Why you should do Anulom Vilom Pranayam?
In these tough times, all are fighting off Corona pandemic and for this boosting our immunity has become the talk of the town. While taking pills has also become essential, another aspect of being healthy is about certain practices which can make our body fit, and so breathing exercises have turned out to be so important to keep our lungs healthy. Out of so many practices, one pranayam which can actually help us in this is Anulom-Vilom pranayam or alternate nostril breathing. Read this article to know how this alternate nostril breathing immensely helps and what are its benefits.
What is Yog
Yoga literally means “union.” Yoga can be traced in ancient Indian philosophy and it is 5,000-year old practice which tries to unite body and mind. It incorporates numerous styles of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.
The word ‘Yoga’ is synonymous with ‘asana’ which is a Sanskrit term. It is translated as “posture” or “pose” i.e. it’s a body posture. Asana is the actual physical practice of yoga poses. In modern context, it involves different types of exercise, like standing, twisting, and balancing of body.
Another word which is synonymous with Yoga is Pranayama. In Sanskrit, “prana” means life energy and “yama” means control. Pranayama is the practice of regulating breath, which is aimed at both physical and mental wellness. Pranayama involves purposely inhaling and exhaling, and holding of our breath in a specific sequence.
In yoga, pranayama involves practices like physical postures (asanas) and meditation (dhyana). These practices bring the prime benefits of yoga. The practitioner inhales, exhales, and holds the breath in a specific sequence. The goal of pranayama is to connect our body and mind. It also supplies our body with oxygen while removing toxins.
anulom-vilom-pranayam-health-benefits
Why Yoga is in vogue?
With the fast pace of life and changed lifestyle our body fails to respond quickly to all the changes of modern life. Our overwork and hectic lifestyle slowly make our body sick. This slowly leads to weakened immune system. So, it has become very important to boost our immune system so that our body is fit and fine, and is always ready for the challenges of life. Due to the strong immune system, we can thwart the challenges in the form of some infection. The best way to strengthen our immune system is pranayama. Pranayam basically includes Kapalabhati, Anulom-Vilom, Bhastrika, Bhramari and Udgith.
How to do Anulom Vilom Pranayam?
First of all sit a meditative posture with your back and neck straight. Then put thumb of your right hand on the right nostril and close it by pressing your thumb on it. Now, slowly inhale as much air as you can through the left nostril. Once inhalation is complete, close the left nostril with your ring or small finger and simultaneously open the right nostril. Now slowly start breathing out. During exhalation make sure that you are breathing out very slowly through your right nostril. Once done, you complete one cycle of Anulom Vilom pranayam. Now, again you have to take the breath slowly from the same nostril with which you exhaled and leave it from the other nostril. Repeat this process for 5 minutes. During the process, you should be conscious of your breathing and feel how it is affecting your body and mind.
Anulom Vilom Pranayama Health benefits
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama impacts almost all the aspects of our well-being
2 Anulom Vilom Pranayama corrects all the three ‘doshas’ – ‘Vata, Kapha and Pitta’, which is considered in Ayurveda as root cause of all ailments
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama improves blood circulation, strengthens lungs and our respiratory system. It is good for the heart too
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama boosts our immunity also
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama relieves stress and depression. It cures migraine and sleeplessness
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama cleanses all blood vessels and veins. So it is helpful in varicose veins
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama controls blood pressure and cures diabetes
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama helps in weight loss
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama is extremely helpful in gastric problems like flatulence and acidity. It treats constipation too
Our morning pranayam should begin with Anulom Vilom Pranayama. This alternate nostril breathing practice has numerous physical and psychological benefits and it flushes out toxins from the body.
(The content of this article is for informational purpose only. It cannot be a substitute for advice from a medical practitioner. Read DISCLAIMER for more…)
Also read Health Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayam
