Pranayama <\/em>is the fourth limb of Patenjali\u2019s Eight Limbs of Yoga. According to the Yoga Sutras,<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three types of pranayama:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pranayama is typically practiced while seated in lotus, half lotus, or cross-legged. However, it is not advisable for the beginner to practice pranayama if he\/she is uncomfortable in the asana. If it is difficult to sit cross-legged, try placing a pillow under your sitting bones while on the floor, sitting in a chair or even lying down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as there are hundreds of asanas, there are hundreds of pranayama exercises. However, for the purposes of a beginner, I\u2019ll cover just a few exercises to start with. Please note, practicing pranayama can be dangerous if done incorrectly. See \u201cwords of caution\u201d below before attempting your practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GENERAL NOTES<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very relaxing breath technique. DO NOT PRACTICE WHILE DRIVING, WALKING ETC. This is a great technique to do before bed as it will create a heaviness in your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n STEPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n DURATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n Begin practicing this exercise for five minutes every day. Over the course of a few weeks or months you can gradually build up the time to half an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GENERAL NOTES<\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of this exercise is to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain. The left side of the brain is responsible for logic and reasoning, while the right side is creativity and emotion. Yoga teaches that if one nostril is congested or restricted, the corresponding brain hemisphere will be less dominant. For example, if the left nostril is congested or restricted, the brain will function in a more creative and emotional way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The yogis teach that normal breathing alternates dominate nostrils every two hours. So, throughout the day a healthy person will breath predominately through the right nostril for two hours, and then predominately through the left, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For optimal brain function, both nostrils will be clear and functioning. This exercise helps balance air flow from each nostril, thus promoting optimal brain function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n STEPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n DURATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n Begin practicing this exercise for five minutes every day. Over the course of a few weeks or months you can gradually build up the time to half an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GENERAL NOTES<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breath of Fire is a Kundalini yoga breathing technique. It is extremely invigorating and cleansing for the body. Yoga says breath of fire is more aerobic than aerobic exercises. This technique is difficult to master at first, so the beginning practitioner should be patient and not over do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n STEPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n DURATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breath of fire should be practiced in short bursts to begin with \u2013 no more than a minute. Very gradually build up the time. Once you have mastered this breath, you can pair it with any asana to hasten the physical benefits of that asana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pranayama is the purposeful control of the breath \u2013 either through duration, breath retention on the inhale or the exhale. Because we are dealing with control of the breath, practicing pranayama can cause dizziness, light-headedness, hyperventilation, or even loss of consciousness. It is extremely important to practice pranayama with caution. If you ever feel any negative symptoms, you should stop the practice immediately and return to the normal breath. If you already have breathing problems such as asthma, you should not practice pranayama alone. You can focus your attention even more at the meditation retreat in Rishikesh <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not provide these words of caution to scare you or prevent you from practicing. Pranayama is extremely beneficial when done properly, and those with breathing problems may truly benefit. I am just advising you to use common sense and do not push yourself. Breath control should be done gradually. Most people naturally breathe very shallow. This is largely due to stress and tension in the body. You may be surprised just how difficult these beginner exercises are. Do not be upset or frustrated by this. 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh<\/a> <\/strong> I encourage you to go there so that you can stay healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My own personal experience with pranayama proved frustrating at first. I am a healthy, young woman and it was difficult for me to retain the breath for even a few counts when I first began practicing. Please rest assured, it does get easier with time. However, pushing yourself or forcing it is not only counterproductive, it can be dangerous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First a few definitions: Prana means breath or cosmic force. Ayama means to extend or draw out.\u00a0 Pranayama is the practice of breath control. Pranayama is the fourth limb of Patenjali\u2019s Eight Limbs of Yoga.\u00a0 According to the Yoga Sutras,There are three types of pranayama: Inhalation control (bahya ….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1405"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1412,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions\/1412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.himalayanyogashram.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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How To Practice Pranayama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nExercise 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Exercise 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Exercise 3 \u2013 Breath of Fire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Words of Caution<\/h4>\n\n\n\n