Breath of fire in yoga technique. Breath

The main exercise that underlies the practice of yoga is the legendary - Breath of Fire. This breathing exercise is absolutely necessary for the practice of Kundalini Yoga. The roots of this cannot be traced because there is no convincing evidence about the time and place of origin of this

Positive effects of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Primary:

• Quickly saturates the blood with oxygen, thereby helping the body quickly and effectively cleanse itself of toxins.
• Increases lung capacity and helps clear airways.
• Generates heat and increases energy levels by activating energy flows in your body.
• Adjusts the entire body to the same rhythm, thereby promoting greater inner harmony and health.

Secondary:

• Heals and strengthens the nervous system.
• Increases the positive effect of other exercises that are combined with this breathing.
• Massage in progress internal organs, thereby improving the performance of all digestive system.

Warnings for practitioners of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

• If you feel dizzy while practicing Breath of Fire, you should immediately stop the practice and return to normal breathing. If you suffer from dizziness, you should take extra care when practicing this breathing exercise.
• Women during menstruation should not practice Breath of Fire.
• You should be careful about practicing Breath of Fire if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a history of stroke, or epilepsy. In addition, if you have high stomach acidity or an ulcer, you also need to be very careful.

Stages of performing Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

• To practice this breathing exercise, sit in a comfortable position.
• Stretch your spine and neck upward and lift your chin slightly. This will align the spine with back heads.
• Close your eyes.
• Place your hands in any comfortable position.
• Relax your abdominal muscles.
• Now we begin to breathe quickly through the nose with equal emphasis on inhalation and exhalation. It will be like smelling a flower very quickly. Keep your breathing shallow. Create a comfortable and stable breathing rhythm for yourself. The chest and diaphragm should remain relaxed, breathing only from the tip of the nose. You will feel your stomach pulsating in time with your breathing. That's it, continue for 1 minute.

Advanced technique of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

• Breathe at a faster pace.
• The duration of the exercise is up to 3 minutes

For experienced practitioners of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

• Increase the pace and force with which you breathe.
• Increase the time of pranayama to 11 minutes.

The Secret of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Some people who believe that each of us is born with a given number of breaths and as soon as we finish our quota, life ends, may have a question: “How many breaths can you take in pranayama - breath of fire”? To reassure them, I want to tell them that there is no need to worry - the brain perceives the entire cycle of pranayama as one breath. So leave your worries behind and enjoy the practice of this pranayama, the real gem of Kundalini Yoga.

Breath of fire, the benefits of which I became aware of at one seminar, is usually practiced in hatha yoga and kundalini yoga classes. Breathing is truly a magical ability of the human body. It is not surprising that with the help of proper breathing you can get rid of diseases, improve metabolism, improve mood, and strengthen the nervous system. Unfortunately, we know little about it and use even less in our lives.

I increasingly began to come to the conclusion that very powerful and effective techniques for self-healing, changing your life, and solving many problems lie literally in the palm of your hand and are available to absolutely everyone. The only thing that is required of a person is to do it every day. At this point we all stumble together. Well, okay, let's start breathing fire!

What's good

Breath of fire is considered one of the most powerful cleansing techniques. And it is called fiery because it enhances the “fire” of digestion, “burns” waste and toxins. In general, it normalizes the functioning of the digestive system, relieves gas, bloating, indigestion, has a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys and liver, normalizes acidity, and relieves discomfort. Also, the breath of fire relieves depression, as it literally “breathes” optimism into you and burns away all the bad things. Since this technique can cause an increase in appetite when performed from 100 cycles at a time, you need to remember this and, in order to complete cleansing, do not increase your daily diet, but drink. This will contribute to even faster and more effective cleansing.

How to do

The exercise is performed only on an empty stomach. Best in the morning before breakfast. You need to sit straight with a straight spine in the lotus position or on your knees, lengthen your neck, tilt your chin slightly towards your chest, thus forming a slight throat lock. Relax your stomach completely. Remember that this breathing is performed only through the diaphragm, the chest does not participate in the process. Put left hand on your stomach, exhale sharply with your stomach, then just relax your stomach. Just feel how the diaphragm works. Do not deliberately inhale; when you relax your stomach, the air will enter on its own. Inhalation-exhalation is one cycle. The duration of inhalation and exhalation should be equal. The hand on your stomach is only to check that you are breathing from your stomach and not from your chest; there is no need to put pressure on your stomach.

