The main exercise that underlies the practice of yoga is the legendary - Breath of Fire. This breathing exercise is absolutely essential for the practice of Kundalini Yoga. The roots of this are impossible to trace, because there is no conclusive 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 to quickly and effectively cleanse itself of toxins.
- Increases lung capacity and helps clear the airways.
- Generates heat and increases energy levels by activating energy flows in your body.
- Adjusts the whole body to one rhythm, thereby contributing to a 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.
- There is a massage internal organs, thereby improving the performance of the entire digestive system.
Cautions 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 must be especially careful when practicing this breathing exercise.
- Women who are menstruating should not practice Breath of Fire.
- You should be careful with Breath of Fire if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a stroke, or epilepsy. In addition, if you have an acid stomach 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 up and lift your chin a little. This will align the spine with the back of the head.
- Close your eyes.
- Put 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 breath shallow. Create a comfortable and steady breathing rhythm for yourself. The chest and diaphragm should remain relaxed, breathing occurs only at the tip of the nose. You will feel your stomach pulsate as you breathe. That's it, continue for 1 minute.
Advanced Kundalini Yoga Pranayama Technique - Breath of Fire:
- Perform breaths at a faster pace.
- The duration of the exercise is up to 3 minutes
Experienced practitioners of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:
- Increase the pace and strength with which you breathe.
- Increase the pranayama time to 11 minutes.
Secret of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:
For 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, the question may arise: “How many breaths can you take in pranayama – breath of fire”? To reassure them, I want to say 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, a real gem of Kundalini Yoga.
Breath of Fire, the benefits of which I learned in a seminar, is commonly 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 one's life, 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. In this place we all stumble together. Well, okay, let's start breathing Fire!
Why is it good
Breath of fire is considered one of the most powerful cleansing techniques. A is called fiery, because it enhances the "fire" of digestion, "burns" toxins and toxins. In general, it normalizes the functioning of the digestive system, relieves gases, bloating, indigestion, positively affects the functioning of the kidneys and liver, normalizes acidity, relieves discomfort. Also, the breath of fire relieves depression, as it literally “breathes” optimism into you and burns all the bad. 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 completely cleanse, do not increase your daily diet, but drink. This will contribute to an 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 to your chest, thus forming a light throat lock. Relax the abdomen completely. Remember that this breathing is performed only by the diaphragm, the chest is not involved 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 intentionally inhale, as the abdomen relaxes, the air will enter by itself. Inhale-exhale is one cycle. The duration of inhalation and exhalation should be equal. The hand on the stomach is only to check that you are breathing from the stomach and not from the chest, you do not need to put pressure on the stomach.
At first, you may feel a slight dizziness and fever, this is quite normal. Start small - 27 cycles is enough for a start. Gradually reach 108 cycles. And remember that the power of this technique is in its daily repetition. Just do it every morning the same way you brush your teeth.
As many people know, yoga has many aspects, each of which studies a certain effect of the vital energy flowing in the human body on its mental, spiritual and physical state. One such aspect is prana yoga or the yoga of breathing. This is a kind of yoga style that focuses on breathing, so that through practice a person can find harmony, as well as strengthen his health and clear his 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 the environment, clear your mind of "unnecessary" and learn how to enjoy life, read in this article.
Prana yoga is a complex special exercises, practicing which you can provide your body with everything that it urgently needs for optimal life. But before trying out such a complex, you need to study a lot of specific nuances, since respiratory 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, having a certain "experience" of hatha yoga. The fact is that pranayamas (prana yoga exercises) are more high level and therefore require special concentration and skills from the practitioner. And if beginner yogis can get acquainted with the theory from this article, then in practice they the first is better time to study with an instructor who can literally “on the fingers” explain the technique of performing exercises.
Life energy (prana) is the basis of all life on earth. That is why it is necessary to start practicing, understanding the basic aspects and principles of yoga, through which it is able to change the physical and energy body person.
Internal life 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 seek pleasure in something else (food, vivid impressions, etc.). This, in turn, can lead to not very favorable consequences: depression, apathy, diseases.
