Movement Ayush

The Bhramari pranayama breathing technique derives its name from the black Indian bee called Bhramari. Bhramari pranayama is effective in instantly calming down the mind. It is one of the best breathing exercises to free the mind of agitation, frustration or anxiety and get rid of anger to a great extent. A simple technique, it can be practiced anywhere - at work or home and is an instant option to de-stress yourself.

The exhalation in this pranayama resembles the typical humming sound of a bee, which explains why it is named so.

The science behind Bhramari pranayama

It works on calming the nerves and soothes them especially around the brain and forehead. The humming sound vibrations have a natural calming effect.

The science behind Bhramari pranayama

It works on calming the nerves and soothes them especially around the brain and forehead. The humming sound vibrations have a natural calming effect.

How to do Bhramari pranayama (Bee Breath)

Sit up straight in a quiet, well-ventilated corner with your eyes closed. Keep a gentle smile on your face.

Keep your eyes closed for some time. Observe the sensations in the body and the quietness within.

Place your index fingers on your ears. There is a cartilage between your cheek and ear. Place your index fingers on the cartilage.

Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, gently press the cartilage. You can keep the cartilage pressed or press it in and out with your fingers while making a loud humming sound like a bee.

You can also make a low-pitched sound but it is a good idea to make a high-pitched one for better results.

Breathe in again and continue the same pattern 3-4 times.

Chakrasana is a strong back-bending yoga asana. It is popular in many forms of yoga and is part of the primary series of Ashtanga yoga. As well as being a back bend, chakrasana is seen in yoga as a heart opening posture and is thought to work on the heart chakra.

The name comes from the Sanskrit chakra, which means “wheel,” and asana, which means “posture” or “seat.” It is so called because the body forms the shape of a wheel when in this posture.

Chakrasana may also be referred to simply as wheel pose or wheel. Chakrasana is also sometimes known by an alternative Sanskrit name, urdhva dhanurasana, which means upward-facing bow pose.

Precaution of chakrasana

Do not try this Asana in case of back injury.

If you are suffering from heart problems, then don’t try this.

Headache, Diarrhea and carpal tunnel syndrome.

High or low blood pressure.

Do not perform this if suffering from any cardiac or spinal problems.

Avoid if suffering from hernia.

Procedure of chakrasana

Begin by lying down on your back with feet apart.

Now bend the knees and place your feet flat on the ground closer to your buttocks.Bring your palms under your shoulders such that the fingers point towards the shoulders and the elbows are shoulder width apart.

Now inhale and press your palms firmly into floor.

Lift your shoulders and head off the floor by straightening your arms.

The feet should be pressed firmly into the floor. Inhale and lift your hips up. The spine should be rolled up so that may be seem to resemble a semi circular arch or wheel.

Straighten out your arms and legs as much as possible so that the hips and chest maybe pushed up.

Hold this pose for at least 15-30 seconds. To go back to original, bend your elbows to lower your head and shoulders to the floor.

Benefits of chakrasana

Strengthens liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Excellent for heart.

Good for infertility, asthma and osteoporosis.

Strengthens arms, shoulders, hands, wrists and legs.

Stretches the chest and lungs

Increases energy and counteracts depression

Winters are here and a lot of us have trouble adapting our body temperatures to vata and kapha dominant seasons, the naturally cold ones. But nature has designed our anatomy so smartly that we can control our temperatures through the right breathing - right nostril, warm side activation, sun piercing breath, pingala nadi.

As we know, we have two nostrils which control our two nadis - Ida and Pingala. Ida, the moon side, the cooler side and Pingala, the sun side, the warmer side. We can control our life forces through the right breathing technique.

Surya Bhedana is a warming pranayama, or breathwork, focused on one nostril: the right. Surya, or sun, refers to the right nostril of the nose, which is connected to the Pingala nadi of the body. Bhedana means to pierce or pass through. By closing one nostril and forcing prana to pass through just one side, a warming affect is achieved on the body – appropriate for correcting an imbalanced coolness, which is more common during the cooler Vata and Kapha seasons.

Instructions
Sit in a comfortable seated position with a straight spine and neck.

Close your eyes and focus your attention at your third eye, at the point between your brows.

Become aware of your breath and proceed to breathe for several counts deeply, allowing the air to fill your lungs deeply, expanding your abdomen on the inhale and contracting it on the exhale.

Allow the left arm to relax by your side. Using the right hand, block the left nostril with the ring finger, as shown in the posture above.

Inhale slowly and deeply through the right nostril.

Retain the breath for a few seconds. Caution: do not hold the breath if you experience hypertension or high blood pressure.

Open the left nostril and close the right nostril with the thumb, exhaling slowly.

Repeat steps 6-7 for a one to three minutes.

Release the right arm to the side and take several regular breaths before opening your eyes.

"Pranayama teaches the aspirant to regulate his breathing and thereby control the mind."

Vrikshasana or the Tree Pose is so called because the final position of this asana resembles the shape of a tree.
Practicing this yoga asana every day can offer several benefits for both physical and mental health.

Some health benefits of Vrikshasana are:
1. It strengthens the legs, and opens the hips
2. It improves your neuromascular coordination
3. It helps with balance and endurance
4. It improves alertness and concentration
5. It may help those who suffer from sciatica

How to do Vrikshasana or the Tree Pose:
- Starting from alert posture- standing tall and straight with arms by the side of the body (Tadasana)
- Focus on a point in the front
- Exhale, move the right leg up and place the foot on the inner side of the left thigh - the heel should be touching the perineum
- Inhale, extend the arms up and join your palms together in namaskar mudra
- Maintain the final position of 3-10 breaths with body awareness
- Exhale, bring the arms down
- Release the right leg and bring it to the starting position
- Repeat on the other side (left leg) with the right leg off the ground
- Exhale, move the left leg up and place the foot on the inner side of the right thigh

“One thousand Kriya practiced in eight hours gives the yogi, in one day, the equivalent of one thousand years of natural evolution: 365,000 years of evolution in one year.”Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda

Kriya Yoga is an ancient meditation technique of energy and breath control, or pranayama. It is part of a comprehensive spiritual path, which includes additional meditation practices along with right living.

The Kriya technique was hidden in secrecy for many centuries. It was revived in 1861, when the great yogi Mahavatar Babaji taught the technique to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. Lahiri then taught the technique to his disciple Sri Yukteswar, who taught it to his disciples, including Paramhansa Yogananda.

Yogananda then popularized Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi, and through his public teaching in the West. Kriya has been taught in an unbroken link of spiritual succession to this day.

According to Yogananda, Kriya Yoga is the most effective technique available to mankind today for reaching the goal of Yoga: union with the Divine. Kriya Yoga is so effective because it works directly with the source of growth — the spiritual energy deep in our spines.

However, Kriya Yoga is more direct. It helps the practitioner to control the life force by mentally drawing that life force up and down the spine, with awareness and will. According to Yogananda, one Kriya, which takes about a half a minute, is equivalent to one year of natural spiritual growth.

Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened. The ancient yogis discovered that the secret of cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery.

“The Kriya Yoga which I am giving to the world through you in this nineteenth century,” Babaji told Lahiri Mahasaya, “is a revival of the same science which Krishna gave, millenniums ago, to Arjuna, and which was later known to Patanjali, and to Christ, St. John, St. Paul, and other disciples.”