to exhale with a second impulse and immediately move on to uddiyana bandha: having straightened the chest and lowered the chin to the chest, you need to prepare the lungs for inhalation, and then, in fact, inhale after a long delay from the last exhalation.

The cycle of such exercises should be repeated two more times, while trying not to forget to relax and clear your mind, freeing it from unnecessary thoughts.

Pranayama Kapalabhati

Breath of fire in yoga, a technique which consists of alternating passive breaths with sharp exhalations through the nose, can be performed in or sitting Turkish with eyes closed for greater concentration. I.p., as in the case of other yogic exercises, during the fiery breath you need to relax. But at the same time, Kapalbhati is different in that the muscles of the abdominal cavity during exhalation must sharply contract and decompress so that the press is relaxed again when inhaling.

In total, it is recommended to perform 100-110 times in one session of this practice. As you manage to master the technique flawlessly, you can try to increase the number of approaches to 2, and then to 3.

These are just some of the exercises that will help clear the pranic channels and balance the vital energy flowing in the body. Moreover, each breathing technique is unique and has its own specific benefits. Therefore, by practicing pranayama, you will have the opportunity to see for yourself the benefits of yogic breathing.

If you are interested in yoga, then you have definitely heard about breathing practices. Their other name - "Pranayama" comes from the same root word "prana", which means life or vital energy. It feeds on all living things on the planet.

According to the teachings of yoga, the human body functions correctly, thanks to the intake of prana through the eyes, nose or food. It is believed that consciousness cannot exist without an energy component, therefore prana is necessary for its proper functioning. At the same time, consciousness controls prana, they fully interact and complement each other.

Many scientists of different centuries have scientifically confirmed the presence of an energy shell in living beings. There are many theories about the origin of prana. According to some teachings, this is the energy of the subtle divine worlds, which has passed into our world through the energy channels of the sages. Other teachings say that prana is located in the subtle body of a person, it can be different depending on the food, thoughts and environment of a person.

In a crazy stream modern life people very often suffer from pollution of the pranic body. A lot of people are familiar with such syndromes as constant fatigue, absent-mindedness, mood and immunity decline, drowsiness. To cleanse the pranic body, yoga asanas should be practiced regularly. Only a pure body is capable of free distribution and accumulation of prana. Pranayama promotes the accumulation of prana.

Breathing exercises pranayama expands the mind providing control of breath or more broadly prana. Thanks to correct execution these exercises a person gains vigor, purposefulness, tranquility and meaningfulness of life. Each teaching has its own approach to performing pranayamas. Some types of yoga involve mastering them before working with the body and meditation. And a number of others do not allow the performance of pranayamas to the ideal performance of asanas, including inverted ones.

Pranayamas unite in themselves different ways respiration - diaphragmatic, thoracic and upper.

Pranayama Rules

The practice of pranayama, like other techniques for working with the body, provides for certain rules for performing:

You need to work in a well-ventilated area. In the warm season, it is better to practice outside;
Sitting asana is the best option for doing pranayama. For example, in Sukhasana - a pose with crossed legs;
It is best to choose clothes that are loose and do not restrict movement. It should be made from natural materials without synthetic fibers. Make sure that your body is warm, you should not allow chills and chilliness;
After eating, do not perform pranayama. At least an hour must pass;
The duration of inhalation and exhalation should be twice as long as the length of the pauses. But for beginners, the equality of these phases can be observed;
It is best to perform pranayama in the morning after cleansing the stomach and intestines. Otherwise, the body will not be able to take energy, and toxins will be accelerated throughout the body with a vengeance. A full stomach and intestines will interfere with the contraction of the abdomen during deep breathing, as well as cause discomfort. It is also important to start pranayama with a cleared nose;
When performing pranayama, it is very important to keep the back straight so that the incoming energy passes through all the channels of the spine;
It is better to keep your eyes closed, turning your mind inward and observing your body. It is much more difficult to perform pranayama with open eyes, as the mind receives food for thought through the visual organ, starting the thought process. As a result, the practice gets confused, and such exercises will not bring any benefit;
As for the psycho-emotional background, it should be stable. Do not do pranayama in a state of overexcitation. Also, do not engage in breathing practices in a depressed and bad mood;
It is very important to be aware of all pranayama breathing exercises without letting the mind wander. Even if the mind begins to wander, try to take this into account and completely immerse your consciousness again in what you are doing here and now;
The most important thing when performing pranayama is the absence of physical overstrain, this is especially important for beginners. If you apply too much effort and often feel discomfort, then such an activity can only bring a negative result.

Safety precautions when performing breathing exercises

If you are new to yoga, follow breathing yoga with great care. If you feel dizzy, take a break, lie down in Savasana, or stop the exercise altogether. The same applies to a sudden attack of nausea, coughing and other unpleasant reactions of the body.

Always start with a lightweight version, gradually complicating it and adding new elements. Only in this way the body will gradually get used to the practice, and the exercises will begin to benefit. In any case, breathing should remain even and calm.

Pranayama for beginners

If you have just started mastering yoga breathing, start with the technique diaphragmatic breathing. It is better to perform it in yoga poses such as Padmasana, Vajarasana, Sukhasana, but Shavasana will be the best way. As you inhale, inflate your belly halfway, and then exhale, drawing in your belly. Breathing must be connected. In a standing or sitting posture, keep your spine straight.

Yoga also has middle and upper breathing. Medium breathing - occurs only with the help of the chest. The abdomen in this case should not be involved, but the abdominal muscles should be left contracted. When inhaling, the chest should expand. This is followed by a 2-3 second breath hold. Then exhale and draw your chest up.

