An Effective Yoga Therapy To Treat Lung Diseases

Did you know that a little attention to your breath can lead you to a path of good health? In yoga, there are many variations of pranayama or deep breathing techniques which have incredible health benefits. Nadi shodhan pranayama or the alternate nostril breathing technique is designed to bring your body and mind in balance. In Sanskrit, nadi means channels which refer to the pathways through which energy flows in your body and shodhan means cleansing- so nadi shodhan stands for channel cleaning.

Benefits

A few minutes of nadi shodhan pranayama in the evening is great to de-stress your mind and release stress and tension. This pranayama has therapeutic benefits for both circulatory and respiratory systems. It helps you to do away with lung diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. It purifies the nadis, the energy channels in our body which in turn calms the mind. Additionally, this breathing technique purifies your blood of toxins and supplies adequate amount of oxygen to every cell of your body. The breathing with alternate nostrils also helps maintain your body temperature. The pranayama also balances the left and right hemispheres of your brain which is related to the emotional and logical sides of your personality. Beat heart disease and high cholesterol with anulom vilom pranayama.

Steps for Nadi Shodhan Pranayama

* Sit comfortably with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed.

* Place your left hand on your left knee and your palms open to the sky.

* Now place the tip of your index finger and middle finger of your right hand in between your eyebrows. Place your ring finger and middle finger on left nostril and your thumb on the right nostril. You are to use the ring finger and the little finger to open and close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril.

* Press your thumb gently on the right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril.

* Now inhale from the left nostril and press the left nostril gently with your ring and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, exhale through the right.

* Again breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left to complete one round of nadi shodhan pranayama. Continue breathing in and breathing out from alternate nostrils.

* Complete 9 rounds of alternatively breathing through the nostrils. Make sure you keep your eyes closed while you do the pranayama. You can perform the pranayama 2-3 times a day.

Tips

* Do not breathe forcefully and keep the flow as gentle as possible. Also, ensure that you do not breathe through your mouth or make any sounds while breathing.

* Also, make sure that you place the fingers very lightly on your forehead and nose.

* While you perform the pranayama, check the time you take to inhale and exhale. Your exhalation should be longer than inhalation.

* It is important to ensure that you practice nadi shodhan pranayama in an empty stomach