Air pollution: 7 types of pranayama to beat high AQI levels

The air high quality index or AQI ranges in Delhi, India and surrounding areas are touching a extreme 400 with the air wanting darkish as a result of smoke and air pollution. Apart from staying indoors and investing in the highest quality air purifiers, additionally it is necessary to maintain your lungs internally. Pranayama, a yogic respiration approach, might help you with this. There are lots of sorts of pranayama which you can alternate in per week. These assist to maintain the physique cool and calm, filter out the lungs, and preserve an infection at bay. A number of the sorts may also show you how to sleep higher. Nevertheless, make sure that to do them in the proper method, and on the proper time and place to get all the advantages.

​What’s pranayama?

Pranayama is an historical respiration approach with its roots in yogic practices. To do pranayama, it’s good to management your breath in numerous kinds and lengths. By regulating your breath, you possibly can management the move of prana, or life vitality, inside your physique. There are several types of pranayama that may assist your lungs throughout air air pollution. They enhance lung capability and respiratory perform. Apart from this, they’re additionally identified to cut back stress and anxiousness, increase the immune system, and decrease blood strain. Additionally they helps to enhance digestion and aids in weight administration.

Apart from bodily advantages, pranayama has many psychological well being advantages as properly. It calms the thoughts, will increase focus and focus, improves sleep high quality, reduces stress and anxiousness in addition to enhances emotional well-being.

How does doing pranayama throughout air air pollution assist?

Pranayama makes the lungs robust sufficient to simply sail by way of this era of excessive air pollution within the air, explains yoga teacher Khushboo Shukla. Right here’s the way it helps:

1. Makes the lungs stronger

Sure, pranayama entails deep, acutely aware respiration workouts. A examine printed within the Journal of Scientific & Diagnostic Analysis states that pranayama improves our respiratory respiration capability by growing chest wall growth. This helps to develop your lungs, permitting them to soak up extra oxygen. Common pranayama strengthens the muscle mass concerned in respiration as properly, this consists of the diaphragm and intercostal muscle mass. It additionally helps you improve the effectivity of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide expulsion. On this method, this might help alleviate respiratory issues like bronchial asthma, bronchitis, and allergy symptoms.

2. Helps in blood circulation

Pranayama entails deep respiration workouts. These assist your lungs soak up extra oxygen. This elevated oxygenation of the blood helps to enhance circulation. Pranayama methods corresponding to Kapalabhati and Bhastrika, the place now we have to do forceful exhalations. This helps to stimulate the diaphragm in addition to the belly muscle mass. These muscular contractions result in extra pumping of blood. A examine printed within the journal Coronary heart Views noticed that the members recorded a big discount in resting pulse price, systolic blood strain, diastolic blood strain, and imply arterial blood strain after doing pranayama in addition to meditation for 2 weeks.

3. Improves immunity

One other advantage of doing pranayama to beat excessive AQI readings is that it may assist make you stronger. Pranayama is understood to enhance immune perform and cut back an infection, states this examine, printed within the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medication. Air air pollution can result in many respiratory and different illnesses which require a powerful immune system. Pranayama strengthens the immune system to struggle micro organism and viruses too. With elevated air pollution, instances of pulmonary and coronary heart illnesses enhance. Doing pranayama at dwelling within the clear air is a certain option to heal the physique from these issues.

Forms of pranayama to assist lungs struggle air air pollution

Various kinds of pranayama might help your lungs take care of the stress of smoke and air air pollution that surrounds us for the time being. Listed below are step-wise directions on the right way to do these:

1. Kapalbhati pranayama

Kapalbhati pranayama is among the hottest sorts of pranayama. This system that helps to heat the physique. Additionally it is useful in eradicating toxins from the respiratory tract. This is part of shat kriyas – cleaning methods in yoga.

Steps

• Sit comfortably in a cross-legged place on the yoga mat or a chair.
• Exhale quickly by pulling your stomach in.
• Take quick breaths in.
• Repeat for 3-4 minutes adopted by deep respiration for 2 minutes to normalise coronary heart price.

2. Anulom Vilom pranayama

This respiration approach helps in balancing each the nostrils and the left and proper hemispheres of the mind. This additionally promotes bodily, psychological and emotional stability. It’s a nice observe to result in hormonal stability within the physique. Moreover, it helps to spice up immunity and metabolism.

Steps

• Sit together with your backbone straight… together with your proper thumb, shut your proper nostril.
• Exhale utterly by way of the left nostril
• Now, inhale by way of the left nostril and exhale by way of the proper nostril
• Inhale by way of the proper nostril and exhale by way of the left nostril
• That is one cycle of alternate nostril respiration, repeat this for a minimum of 7 to eight minutes.

3. Bhramari pranayama

Anther sorts of pranayama is Bhramari Pranayama. That is also called Buzzing Bee Breath. It affords quite a few advantages for each bodily and psychological well being. This respiration approach helps in bettering coronary heart perform. It results in higher oxygenation of blood in your complete physique in addition to the mind. The buzzing sound produced throughout this observe helps to decrease blood strain, and the vibrations produced in the course of the observe might help alleviate throat and nasal congestion.