At first, you may feel slightly dizzy and hot - this is quite normal. Start small - cycle 27 is enough to start with. Gradually work your way up to 108 cycles. And remember that the power of this technique lies in its daily repetition. Just do this every morning the same way you brush your teeth.

As many people know, yoga has many aspects, each of which studies a specific effect of the life energy flowing in the human body on its mental, spiritual and physical condition. One such aspect is prana yoga or breathing yoga. This is a unique style of yoga that focuses on breathing so that through practice a person can find harmony, as well as improve their health and clear their mind. This practice allows you to significantly increase the energy potential of the human body. How exactly with the help of prana yoga you can achieve unity with your environment, clear your mind of the “unnecessary” and learn to enjoy life, read in this article.

Prana yoga is a complex special exercises, by practicing which you can provide your body with everything it urgently needs for optimal functioning. But before trying such a complex, you need to study a lot of specific nuances, since breathing manipulations, if used incorrectly, may not provide a miraculous effect.

In fact, prana yoga is very simple and amazing. But it is recommended to master breathing exercises if you have a certain “experience” of practicing hatha yoga. The fact is that pranayama (prana yoga exercises) are more high level and therefore require special concentration and skill from the practitioner. And if beginner yogis can familiarize themselves with the theory from this article, then in practice they better first It’s time to study with an instructor who can literally explain the technique of doing the exercises “on your fingers.”

Life energy (prana) is the basis of all life on earth. That is why you need to start practicing by understanding the basic aspects and principles of yoga, through which it can change the physical and energy body person.

Internal vital energy is necessary for every person. A practitioner who regularly receives such nourishment will be able to clear his mind, getting rid of unnecessary thoughts, and also improve his health, which is also an important point in the teaching. With an insufficient level of prana, a person may begin to look for pleasure in others (food, vivid impressions, etc.). This, in turn, can lead to not very favorable consequences: depression, apathy, illness.

The main pranas in this direction

If you delve deeper into the basics of yoga teachings, you can understand that all life energy moves within human body in the form of streams energy channels. They are called nadis, and represent a whole system that connects the energetic and physical body of a person through certain points in the body. However, they are not lymph nodes, nerve endings or blood vessels.

Only 5 main ones move through such a system energy flows and the same amount of pranas. Each of these vital forces circulates in a specific body cavity and is responsible for the functioning of certain body systems. And, if all pranas function in harmony, then the human body will work without failures. If a malfunction occurs in any of the channels or energies, the overall harmony of prana will be disrupted.

About the benefits of practices

Prana yoga, whose breathing practices are based on certain techniques, is very useful for humans. Initially, it can increase his inner potential, and also help the practitioner learn to transform and manage his inner strength.

The physical aspect of the benefits of pranayama breathing practice is expressed in several of its advantages. So, prana breathing in yoga:

• saturates the entire body with oxygen;
• improves blood circulation;
• strengthens the nervous system;
• relaxes internal organs;
• creates a stable emotional background;
• makes a person more stress-resistant;
• increases the adaptive abilities of the human body.

Contraindications

But, even despite its harmlessness, yoga breathing exercises have some contraindications. This is due to the fact that the technique of this practice involves holding your breath. Beginning practitioners should not start pranayama tactics if they have the following diseases:

• traumatic brain injuries;
• mental health disorders;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• any chronic diseases;
• eye diseases;
• oncological pathologies;
• diseases of the respiratory system;
• pregnancy.

The rest, who do not have health problems of this nature and who are already familiar with the asanas of hatha yoga, can start prana yoga. Where exactly to start and what yoga breathing exercises you can do, read on.

Types of exercises

Having decided to try healing breathing exercises for yourself, you must first become familiar with the types and techniques of pranayamas. There are several main types of breathing that are used in prana yoga:

1. Calming breathing. This is the most commonly practiced breathing technique for beginners in yoga. Its name is Ujjayi, which literally translates as “to take possession of something after conquest” (or “to conquer”). With the help of this technique, yogis are able to learn to control their internal energy. As a result of regular practice of Ujjayi, a person can control his inner background and keep his life force in harmony.
2. Cleansing Breath - Kapalbhati. Purifying, cleansing, or fire breathing, yoga helps practitioners clear the mind as well as open the pranic channels so that life energy can flow freely through them. We will tell you below how to breathe yoga Kapalbhati (fire breath) correctly using the example of several exercises.
3. Bhastrika or Breath of the Bellows. This is a specific yogic technique with which the practitioner can ignite the inner fire and, thereby, bring the spiritual body closer to the physical.
4. Full Breathing is the deepest yogic breathing. This technique allows you to use all the muscles of the respiratory system and fill the lungs completely with oxygen. With this technique, a person will be able to fully provide his body with fresh air.

