Benefits of Pranayama: 5 Effective Poses For Daily Fitness

Breathing exercises are an integral part of yoga. A yoga session is incomplete without doing pranayamas that help in aligning the mind and body to bring desired benefits. The one added advantage is that you can perform pranayamas anytime and anywhere. It helps one de-stress and regain focus. In this article, Himalayan Siddha Akshar shares some benefits of doing pranayama and what the best pranayamas you can do on a daily basis.

Benefits of Pranayama

Get rid of the toxins

Your body’s ability to discharge toxins effectively can help it maintain maximum health. If toxins are not removed from the body, they can build up and hurt your internal organs, compromise your immune system, and increase your susceptibility to illnesses brought on by the environment. However, breathing exercises like Kapal Bhati can help eliminate toxic elements and built-up toxins from your body aggressively.

Boost your defenses

These poses, which are based on scientific alignment, are simple to execute and suitable for practitioners of all ages and educational levels. Pose variations like Vajrasana, Chakrasana, and Dhanurasana, among others, increase the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen efficiently. This helps to enhance the respiratory system and strengthen your immune system.

Soothe your nervous system

Additionally, pranayama has the power to calm your central nervous system, which may have an impact on how much stress hormone your body produces. Endorphins and other feel-good chemicals are released due to yoga practice, helping to reduce tension, anxiety, despair, and other negative emotions.

Murcha Pranayama Technique (Divine Consciousness)

• Take a comfortable seat in Sukhasan, Ardha Padmasana, or Padmasana.
• Straighten your back and close your eyes.
• Place your hands in the Prapthi Mudra on your knees.
• Bend your head forward and tuck your chin into your chest.
• Inhale deeply through your nose.
• Lift your head, take it behind you, and rest it on your shoulders.
• Breathe in via your mouth while keeping it open.
• After holding your breath for as long as you can, close your mouth, tuck your chin into your chest, lean forward, and breathe out.

Bhramari Pranayama Technique (Humming Bee Breath)

• Sukhasan, Ardhapadmasan, or Padmasana are among the comfortable sitting positions. Straighten your back and close your eyes.
• Position your palms facing upward on your knees (in Prapthi Mudra)
• Position your thumbs on your ear’s “Tragus,” or outer flap.
• Put your ring finger on the inside corner of your nostril, your middle finger on the Medial Canthus, and your index finger on your forehead.
• Breathe in and fill your lungs.
• Make a bee-like buzzing sound, such as “mmmmm,” while you gently exhale.
• Keep your mouth shut the entire time, feeling the sound’s vibrations spread throughout your body.

Anulom Vilom Pranayama Technique (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

• Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and close your eyes to concentrate on your breath while sitting comfortably in Sukhasana, Ardha Padmasana, Vajrasana, or Poorna Padmasana.
• Position your knees with your palms facing up (in Prapthi Mudra)
• Breathe in via your left nostril and gently close it with your thumb.
• Then, breathe out through your right nose.
• After taking a breath, close your right airway so that you can only exhale through your left.
• This completes a cycle.

KapalBhati Pranayama Technique (Shining Skull Technique)

• Sit in any comfortable position (such as Sukhasan, Ardha Padmasana, or Padmasana), straighten your back, close your eyes, and place your palms on your knees facing up (in Prapthi Mudra).
• Then, inhale normally and concentrate on exhaling forcefully with a short, rhythmic breath.
• Your stomach should forcefully expel all the air
• Then, inhale automatically between exhalations.

Bhastrika Pranayama Technique (Bellow Breathing)

• Inhale deeply to fill up your lungs with air.
• Exhale thoroughly after taking a deep breath in. Inhalation and exhalation should be done in a 1:1 ratio. For instance, if you inhale for six counts, you also need to exhale for six counts.
• To practice the technique, forcefully inhale and exhale now.
• Practice at least 21 times to start (one round of inhalation and exhalation will count as one time).

Yoga practitioners often use pranayama, or breathing practices, which can be quite helpful to us at this time. Exercises in pranayama breathing ensure that your body absorbs more oxygen when done consistently over time. The body heals more quickly thanks to the increased oxygen intake brought on by the expanded lung capacity.

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