The effective functioning of your body largely depends up on your energy levels. The best way to increase your energy level is to practice Pranayama or breathing exercise.
Prana is the vital force pervading the entire universe, representing the principle of cosmic energy. It exists in all beings, from the highest to the lowest, both animate and inanimate. Prana is the cause of the growth processin this world. Prana manifests itself as electricity, gravitation, magnetism, etc. The actions of the human bosy, nerve currents and thinking force are operated through prana.
In normal breathing our intake of prana is very little. Ancient rishis and yogis innovated a variety of breathing techniques to draw more prana from the atmosphere and also to preserve the excess prana in the solar plexus. These breathing techniques are called pranayama.
Pranayama defined as a systematic approach designed to bring about perfect control over the flow of prana through out the body by the application of certain methods and techniques achieved through the regulation of physical breathing.
The best three breathing exercise that helps to optimize your health and vitality are Kapalbhati, Ujjayi and Nadi-shodhana pranayama.
Kapala Bhati Breathing exercise
This exercise is undertaken to improve your respiratory system of the body. If you practice it regularly, this helps your skull to shine.
How to perform Kapala bhati pranayama:
You should first sit in padmasana, inhale smally quantity of air, then exhale quickly. This will helps the muscles of abdomen to go back and forth.
As is in other cases, initially one you should perform this practice ten times. Later you should retain breath as long as is possible. Then exhale slowly.
Benefits of Kapalabhti breathing exercise:
If you practice it in a regular biases, it will leads to purification of lungs and blood and tones up the nervous system. Regular practice of this breathing exercise will helps to reduce fat around your belly and reduce weight.
Ujjayi Pranayama :
In this exercise air is inhaled by both the nostrils but taken out through the left one only. Inhaling and exhaling is done by a sound produced by contraction of the threat.
How to perform Ujjayi breathing exercise:
Sit in a comfortable pose. Breath in through both nostrils( a sound produced of a mild and uniform pitch)
Retain the breath as long as one can with comfort. Exhale slowly.
The exercise can be done five times to start with and then gradually increased.
Benefits of Ujjayi pranayama:
Diseases of the stomach, dyspepsia, enlargement of spleen and liver are removed. Throat, mouth and the lungs are purified.
Nadi-shodhana breathing exercise:
This breathing exercise for the purification of the nadis or the astral nerves through which the subtle pranas flow. with out the purification of the nadis one cannot acquire success in kundalini Yoga.
How to perform: Inhale through the left nostril, mentally repeating the Bijakshara(root-letter) Lam of the earth element, and fixing the mind on Muladhara Chakra at the base of the spine. Repeat it eight times. Then close both the nostrils and mentally repeat Lam thirty-two times. Exhale, repeating the Bijakshara sixteen times. Then inhale through the right nostril and practice the same. Repeat Vam at Swadhisthana Chakra, Ram at Mani pura, Yam at Anaahata, Ham at Vishudhi and Om at Ajna Chakra.
The nadis are also purifies by selfless service of humanity, cultivation of divine virtues, development of devotion to God and by deep enquiry pertaining to the nature of the Self.
All these modes of Pranayama aim at one common goal and that is of bringing the mind under one's control. The physiological effects that go with these varieties, however show some variations.
These breathing techniques will give you complete health and optimum vitality.
