PRANAYAM NO. 1 - “BHASTRIKA”
Bhastrika: The Power of Breath for Better Health
THE METHOD OF DOING “BHASTRIKA”
- Sit in a cross legged position with your hands in Gyanmudra and the back of your hands resting on your knees. Gyanmudra means closing and making a circle with your thumb and the forefinger as shown in the figure and the video. Click here to see the picture of Gyanmudra.
- Breathe through both your nostrils till your lungs and diaphragm are full of air.
- Without pausing breathe out forcibly so much so that your abdomen caves in as far as possible. Obese people or the ones with bulging stomach should push the stomach as back as possible.
- This continuous inhaling and exhaling should make a sound resembling the blacksmith’s tellows.
- If you are suffering from cold and sinus, and in case if your nostrils are closed due to them, then follow the following procedure till both your nostrils are fairly open. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale and exhale through the left nostril. Then close your left nostril and inhale and exhale through the right nostril till both your nostrils become fairly clear for breathing normally.
For more details watch the video clip carefully.
IMPORTANT NOTES ON “BHASTRIKA”
People who suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease should inhale and exhale very very mildly and slowly. This Pranayam is done in basically 3 speeds.
A. Slow speed:
One cycle of inhaling and exhaling should take about 3 seconds.
B. Moderate speed:
One cycle of inhaling and exhaling should take about 2 seconds.
C. Fast speed:
One cycle of inhaling and exhaling should take about 1 second.
In the beginning kindly do this Pranayam in slow speed, then migrate to moderate and then fast speed as you keep gaining more experience.
In the beginning this Pranayam should be done only for 2 minutes in all. Gradually increase the timing by ½ minute every week till you reach the maximum time of 5 minutes. Kindly do not do this Pranayam for more than 5 minutes at all.
In the intervals you can also do “butterfly exercise” or “blood circulation” exercise of the legs and feet. Click on these names to see the video clip of these exercises.
The ideal way for doing Pranayam is to close your eyes and imagine that while you are breathing in, the power of the Cosmos is entering the body through your head and while breathing out the same power which is accumulated into your head is moving into your entire body from top to toe. This practice will help in curing all ailments and diseases faster, making you a healthier person at the earliest.
BENEFITS OF “BHASTRIKA”
Problems and diseases of cold, cough, asthma, allergy as well as all respiratory problems are cured.
Due to the heart and the head getting adequate quantity of air (Prana) the general health is very much improved and the lungs also become stronger.
Ailments of the throat like tonsils, thyroid and inflammation are also cured.
This Pranayam helps in de-toxifying the body.
General health improves and one becomes immune to diseases.