According to the teachings of the Indian guru Swami Sivananda, there are five areas in yogic practice: breathing, exercise, diet, relaxation and self-development.
Note that breathing comes first. Any yoga class for beginners introduces their students to a special breathing technique. It is a filling of the lungs from the base to the apex as a result of deep breaths and exhalations through the nose. Eyes closed, breathing uniform and full.
Anuloma-Viloma is a breathing practice, a real energizer that effectively relieves stress and anxiety. In the traditional sense, this practice is mainly carried out to relax and improve mental activity, and it also prepares the whole body for meditation. The advantages of technology and its simplicity attracts not only those who are seriously engaged in yoga, but also those who are completely far from it.
Anuloma-Viloma: leading to breathing exercises
The purpose of the exercises is to control breathing, which can be done every day. Anulomu-Vilomu, or “alternating nostril breathing,” is best performed before sitting meditation or practicing asanas. The goal of respiratory gymnastics is to stimulate the energy channels that pass through the body like electrical wires. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa.
By nature, either one side or the other usually dominates in us; the right hemisphere of the brain (a creative, professional person possesses it) or the left hemisphere of the brain (an intelligent person with mathematical abilities). Anuloma-Viloma serves to cleanse the mind and stimulate the right and left energy channels in such a way that they are balanced.
How to start a practice
Anuloma-Viloma (pranayama) should be practiced daily, preferably in the morning, before the sun rises. Also, yoga breathing is best done before meditation or performing asanas.
Preparation
It is time to start practicing yoga breathing. Sit in Padmasana, Sukhasana, or any comfortable sitting position (but preferably with legs crossed at the ankles). It is acceptable to use a pillow for meditation. With a straightened spine and relaxed shoulders, you can begin the practice of yogic breathing by closing your eyes and taking deep breaths through your nose.
Start on the left
Perform the Vishnu Mudra technique: the little finger, ring finger and thumb of the right hand are in an extended position, while the index and middle fingers are bent. The left hand at this time should rest on the knee. Take 3 deep preliminary breaths. On the third exhale, bring your hand to your face, covering the right nostril with your thumb and inhaling through the left nostril. The time to take a breath is four seconds.
Hold your breath
Close both nostrils with the thumb on the right, and the index and middle fingers on the left. Maintain uniform, continuous pressure on the nostrils. The shoulders should be relaxed. Hold your breath for 16 counts.
Exhale on the right
Take your thumb away from the nostrils on the right, exhale slowly - by 8 count the lungs should be completely empty.
Now we breathe in on the right
The position of the hands is similar, with soft pressure on the left nostril with the index and middle fingers. We take a breath in four counts, filling the lungs with air.
Hold your breath
We repeat the breath holding that has already been done before. By analogy, we move on to the next step.
Gradually increase the score from 4, but you need to do this slowly, listening to the sensations of your body, its capabilities. One round ends after exhaling from the left side (the one with which the yoga breathing technique began). It is necessary to strive for eight rounds. During the execution process, they can be counted using beads in the left hand or using the fingers themselves.
The benefits of breathing practice
Not only yogis are aware of the benefits of a technique like Anuloma-Viloma. Scientists also found the effect, since the study revealed that such breathing practice satisfactorily affects the brain. Research has shown that while breathing in the left nostril is less difficult, the right side of the brain is predominant. Indeed, one group of subjects showed activity associated with creative activity. By analogy, if the right nostril had fewer obstacles to full entry, the left side of the brain was predominant. This time, the subjects had excellent verbal skills. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. One of the parties may be in a state of “hibernation”, and breathing practice is a sure way to awaken it.
1) With regular practice, not only the brain is cleansed, but also various channels of the body, as well as increased health and strength.
2) Anuloma-Viloma relieves colds, rheumatism, gout, diseases of the reproductive organs.
3) Blood pressure and diabetes can be completely cured by practicing this pranayama, and also forget about diseases of the muscular system, arthritis, flatulence and varicose veins, acidity and sinusitis.
4) Thoughts become positive, tension, anger, anxiety and forgetfulness, high blood pressure, migraine disappear; they are replaced by a full sleep.
5) Concentration, patience, determination, creativity are also among the advantages of Anuloma-Viloma.
6) The amount of oxygen entering the body increases.
7) This technique relieves stress, eye pain and earaches. Improves blood circulation.
8) It treats migraines and helps get rid of traffic jams in the arteries.
9) Improves metabolism, which is an important factor for losing extra pounds.
10) It has an effect on the functioning of the intestines, relieves constipation.
On a note
Pay attention to the following points when performing the Anuloma-Viloma technique:
- The metronome can be used as a guide when counting time.
“If you can't get to Padmasana or Sukhasana, don't worry.” Take any other comfortable sitting position (back should be straight).
- The first six months of the practice of Anuloma-Viloma is the time for “honing" mastery.
- When inhaling or exiting, only one nostril should be involved, while the other should be tightly closed.
- When you inhale, the abdominal cavity should increase in volume, so you can not strain the stomach too much.
- The exhalation time should be twice as long as the inspiratory time.
- The fingers should not squeeze the nostrils too much.
- Always remember that delayed breathing or rapid breathing after the end of breathing practice indicates an excess of ability, which is undesirable.
Anuloma-Viloma: reviews and scientific confirmation
Medicine has only recently discovered the full significance of breathing exercises - something that was discovered by yogis thousands of years ago. Modern scientists have found that a person does not breathe equally with both nostrils, that is, at certain intervals, one nostril works better than the other. However, it is worth noting that these studies were conducted on patients who have identified some health problems. The subjects were required to perform breathing practices during the time indicated by them. After the survey, it was revealed that their reviews indicate marked progress and improved health after the practice of Anuloma-Viloma.
But modern medicine is still very far from the ancient yogis, who were still convinced that many diseases are associated with a violation of the respiratory cycle (a person breathes too long through one nostril). To prevent and correct this condition, they developed the technique described above, which restores the natural process of breathing.