Pranayama

Name 7 points on how to guide the breath in general:

a) Nadi shodana:
1. Find a comfortable seated position
2. Start breathing deeply
3. Place your left hand on the left knee, and palms open to the sky or in Chin Mudra
(thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips).
4. Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the
eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the
right nostril (Nasagra mudra).
5. Close off your right nostril GENTLY with your thumb and inhale slowly and deeply
through the left nostril.
6. Close off your left nostril and exhale slowly through the right.
7. Inhale through the right nostril all the way to the top.
8. Close the right nostril and exhale through the left.
9. Continue for 5 to 10 minutes.

b) Diaphragmatic breathing
1. Lie down in shavasana. Make sure the head, neck and spine are in a straight line.
2. Consciously relax the whole body.
3. Pause to feel how the breath in that moment, to be aware of your body.
4. Place one hand on the upper chest and the other on the abdomen, just with the little
finger above the navel. This will allow to control the movements.
5. Inhale slowly through the nose, so that the hand on the abdomen to feel the
pressure of it as it rises. The hand on the chest should remain (or almost) motionless.
Inspiration should not be so deep that we hyperventilate.
6. Take a short pause in the breath before moving on to exhale.
7. Slowly exhale the air through the mouth, and feel the muscles in the abdomen
descend. Remember that the hand on the chest should remain as still as possible.
8. Repeat these steps 3 to 10 times.
Ujjayi:

1. Sit in a comfortable seated position

1st.Practising with Mouth Breathing:

1. Start breathing deeply through your mouth, feeling the inhalation and exhalation
in your windpipe. Do this a few times
2. Take one more inhale, and on the next exhalation, gently constricting the back of
your throat and exhale as though you are steaming up a mirror while making a
“hahhh” sound
3. On the next inhale, breathe in making the same sound with your throat
constricted
4. Practise with this mouth breathing for 10 times (5 sets of inhales and exhales)

2nd. Practising the Full Ujjayi Breathing Exercise

1. Once you are comfortable controlling your inhalations and exhalations with your
throat constricted, close your mouth and start breathing only through your nose
2. Keep the back of the throat contracted. Your breath will now sound like ocean
waves crashing on a beach
3. During both inhales and exhales, your breath should be deeper and longer than
usual. The breath should be continuous and smooth, the length of breath the
same for the inhales and exhales.
4. Do this for 2 minutes, focusing only on your breath

Full yogic breath:

1. Find a comfortable posture and concentrate on that conscious awareness of the

natural breath.
2. Breathe slowly and quietly.
 3. Allow the lower abdomen to expand. The nostrils flare as you inhale, without rushing
and without force. Fill the belly with the breath.
4. When the abdomen is full, allow the ribcage to expand outwards and upwards. Air
fills the middle of the lungs. The whole chest expands.
5. When the chest is full, keep the inhale going just a little longer to fill the body right
up to the collarbone. The shoulders move up, just a little.
6. And then the exhale begins. First, relax the collarbone and upper chest. Then the
breath leaves the middle of the chest, and the ribcage. And finally, the abdomen
falls; draw the naval back towards the spine to expel all air from the lungs.
7. Hold the breath out for a few seconds at the end of the exhalation.
8. Repeat the cycle.

List other pranayamas that you may use at the start or end of the class and the reasons why

1. Deep breathing with ratios:

I would use it because due to slowing of respiration rate the heart rate is reduced, Blood
pressure is lowered, release anxiety, tension, anger, more oxygen is made available per
breath, making the breathing most efficient, through Conscious deep breathing we can relax
the nervous system, which calms the mind by removing thoughts and emotions and
enhanced movement of diaphragm gives a good massage to the internal organs as the liver,
pancreas, stomach, heart and lungs are attached to the diaphragm which is moved up and
down during the breathing.

2. Any cooling breath as Sheetali or sheetkari:

I would use it because it cool down the body after asanas which heat the body, reduces high
blood pressure promote muscular relaxation, allows prana to flow more freely through the
body, balances endocrine system, purifies the blood.

3. Bhramari (humming bee breath)

I would use it because it allows one to becomes more introverted is useful preparation for
meditation, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing muscular relaxation is
good for the thyroid and increases psychic sensitivity and awareness of subtle sound
vibrations.

4. Bhastrika (bellow’s breath)

I would use at the beginning of the practice because it warms the body up, clears the air
passages, helps to balance the doshas, balances the nervous system, brings focus and
calmness gives energy, improves circulation to the heart and lungs.

5. Surya Bhedan

I would use at the beginning of the practice because increases vital energy in the body,
heats the body, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and the left part of the brain,
eliminates wind or gas related trouble and helps to balances mucus and helps to balance
acidity.