| 'Stress' is another name for life these days. It results in | | | | and of rechaka for 24 seconds. |
| improper breathing or lack of oxygen in the body. The | | | | The ratio of puraka, kumbhaka, and rechaka should |
| body, when starved of oxygen, becomes a haven for | | | | stay as 1:4:2 for all levels of pranayama.b) Madhyama |
| diseases related to heart and other vital organs. Yoga | | | | - Perfecting adhama, you proceed to madhyama by |
| breathing or pranayama refers to a combination of | | | | executing puraka for 24 seconds, followed by |
| exercises used to achieve breath control. "Prana" | | | | execution of kumbhaka for 96 seconds, and of |
| symbolizes "life force" and "yama" stands for "control". | | | | rechaka for 48 seconds.c) Uttama - Having perfected |
| Pranayama, therefore, is the systematic breathing | | | | madhyama, you move on to the advanced stage of |
| intended to control breath, and revitalize the body by | | | | pranayama, also called "Uttama". Here, you execute |
| completely eliminating the diseases. | | | | puraka for 32 seconds, followed by extended |
| Breathing Process - The Various Stages | | | | kumbhaka for 128 seconds, and extended rechaka for |
| The ancient yogis developed the breathing exercises | | | | 64 seconds. |
| of nadi shodhana, shitali, kapalabhati, viloma, and ujjayi. It | | | | Once you master the art of uttama, you can achieve |
| takes some time before you can start observing the | | | | the state of keval kumbhaka. It implies arresting and |
| benefits of these exercises on your body. Pranayama | | | | resting breath for fairly long intervals of time, at will. In |
| comes with various difficulty levels and to practice | | | | this state, the body is rid of all types of diseases. |
| correctly, you need to initially train under a yoga expert. | | | | General Guidelines to Follow, while Practicing |
| Practicing these exercises in a wrong way can lead to | | | | Pranayama |
| diseases, related to the lungs. | | | | You should wear loose clothes to achieve unrestricted |
| Pranayama exercises work by refining or tuning the | | | | air flow through the body. You should be empty |
| following 4 breathing stages:a) Puraka - the stage of | | | | stomach for 3 hours before starting pranayama |
| inhalation or oxygen intakeb) Abhyantara kumbhaka - | | | | exercises. Sit straight to enable your neck to be |
| the pause before exhalation or discharge of carbon | | | | aligned with the spinal cord. This aids in proper |
| dioxidec) Rechaka - the stage of exhalationd) Bahya | | | | breathing. |
| kumbhaka - the pause after exhalation | | | | Pranayama should be enjoyed. You should practice, |
| Refining the Breathing Stages Through Pranayama | | | | but not exhaust yourself. Start slowly and breathe in a |
| A fast-paced life, full of stress, results in improper | | | | smooth and consistent manner to avoid any jerks |
| execution of the 4 basic breathing stages. The people | | | | while breathing. As soon as your breath becomes a |
| practicing yoga are able to control their breath for long | | | | little uneven, stop and allow your breathing to get |
| intervals of time. They achieve it through regular | | | | normal. |
| practice of the following levels of pranayama:a) | | | | Asthma and heart patients should consult a doctor |
| Adhama - Essentially, you start with adhama as a | | | | before starting with breathing exercises, or the art and |
| beginner. You execute puraka for 12 seconds, | | | | science of pranayama. |
| followed by execution of kumbhaka for 48 seconds, | | | | |