The main pranas in this direction
If you delve into the basics of the teachings of yoga, you can understand that all vital energy moves inside human body in the form of streams energy channels. They are called nadis, and represent a whole system that connects the energy and physical body of a person through certain points in the body. However, they are not lymph nodes, nerve endings or blood vessels.
According to such a system, only 5 main energy flows and the same amount of prana. Each of these vital forces circulates in a certain cavity of the body and is responsible for the functioning of various body systems. And, if all pranas function in harmony, then the human body will work without failures. If in any of the channels or energies there is a failure, the general harmony of prana will be violated.
About the benefits of practices
The physical aspect of the benefits of pranayama breathing practice is expressed in several of its benefits at once. So, prana breath in yoga:
- oxygenates the entire body;
- improves blood circulation;
- strengthens the nervous system;
- relaxes internal organs;
- creates a stable emotional background;
- makes a person more stress-resistant;
- increases the adaptive capacity 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 the breath. Beginning practitioners should not start pranayama tactics if they have the following diseases:
- traumatic brain injury;
- mental health disorders;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- any disease of a chronic nature;
- 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 hatha yoga asanas, can start prana yoga. Where exactly to start and what breathing exercises from yoga can be performed, read on.
Varieties of exercises
Having decided to try healing breathing exercises for yourself, you must first familiarize yourself with the varieties and techniques of pranayamas. In total there are several basic types of breathing that are used in prana yoga:
- Calming breath. This is the most commonly practiced yoga breath by beginners. Its name is Ujayi, which literally translates as "to master something after the 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.
- Cleansing Breath - Kapalabhati. The cleansing, cleansing or fire breathing of the yogi helps the practitioner clear the mind and also open the pranic channels so that life energy can flow freely through them. How to breathe yoga Kapalabhati (fiery breath) correctly, we will describe below using several exercises as an example.
- Bhastrika or Bellows Breath. This is a specific yogic technique with which the practitioner can kindle the inner fire and, thereby, bring the spiritual body closer to the physical.
- Full Breath is the deepest yogic breath. This technique allows you to use all the muscles of the respiratory system and fill the lungs with oxygen completely. 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 pranayamas. As they are assimilated, it will be possible to move to the next level of classes, practice the breath of fire in yoga (Kapalbhati), Bhastrika and other techniques.
Pranayama Ujjayi
To master this technique, you need to take a sitting position on your heels with a flat back. This position is best because it allows you to relax. Especially after doing hatha yoga asanas.
Sitting on your heels with your buttocks, you need to close your eyes to focus on your breathing, and completely relax. Further, having narrowed the glottis in order to make barely perceptible hissing sounds, you can begin to do pranayama.
First, a measured deep breath is taken 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 a few sessions 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 cycle of exercises that is highly recommended to be performed in the morning on an empty stomach and bladder. Initial position for this exercise - the lotus position or the same position as in the previous case. Relaxing, you can begin to take sharp and not deep breaths and exhalations without counting. In general, beginners need to perform 450-500 breaths, although beginners who have not dealt with yoga before can do only 200-250.
After such a “warm-up”, a series of exhalations and exhalations follows with the maximum possible speed and amplitude. You can try to first make a series of five such breaths, gradually increasing this number to 2-3 series of 10-15 repetitions each.
From the last exhalation of the bhastrika, inhale calmly and slowly until a comfortable volume of the lungs is filled with air. In this case, you need to fix your breath by pulling up the dimple under the Adam's apple and the root lock. It is better to exhale with a second impulse and immediately move on to uddiyana bandha: having straightened the chest and lowered 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 Kapalabhati
Breath of fire in yoga, a technique which consists of alternating passive breaths with sharp exhalations through the nose, can be performed in or sitting Turkish with eyes closed for greater concentration. I.p., as in the case of other yogic exercises, during the fiery breath you need to relax. But at the same time, Kapalbhati is different in that the muscles of the abdominal cavity during exhalation must sharply contract and decompress so that the press is relaxed again when inhaling.
In total, it is recommended to perform 100-110 times in one session of this practice. As you manage to master the technique flawlessly, you can try to increase the number of approaches to 2, and then to 3.
These are just some of the 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 specific benefits. Therefore, by practicing pranayama, you will have the opportunity to see for yourself the benefits of yogic breathing.
