5 basic Pranayama(yoga) for a healthy body and mind

Bhastrika is considered one of the important breathing exercises in yoga and pranayama. It is sometimes treated as a kriya or ‘cleansing action’ along with kapalbhati to clear the airways in preparation for other pranayama techniques.

Benefits:

• Energizes the entire body and mind.
• Helps strengthen immunity.
• Drains excess phlegm from the lungs.
• Great for lungs and people who suffer from repetitive cough, flu, respiratory issues, allergies or breathlessness
• Strengthens and tones the abdominal region.

How to perform?

• Take in a deep breath and breathe out forcefully through the nose, without any strain.
• Immediately, breathe in with the same force.
• Inhale and exhale repeatedly, deeply, using the diaphragmatic muscles with vigor. The abdomen moves out during inhalation, while the diaphragm descends. The converse happens while exhaling.
• The above movements should be slightly exaggerated. A strong nasal sound will accompany such breathing.
• The process should be rhythmic and controlled, maintaining the speed as per capacity.

Duration :

•  2-3 minutes

Also known as ‘Breath of Fire’, this pranayama is simple but has multiple health benefits.

Benefits:

• It aids digestion and removal of acidity and gas related problems.
• Beneficial for belly fat loss
• It activates the brain cells and improves memory and concentration power.
• Strengthens the lungs and improves lung capacity, thus helping to cure asthma and other lung diseases
• Helps in getting glowing skin by purification of blood

How to perform?

• Sit comfortably in cross-legged position (Sukhasana)
• Inhale deeply with both your nostrils, filling both your lungs with air. 
• Pull your stomach inwards, contract the abdominal muscle and exhale forcefully
• Repeat this active/forceful exhalation and passive inhalation 

Duration:

• 5-15 minutes

Anulom-Vilom, known as Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breathing exercise to calm the body and mind with power to heal various health conditions.

Benefits:

• Excellent for people suffering from the respiratory diseases like Asthma.
• Benefits and cleanses respiratory tract
• Gives brightness to face
• Balances and strengthens the nervous system
• Massages the abdominal organs
• Purifies the blood and strengthens the heart
• Decreases stress and anxiety

How to perform?

• Sit in Sukhasana, or any comfortable seated position keeping your spine straight and shoulders relaxed
• With the right thumb, close the right nostril 
• Inhale slowly through the left nostril taking in as much air as you can
• Release the thumb and simultaneously close your left nostril with the help of your middle and ring finger. Thereafter, breathe out slowly through the right nostril.
• Take in the air from the right nostril and release it through the left nostril after closing the right nostril with your thumb.
• Repeat the steps

Duration :

• 5-15 minutes

Also known as Humming Bee breath, it is one of the best pranayamas for calming the mind and de-stressing

(sarvyoga)

Benefits:

• Relieves tension, anger and anxiety
• Helps mitigate migraines
• Improves concentration and memory
• Helps in reducing blood pressure
• Improves hearing capacity

How to perform?

• Close your ears with thumb and place other fingers gently covering the eyes
• Do not put pressure on your eyes
• Inhale through the nose and as you exhale, make a loud humming sound like a bee 
• Breathe in again and continue

Duration :

• 3-6 times

Udgeeth Pranayama, also known as ‘ Omkara Japa’ is a simple breathing exercise which should be practiced on a daily basis.

Benefits :

• It helps to deal with anxiety, guilt, fear, and sadness.
• Helps to increase strength as well.
• It gives a divine shine as well as a stunning aura to the face.
• Effective against Hypertension 
• It also helps to remove tension, anger, and anxiety.
• It cures problems related to sleep (Insomnia) 
• Improves memory power

How to perform? 

• Sit in a suitably relaxed posture(Sukhasana)
• In this pranayama, the inhaling and exhaling duration should be long.
• Take a deep inhale through your nose, till your diaphragms get filled with air completely.
• Then slowly exhale the breath from your nose in a very slow manner. With the exhalation chant the word ‘OM’.
• While chanting the OM sound of O should be longer than M.

Duration:

• 5-10 minutes

In all pranayama, breath plays an important role. So concentrate on your breath and feel positive energy come when you inhale and negative energy go out while exhaling.