/ Pranayama
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Keeping your mind and body healthy is the baseline of the yogic lifestyle. In the following guide, we will take a look at an easy breathwork activity to help keep your lungs working well. Here’s everything you need to know to get started:
Benefits of this Breathwork
- Purifies the lungs
- Increases lung capacity
- Supports inner relaxation
- Helps you to be mindful
How to do this Breathwork
Find a quiet place in which to practice before you get started. When you are ready, follow the below steps to purify your lungs.
Position:
Start by sitting in Easy Pose — or any seated stance that feels comfortable. When you have done that, put your hands on each of your knees with the palms facing downward.
Your back needs to be as straight as possible. When you are ready, raise your ribcage and expand it as far as you can. Push your ribs out as far as is humanly comfortable to you.
Adopting this particular position gives you the space that you need to breathe. That means that your lungs have extra room and you can easily relax. Bring the chest upward and allow the chin to rest at the base of the neck — you should adopt the chin lock here.
Your shoulders and your rib cage will feel as though they are separate from one another. That is normal. You should find that this position allows for a natural meditative state.
Eyes:
While you are engaging in this meditation, you should make sure that your eyes are nine-tenths open.
Breathing #1:
To get started, breathe in deeply through your nose and hold your breath. Then, breathe out through your mouth and hold once again. Keep doing this and find your own pace.
When you have engaged in this breathing technique for a few minutes, you will find that your lung capacity gives you a natural rhythm. Continue at the same speed each time.
While you are engaging in this breathwork, make sure that you keep your ribcage up and expanded at all times. You want to make sure that everything has a natural balance here.
Staying in the same position allows you to purify your lungs. You can continue with this part of the breathwork for up to 15 minutes, depending on the time that you have.
Breathing #2:
Once you have completed the above step, you should move onto the second breathwork activity in this pranayama exercise. Stay in the same physical position as you are in now.
Breathe in for two seconds, out for two seconds, in for two seconds, and out for two seconds. You should keep your rib cage raised when you are following this pattern.
Next, you can move into the Breath of Fire. That will help you to massage the glands and organs. Continue for three minutes before you relax entirely.
The Takeaway
The pranayama breathwork to purify your lungs is easy to do. No matter how long you’ve been practicing Kundalini Yoga, you should be able to get to grips with this activity. Set aside some self care time, and give it a go. The results may surprise you.
See more: Start with a Basic Breathwork Session Perfect for Beginner