"When breathing is wrong,
the psyche is also unstable,
and when the breath is even,
then the psyche is balanced".
Hatha yoga pradipika.
It's amazing how little attention we pay in our daily lives to correct breathing. We can go a day without food and water, but take our breath away and we will die in a few minutes.Breath is life. Most people have forgotten how to breathe properly. They breathe shallowly through their mouths and use little or no diaphragm, raising their shoulders or squeezing their stomachs as they inhale. In this way, only a small amount of oxygen is inhaled and only top part lungs, which leads to insufficient viability and low resistance to disease. A lot of "stagnant" oxygen remains 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 factexhalation is keybecause the more carbon dioxide-rich air you exhale, the more fresh air you can inhale. And now we can define: breathing is the process by which oxygen enters the body and carbon dioxide is removed from it. Let's take this as a good starting point.
Some time ago I described basic breathing techniques , - then I wrote about the healing respiratory system Kokyu-Ho, - but there is not much difference, i.e. basic techniques they are also basic in Africa. Almost in all breathing exercises There are basic types of breathing. These are lower or abdominal breathing, middle, upper and full breaths.
Since our state of mind affects how we breathe, therefore, we can learn to control the psyche by controlling breathing. By regulating our breathing, we not only increase our oxygen intake, but also prepare ourselves for concentration and meditation.
fire breath
And so, after such a short introduction, we finally come to the main topic of my article.
Imagine an exercise that can clear and activate the lungs, stimulate cardiovascular activity like jogging, tone the body, and clear the mind. Now imagine doing this sitting comfortably with your eyes closed (or open). Intrigued?
Yoga practitioners are well acquainted with an exercise that meets all these requirements - it is Kapalabhati . She is also calledfiery or cleansing breath.
If you have already practiced this pranayama and understood its impact, then my article, using the materials of the magazine "YOGA-International", headings "Pranayama", 1992 and advice on the practice of Kevin Hoffman, will answer your questions and inspire you to further deepen the 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 Kapalabhati on the body. These effects are just a by-product of the vigorous contractions of the abdominal muscles and the rapid, forceful exhalations that are the hallmark of this exercise.
Photo: Andrey Kiselev/Rusmediabank.ru
Breath of Fire is the name of the main breathing technique used in Kundalini Yoga. Recall 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 consciousness of the yogi 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 cleaner, better, wiser, more conscious, more balanced, kinder, healthier, happier, in the end.As a technique, he uses meditation, asanas, chanting of mantras and, of course, pranayama, of which the breath of fire is one of the basic ones.
The first thing to note is that the breath of fire is not hyperventilation of the lungs or full yogic belly breathing. The Breath of Fire technique is not that difficult, and every beginner in yoga can master it. To do this, try to breathe quickly without pauses through your nose without opening your mouth. The respiratory 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 during the relaxation of the abdomen, the diaphragm will stretch down.
If you are suffocating while doing Breath of Fire, then most likely you just forget to relax. abdominal muscles. If you do everything right, 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 the access of energy to the head, pull the chin a little to the neck so that they form one straight line.
Practice at a slow pace at first. For better technique control, sit cross-legged with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. The first must move, and the second, on the contrary, remain motionless.
As you successfully master pranayama, increase your breathing rate to the recommended 2-3 breaths per second.
photo by Natalia Grishko
On next step use breath of fire when performing asanas statically with a fixed position chest(with arms raised up and fingers intertwined in the lock, with backward bends - for example, the cobra pose, the camel pose, etc.)
photo by Natalia Grishko
Permissible sensations during the breath of fire are tingling, lightness. This is how the body adjusts to the new breathing technique. Unacceptable sensations during execution - dizziness. If you still experience it, you should stop breathing practice and rest.
If you don’t 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 to automatism.
What is it for?
First of all, breathing fire is an energy 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 breath of fire is strengthening nervous system, alignment of the psycho-emotional state.
This pranayama is also beneficial for health, as it helps to strengthen the immune system.
In addition, the breath of fire weakens addictions that are harmful to us (addiction to smoking, drugs, fast and junk food, etc.)
Are there contraindications?
The breath 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 for high blood pressure and heart disease.
If you are not at risk, then be sure to try this amazing
