The technique of pranayama is such an important area of yoga practice, like breathing exercises. They need to be developed in parallel with asanas, otherwise knowledge about yoga will be half-hearted, insufficient. Pranayama breathing exercises have many varieties, and we will analyze some of them so that you can more specifically represent the essence of such practices.
Pranayama: exercises on the move
Pranayama for beginners can begin with the simplest exercises, which you do not even need to spend a lot of time doing. For example, practicing pranayama during walks:
- Breathe as usual through the nose. Inhale and count exactly four steps with your right foot.
- After that, start exhaling and perform it during four steps with your left foot.
Just? Incredibly simple! But this pranayama breathing helps not only to enrich the cells with oxygen, but also to relax the nervous system, to get distracted from empty thoughts. It is recommended to practice this practice within 15 minutes.
Pranayama for Beginners: Ujaya
This practice requires a static, and on the move to use it will not work. However, it is also incredibly simple:
- Sit flat, comfortable, in a lotus position or with your legs tucked under, always with a straight back.
- Relax the whole body, muscle after muscle, gradually. Narrow the voice gap in such a way that the air passing through it, give a slight hissing (it is light, barely perceptible).
- Take a breath - slow and smooth, in eight counts (one count is about a second).
- Perform a slow exhalation - into 16 accounts.
This should be done for about 15 minutes. Like any other practice of yoga, it must be performed only in a relaxed, calm state, and all its performance must be accompanied by comfort. Therefore, if at first you find it difficult to hold your breath, you need to make small indulgences.
It is Ujaya pranayama that gives a wonderful relaxation and is especially recommended for execution immediately after the practice of asanas. It perfectly removes stress, and if you see that you are obsessed with a problem, relax and do this pranayama - it will help you find the best way out of the situation.
Nadi shodhana pranayama
There is an opinion that it is this practice that can correct the peculiar distortions that arise in the physical and subtle bodies of man. This is a transition to meditative practices that are necessary in yoga. In addition, the regular practice of nadi shodhana pranayama allows you to strengthen immunity and relieve stress.
- Sit in the lotus position.
- On the right hand (if you are the right-hander), bend the middle and index fingers, pressing them to the palm of your hand.
- With a thumb pad, gently close the right nostril as close to the bridge of the nose as possible.
- Slowly inhale through the left nostril.
- Release the right nostril and close the left nostril.
- Perform a slow exhalation.
- Continue likewise a few more times.
- This pranayama is performed for 15 minutes. Keep your right arm relaxed.
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in practice with the mysterious name of pranayama. The more often you practice it, the easier and easier it will be given to you, and the more obvious the results will be.
Separately it is necessary to say about the execution time. There is no sense in doing such practices for less than 15 minutes - the body just does not have time to realize what is happening and the effect you will not get - or get, but not so bright. At an advanced level, you can breathe for at least an hour in a row. Pranayama nadi shodhana for beginners is well covered in the proposed video - it will also answer some of your questions.