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Yoga is a comprehensive practice that regulates every aspect of your body and mind. Your breathing has a huge impact on both your physical and mental health. Pranayama is the practice of correct breathing and is very important for any yoga practitioner. Pranayama is especially useful for people who want to improve their balance.
Positioning Yourself
Balance improvement pranayama is done using the Deer Mudra. This involves folding your index and middle finger to the base of your right thumb. In such a position your ring finger and thumb will look like deer antlers, hence the name. Now you use your finger and thumb to close one nostril and breath from the other alternatively.
Breathing Procedure
When you start to meditate, first problem that you will encounter is how to calm your mind. This can be done by performing the Sun Salutation multiple times. Note that it will take a lot of practice. You have to focus in such a manner that you can sync all your movement with your breathing. The process is to inhale some air, hold it in body for a second, exhale it, hold your breath for a second and then inhale again.
The Asanas
You have to start in the Mountain Pose. Position your hands in the Salutation Seal near your heart. When you start feeling your chest rise and fall, you can stretch the inhaling and exhaling procedure. As you inhale; take your hand upwards so that it comes in the Upward Salute or the Urdhva Hastasana. Now, hold for a second and start exhaling. At the same time, reposition your palms in the Mountain Pose. Do this thrice.
This should be followed by the Cobra Pose. Breathe in and exhale as you settle in the Cobra Pose. Breath in again as you release the pose. Let your breath go as you position yourself into the Downward-Facing Dog pose. This procedure should also be done thrice, with increasing number of breaths on every step.
The next step is the Knees-to-Chest Pose or the Apanasana. Simply put, it is the opposite pose for backbends. In this pose you have to lie on your back and bend your knees and feet in such a manner that they are off the ground. All the while, you have to keep on exhaling. Repeat this for at least 6 times and then rest for 5 minutes.
This should be followed by the Solar Breathing or the Surya Bhedana Pranayama for 12 times. A closing se-quence should be performed which involves Reducing Practices or Langhan, followed by Windshield Wipers. Finish the procedure with Head-of-the-Knee Pose, Seated Forward Bend and finally with Lunar Breathing.
Make sure that you practice your Pranayama sessions in the proper manner if you want the best results.
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