Pranayama complex

To master yogic breathing, you must first do the simplest pranayama. As you master them, you will be able to move on to the next level of training, practice breathing fire in yoga (Kapalbhati), Bhastrika and other techniques.

Ujjayi Pranayama

To master this technique, you need to take a sitting position on your heels with a straight back. This position is best because it allows you to relax. Especially after performing hatha yoga asanas.

Sitting on your heels with your buttocks, you need to close your eyes to focus on your breathing and completely relax. Next, having narrowed the glottis so that you can make subtle hissing sounds, you can begin to do pranayama.

First, take a measured deep breath for eight seconds. Then we begin to release air from the lungs, stretching the exhalation for 16 seconds. At first it will seem difficult, but believe me, after just a few lessons you will be able to gradually make pauses of 8, 16 and 32 seconds between inhalations and exhalations.

Pranayama Uddiyana Bandha

This is a whole series of exercises that is highly recommended to be performed in the morning on an empty stomach and bladder. Starting position for this exercise - lotus position or the same position as in the previous case. Having relaxed, you can begin to take sharp and not deep breaths and exhales without counting. In general, beginners need to perform 450-500 inhalations and exhalations, although beginners who have not dealt with yoga before can do only 200-250.

This “warm-up” is followed by a series of exhalations and exhalations with the highest possible speed and amplitude. You can try to first make a series of five such inhalations and exhalations, gradually increasing this number to 2-3 series of 10-15 repetitions each.

From the last exhalation of bhastrika, inhale calmly and slowly until a comfortable volume of lungs is filled with air. In this case, you need to fix your breathing by tightening the dimple under the Adam's apple and the root lock. It is better to exhale when there is a second impulse and immediately move on to uddiyana bandha: by straightening the chest and lowering the chin to the chest, you need to prepare the lungs for inhalation, and then, in fact, inhale after a long delay from the last exhalation.

The cycle of such exercises should be repeated two more times, while trying not to forget to relax and clear your mind, freeing it from unnecessary thoughts.

Pranayama Kapalbhati

Breath of fire in yoga, the technique of which consists of alternating passive inhalations with sharp exhalations through the nose, can be performed in or sitting cross-legged with eyes closed for greater concentration. I.p., as in the case of other yogic exercises, you need to relax during fire breathing. But at the same time, Kapalbhati differs in that the muscles of the abdominal cavity must sharply contract and unclench when exhaling, so that when inhaling, the abs are relaxed again.

In total, it is recommended to do this practice 100-110 times in one session. As you manage to master the technique flawlessly, you can try increasing the number of approaches to 2, and then to 3.

These are just a few exercises that will help clear the pranic channels and balance the vital energy flowing in the body. Moreover, each breathing technique is unique and has its own special benefits. Therefore, by practicing pranayama, you will have the opportunity to personally see the benefits yogic breathing.

"When breathing is wrong,
the psyche is also unstable,
and when breathing is even,
then the psyche is balanced".
Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

It's amazing how little attention we pay in our everyday lives to correct breathing. We can live a day without food or water, but deprive us of our breath and we will die within minutes.Breath is life. Most people have forgotten how to breathe properly. They breathe shallowly through the mouth and use little or no diaphragm, raising their shoulders or contracting their stomach when inhaling. This way, only a small amount of oxygen is inhaled and only used upper part lungs, which leads to insufficient vitality and low resistance to diseases. There is a lot of “stagnant” oxygen left in our lungs - and how can we saturate all our organs with this vital component?!..

People often consider inhalation to be the most essential part of breathing, but in factthe main thing is to exhalebecause the more carbon dioxide-laden air you exhale, the more fresh air you can inhale. And now we can give a definition: breathing is The process of oxygen entering the body and removing carbon dioxide from it. Let's consider this a good starting point.
Once upon a time I described basic breathing techniques , - then I wrote about health-improving respiratory system Kokyu-Ho, - but there is not much difference, i.e. basic techniques They are basic in Africa too. Almost all breathing exercises There are basic types of breathing. These are lower or abdominal breathing, middle, upper and full breathing.
Since our mental state affects the way we breathe, therefore, we can learn to control the psyche by controlling our breathing. By regulating our breathing, we not only increase our oxygen consumption, but also prepare ourselves for concentration and meditation.