With upper breathing, you can not use the chest and stomach. The abdominal muscles need to be slightly reduced, and then inhale with the clavicles tightened. To make this process easier, try to inhale and exhale with hissing sounds.

You need to exhale on the contrary, taking your shoulders and collarbones away from your chin. This is quite difficult, since it is impossible to inhale and then exhale a large volume of air.

Breathing yoga combines all these three types, which ensures the maximum amount of inhaled and exhaled air. You need to inhale slowly, inflating the stomach, after which you will notice how the chest expands. Between inhalation and exhalation, the collarbones are pulled towards the head. This movement must be continuous. This process must be one. Exhaling, you relax your shoulders and collarbones, and the chest moves down and in. Finally, the turn comes to the abdomen, which must be drawn in, pushing the air outwards.

Pauses or breath holding should not be more than 2-3 seconds. Practice this pranayama for beginners regularly, increasing the duration of the cycles each time.

After mastering the full breathing of yogis, move on to other more complex and no less useful pranayamas.

Popular pranayamas

First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the following pranayama breathing exercises:

Kapalabhati

In this pranayama, the emphasis is on exhalation. The practice is a series of fast, active and noisy exhalations against the background of passive inhalations. Air is forced out of the lungs by contraction of the abdominal muscles. After that, the abdominal muscles relax, and the breath is carried out by itself. Inhalation is performed three times longer than exhalation. The breathing rate should be approximately 120 breaths per minute.

Throughout the exercise, keep your shoulders still and your back straight. Rib cage should not be involved in the exercise. Kapalabhati promotes cellular respiration, which every person needs. There is ventilation of the lungs - a person is freed from the rest of unnecessary air.

The abdominal muscles are strengthened, internal organs are massaged, and the work of the nervous system is stabilized. It has also been proven that this pranayama breathing prevents aging and heals the body.

Bhastrika or "bellows"

This breathing pranayama is recommended for everyone, especially beginners. Its goal is to “ignite the inner fire” in the human body and fill it with energy. The execution technique consists in a series of powerful breaths and exhalations, seeking to capture as much air as possible. Inhalation and exhalation should be completely equal to each other.

Do first 10 cycles of breathing through the left nostril, holding the right one. After that, inhale through the left nostril and, holding both nostrils closed, do not breathe for 2-3 seconds. Release your hand and exhale freely through your right nostril. The next cycle of breathing is similar to the previous one, only with the left nostril closed.

Then you need to inhale through the right nostril and hold your breath a little. Then exhale through the left nostril. Then again do 10 breaths with both nostrils. After taking a deep breath, hold your breath for a short while and exhale deeply.

Try not to strain your face and keep your body still. After you have fully mastered this pranayama, add Mula Bandha or perineal lock on each breath hold.

Ujjayi

Before starting the practice, close the glottis by slightly tightening the throat. The signal that you are doing everything right will be an automatic slight tension in the abdominal muscles. After that, begin to breathe through the glottis. This should produce a slight hissing sound that only you can hear.

This pranayama breathing exercise is very useful for frequent stressful conditions, nervousness and insomnia. Most often, ujjayi is used before meditation practices to calm the mind and relax the body.

Anuloma Viloma

This practice is usually done after asanas and before meditation. Also, like other breathing practices, it is performed while sitting. Before starting, take a deep breath and exhale, setting yourself up for the practice. Then left hand leave on your knees in a relaxed state. The fingers need to be folded into a certain combination - bend the index and middle fingers on the right hand, and leave the rest straightened.

Then the right nostril is clamped with the thumb, the breath is taken through the left. After that, the right one opens, and the left one is clamped with the ring finger and little finger. Exhalation occurs through the right nostril. Through it, inhalation occurs, then a change of fingers occurs, and exhalation is done through the left nostril. Thus, the breathing cycle ends.

It is important to start inhaling from the left nostril and finish exhaling through it. Inhalation should be equal in length to exhalation. You can start with 4-5 seconds, and then gradually reach 20. Later, you can add breath holding between inhalations and exhalations.

If you are holding, be sure to make sure that the inhalation is four times shorter than the hold and two times shorter than the exhalation.

Sitkari pranayama or wheezing

Like most pranayama breathing exercises, it is performed in a sitting position. With clenched teeth, part your lips as wide as possible. Then take a deep breath through clenched teeth. It should come with a whistling sound. Then you need to close your mouth and exhale through your nose. The cycle is repeated up to 20 times.

Plavini pranayama

This pranayama breathing exercise is not as common as those described above, but it beneficial features should not be underestimated. The purpose of this practice is to hold the air in the stomach and intestines without expelling it for half an hour to 90 minutes.

Pranayama is performed in a sitting asana. Inhale air either through your mouth or through two nostrils. After that, swallow it like food and keep it inside.

It is recommended to practice this pranayama after all exercise and other breathing practices. It is also effective in diets when hunger is too painful to endure. Plavini is very effective for gastritis and hyperacidity of the stomach.

There are a lot of breathing practices, many books are devoted to them. Here are only a small number of the most common pranayamas for the first acquaintance.

Conclusion

In everyday life, we do not focus on breathing. It happens by itself. Often people breathe incorrectly, causing various health problems. Breathing exercises Pranayamas bring great benefits to the human body. They fill the body with energy, purify the mind, soul, and most importantly - allow you to breathe freely and correctly.

It is believed that all pranayamas or breathing exercises heal the spine. However, each of them has its own nuances and contraindications. This is a must-read, especially in the presence of injuries and chronic diseases.

To achieve a positive effect, you need to work with breathing techniques daily (at least 10-15 minutes a day). Gradually, you will see how your breathing will even out, and you will have cheerfulness, positive and a constant surge of strength!