Steps

• Sit in a cross-legged place on the mat or a chair as comfy.
• Shut your ears with index fingers and shut your eyes.
• Take a deep breath in and whereas exhaling create a buzzing (buzzing) sound out of your throat.
• Hold the vibration as excessive as attainable. Repeat 10 occasions and sit in silence for a couple of minutes afterwards.

4. Ujjayi Pranayama

Often known as Victorious Breath, this system entails respiration deeply and slowly, making a comfortable hissing sound as you exhale. This helps to calm down the physique and thoughts and cut back stress and anxiousness. It additionally helps to strengthen the respiratory muscle mass and enhance lung capability, which is crucial the place there may be air air pollution. Apart from this, it may assist alleviate signs of respiratory situations like bronchial asthma and bronchitis which may worsen in air air pollution. The light constriction of the throat that occurs whereas doing Ujjayi results in the creation of refined warmth within the physique, which may be useful for bodily and psychological well-being.

Steps

• Sit in a snug meditation posture. Guarantee your backbone is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Gently shut your eyes to focus inward and decrease distractions.
• Take a deep, sluggish breath by way of your nostril. As you exhale, barely constrict the again of your throat. This constriction will create a comfortable, audible sound, much like a delicate ocean wave.
• As you proceed respiration, preserve the comfortable, hissing sound on each the inhale and exhale. The sound ought to be constant and delicate.
• Take note of the feeling of the breath transferring out and in of your physique. Really feel the rise and fall of your chest and stomach.
• Begin with a couple of minutes of observe every day and steadily enhance the period as you turn out to be extra comfy.

5. Sheetali Pranayama

This sorts of pranayama is named the Cooling Breath approach. This entails inhaling by way of a curled tongue. It helps to chill the physique in addition to the thoughts. It helps to stimulate digestion and cut back acidity. This sort of pranayama might help cut back irritation within the physique and regulate blood strain as properly.

Steps

• Sit in a snug meditative posture. Guarantee your backbone is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Curl your tongue sideways, forming a tube-like form.
• Inhale deeply by way of the tube-shaped tongue.
• Fill your lungs with air.
• Shut your mouth and exhale slowly by way of your nostrils.
• Repeat this course of 5-10 occasions.

6. Sitkari Pranayama

That is additionally referred to as the Hissing Breath approach. Right here, it’s good to inhale by way of the tooth, whereas making a hissing sound. It will possibly assist cut back the feeling of thirst, particularly throughout dehydration. The approach aids in digestion by stimulating the digestive fireplace. The hissing sound might help soothe the throat and alleviate throat irritation. It will possibly additionally assist cut back hypertension.

Steps

• Sit in a snug meditation. Guarantee your backbone is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Convey your higher and decrease tooth collectively, barely parting your lips to create a small hole.
• Inhale slowly and deeply by way of the hole between your tooth, making a hissing sound.
• Shut your mouth and exhale slowly by way of your nostrils.
• Repeat this course of 5-10 occasions.

7. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

This sort of pranayama, additionally referred to as alternate nostril respiration with breath retention, is a variation of Anuloma Viloma the place you maintain your breath after every inhalation and exhalation. Apart from relieving you of stress and anxiousness, this system might help to enhance sleep high quality by calming the thoughts and physique. It will possibly assist strengthen the immune system. Additionally it is used as a remedy to alleviate complications and migraines.

Steps

• Sit in a snug meditative posture. Hold your backbone straight.
• Use your proper hand to regulate your breath. Place your index and center finger between your eyebrows. Use your thumb to shut your proper nostril and your ring and little finger to shut your left nostril.
• Shut your proper nostril together with your thumb and exhale slowly by way of your left nostril.
  Inhale slowly by way of your left nostril.
• Shut your left nostril together with your ring and little finger and exhale slowly by way of your proper nostril.
• Inhale slowly by way of your proper nostril.
• Proceed this cycle of inhaling and exhaling by way of alternate nostrils.

Easy methods to observe several types of pranayama safely?

Listed below are some factors to remember whereas practising these several types of pranayama:

• Don’t observe pranayama exterior or if you have already got chest congestion or blocked nostrils or throat ache.
• In case you are doing this indoors, ensure you have an air air purifier or some crops round to clear toxins from the air.
• Don’t do these methods proper after a meal. A spot of a minimum of 2 hours ought to be maintained earlier than practising pranayama.
• Start with a number of rounds and steadily enhance the period as you turn out to be extra comfy.
• Take note of the rhythm and move of your breath.
• In case you are new to pranayama, it’s advisable to study from a certified yoga teacher.
• Pregnant and lactating girls, in addition to folks with underlying well being situations corresponding to diabetes, and blood strain, ought to seek the advice of a healthcare supplier. Folks with hypertension or hernia ought to keep away from it.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions (FAQs)

1. When do you have to observe pranayama methods?

Early morning and night are good. You may also do it earlier than sleeping as it’ll improve the sleep high quality. The one situation is that it shouldn’t be executed proper after a meal. A spot of a minimum of 2 hours ought to be maintained earlier than practising pranayama.

2. What ought to be the period of respiration methods?

A minimal of 10-Quarter-hour every single day is required to beat this excessive AQI in addition to air air pollution. Nevertheless, make sure that to not pressure your self, and steadily enhance the time.