Anuloma - Viloma Sukha Pranayama (Alternate breathing exercise in comfortable pose)

DEFINITION OF PRANAYAMA:

Pranayama (Prāṇāyāma) is a combination of two Sanskrit words 'Prana' which means life force, vital energy or breath, and 'Ayama' which means to extend. This forms a part of various yogic practices devised in ancient India.

Nowadays almost everybody from school-going children to college students to private and public employees, business people, etc., leads mechanical life in towns and cities. They find no time to concentrate on their health. Even they have no time to verify whether their food proportionately contains sufficient quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc., required daily for their health.

If such is the case where is the time for them to look after their physical and mental fitness?

To give some tips to our readers, ViprasCraft is suggesting the following simple alternate breathing exercise in a comfortable pose, also known as Anuloma-Viloma Sukha Pranayama (Comfortable alternate breathing exercise).

Anulom-vilom is an easy and very convenient way to calm your mind, get instant stress relief, protect your organs from further damage, and helps strengthen the nervous system. It can be done in any place where there is a sufficient clean environment. This Pranayama should be taken up only on empty stomach only. 

PROCEDURE:

1. Sit in Padmasana (cross-legged pose in which the feet rest on alternate thighs) or Siddasana (modified cross-legged pose in which the feet touch the buttocks) in a place convenient to you where there are proper ventilation and flow of air.

2. Close the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale air slowly through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril also with the little or ring fingers of the right hand. Retain the air as long as you can comfortably keep it in the lungs. Then exhale very slowly through the right nostril after releasing your thumb. Then inhale air slowly through the same right nostril. Retain the air as before and exhale it very slowly through the left nostril. All these processes count as one cycle of Pranayama.

3. To being with, try to do 10 cycles once in the morning and also 10 cycles in the evening. Gradually increase the number of cycles which can last up to 15-20 minutes. While inhaling air have a thought that Divine power is entering into your body and all your complexities (dirt, impurities, etc.,) are being thrown out along with exhaling air.

This pranayama purifies the Nadis, improves the digestive appetite, and supplies oxygen to all the cells in the body. Some practitioners believe that doing anulom vilom regularly may relieve the symptoms of and reverse conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol levels.

This Anulom Vilom pranayama can be practiced in conjunction with other forms of pranayama and other breathing techniques like brahmri pranayama (Bee's breath), bhastrika pranayama (slow inhalation, powerful exhalation) and Kapalbhati pranayama, etc.

POINTS OF NOTE:

If you have any knee-related problems, or orthopedic issues, it is recommended to use a comfortable chair that keeps the spine straight even if you lean back in your chair. After all, Yoga is about the slow and steady practice to increase the endurance of the body, you shall not hurt yourself by doing the things that are causing you great discomfort.

Our suggestion is only to educate people about some priceless Yoga techniques such as pranayama, but every person must analyze himself/herself to judge what is best for him/her, and if felt necessary, should consult the doctor before taking up such practices.

In the practice of Yoga and Pranayama, the most important thing to note is that the body shall be trained to take a little strain to enhance the endurance limit, but the body shall not be punished with too much strain that it can't handle.

Credits: Sri. B.E. Sampath Kumar of Sri RamaChandraji Maharaj Seva Trust, Kadapa.