Fire Breath

And now, after such a short introduction, we finally come to the main topic of my article.
Imagine an exercise that can cleanse and activate the lungs, stimulate cardiovascular activity like jogging, tone the body, and clear the mind. Now imagine doing this while sitting comfortably with your eyes closed (or open). Intrigued?
People who practice yoga are well acquainted with an exercise that meets all these requirements - this Kapalbhati . It is also calledfiery or cleansing breath.
If you have already practiced this pranayama and understood its effects, then my article, using materials from the magazine "YOGA-International", the column "Pranayama", 1992 and advice on the practice of Kevin Hoffman, will answer your questions and inspire you to further deepen your practice . For those who are not familiar with the practice, there will be an opportunity to learn something new and useful for themselves.

Let's start with a detailed look at the effects of Kapalbhati in the body. These effects are just a byproduct of the vigorous contractions of the abdominal muscles and the fast, active exhalations that characterize this exercise.

Photo: Andrey Kiselev/Rusmediabank.ru

Breath of Fire is the name of the main breathing technique used in Kundalini Yoga. Let us remember that this school of yoga aims to teach its adherents to gradually raise the kundalini energy from the base of the spine and the lowest chakra to the highest - sahasrara - when enlightenment occurs and the yogi’s consciousness dissolves in the divine principle. But while we are all far from the final stage, with the help of kundalini yoga we have a chance to become purer, better, wiser, more aware, more balanced, kinder, healthier, happier, in the end.

As techniques she uses meditation, asanas, chanting mantras and, of course, pranayama, of which breathing of fire is one of the basic ones.

The first thing you should pay attention to is that the breath of fire is not hyperventilation of the lungs and not full yogic belly breathing. The fire breathing technique is not that complicated and can be mastered by every beginner in yoga. To do this, try to breathe quickly through your nose without pausing, without opening your mouth. The breathing rate is about 2-3 respiratory cycles (inhalation + exhalation) per second. As you exhale, you should draw in your stomach, but not too much, the navel center and solar plexus moving towards the spine. Inhalation will occur automatically while the abdomen relaxes, the diaphragm will stretch down.

If you find yourself out of breath while doing Breath of Fire, then most likely you are simply forgetting to relax. abdominal muscles. If you do everything correctly, then you can breathe the breath of fire for as long as you like. To start, try doing this for 1-3 minutes.

photo by Natalia Grishko

Throughout this time, the chest should remain relaxed. There should also be no stiffness in the arms, legs, face or abdomen. To facilitate access of energy to your head, pull your chin slightly towards your neck so that they form one straight line.

Practice at a slow pace at first. To better control the technique, sit cross-legged and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. The first one must move, and the second one, on the contrary, must remain motionless.

As you successfully master pranayama, increase your breathing rate to the recommended 2-3 breathing cycles per second.

photo by Natalia Grishko

On next stage use the breath of fire when performing static asanas with a fixed position chest(with arms raised up and fingers intertwined, with backbends - for example, cobra pose, camel pose, etc.)

photo by Natalia Grishko

Acceptable sensations during breathing of fire are tingling, lightness. This is how the body adjusts to a new breathing technique. Unacceptable sensations during exercise – dizziness. If you do experience it, you should stop the breathing practice and rest.

If you do not experience any discomfort when using the fire technique, then very soon you will receive your bonuses. However, for this breathing exercise needs to be worked out until it becomes automatic.

What is this for?

First of all, breathing of fire is an energetic practice that fills us with vitality. The logic of the process here is simple: breathing exercise saturates the brain with oxygen and thereby stimulates our activity and focus.

Another nice bonus from using the breath of fire is strengthening nervous system, alignment of the psycho-emotional state.

This pranayama is also beneficial for health, as it helps strengthen the immune system.

In addition, the breath of fire weakens addictions that are harmful to us (addiction to smoking, drugs, fast and unhealthy food, etc.)

Are there any contraindications?

Breathing of fire has few contraindications. But it is better for women not to practice it during menstruation. You should also be careful with such practices if you have high blood pressure and heart disease.

If you are not at risk, then be sure to try this amazing