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| 1. | Asanas are the foundation and basic disciplinary practice that helps Pranayama practice. It helps to strengthen and remove the blockage in the Nadis (energy channels). |
| 2. | Practising Kriyas helps clean the toxins from body and mind and thus helps to improve the Prana circulation in our body. It also helps clear the nasal blockage and makes the Pranayama practice more effective. |
| 3. | Breath observation is the initial step of Pranayama practice. Once you become aware of the breathing and its process, you can feel the Prana circulating to difference parts of your body and the consciousness expanding to the layers of the body and mind. |
| 4. | Initially practise deep breathing while holding the asanas such as Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Ushtrasana (Camel), Mastyasana (Fish) and Supta Vajirasana (Supine Diamond pose). This helps improve the breathing capacity of the lungs, improves immune power and prevents many respiratory disorders. |
| 5. | Don't practise Pranayama when you have stuffy or blocked nose. This will irritate your nasal passage and induce the phlegm resulting in coughing and sneezing. Asanas like Halasana (Plough Pose), Lingasana (Shiva Linga pose) will immediately help clear minor nasal blockages. |
| 6. | Never play with the retention of the breathing (Kumbhaka Pranayama). Retention must be only practised when your regulate the ratio of inhalation and exhalation to 1:2 ratio and must be only done with proper bandha engagement. |
| 7. | Bandha such as Jalendra Bandha (Chin Lock) and Moola Bandha (Root Lock) should be practised along with Kumbhaka to prevent overflow of energy to the vital organs and also to help bind and seal the energy activated during the Pranayama practice. |
| 8. | Some breathing techniques like Kapalabathi (Kriya) and Bhastrika (Pranayama) can be practised lying down on the floor as it helps to keep our back straight naturally. It helps increase lung expansion and more oxygen intake. |
| 9. | Don't practise Pranayama in late evening as it will stimulate the body and mind and you may have difficulty sleeping. |
| 10. | Always start the Pranayama with a complete exhalation so when we inhale the lung is expanded to its fullest capacity and activates the dormant lobes of the lungs. |
10 Great Tips to Enjoy your Pranayama Practice and Experience
When we say Pranayama, we immediately think of breathing. Pranayama is not only a breath control practice, but also an energy expanding technique. In India, Pranayama practice is always kept as a secretive technique mainly because of its great benefits and if practised wrongly, it can bring harmful effects to our body. Through breathing, we can control, regulate and activate the dormant and imbalanced pranas (energy) in our body. It also helps improve our immune power and awareness over our body. As Pranayama is the fourth important limb in Ashtanga Yoga , it should be learnt and practised under expert guidance or a guru who has been practising Pranayama for many years.
Although Pranayama is one of the best practices in Yoga Therapy addressing various ailments, doing it improperly can bring many harmful irreversible effects to the body and mind. In Thirumandiran, Thirumoolar says if one practise Pranayama regularly with proper ratio, even an aged old man can walk and jump like a young person and he can lead a longer life.
Below are the tips one can keep in mind when they approach the Pranayama practice.
Although Pranayama is one of the best practices in Yoga Therapy addressing various ailments, doing it improperly can bring many harmful irreversible effects to the body and mind. In Thirumandiran, Thirumoolar says if one practise Pranayama regularly with proper ratio, even an aged old man can walk and jump like a young person and he can lead a longer life.
Below are the tips one can keep in mind when they approach the Pranayama practice.