Yogic breathing, the perfect relaxation tool

Your nose is a very interesting organ, now you will have a doubt, is nose an organ, Yes, it is, though debatable. The fact about your nostrils, is that you don’t breathe through them equally all the time. Around 85% of humans only breathe out of one nostril at a time. Even more interesting is that depending on which nostril you are predominately breathing out of at any given moment, it seems to greatly affect your body and brain. 

Most interestingly of all, yet another study published in 1994, showed that when you are breathing through your left nostril, the right hemisphere of your brain will be more active or dominant and vice-verse when you are breathing through your right nostril.  This can be a handy thing to know as the right hemisphere of your brain is your “creative/imaginative” side.  while the left hemisphere of your brain is your “logical” side.

Yogi's say Right nostril is for energy breathing in through your right nostril, will access the left “thinking” hemisphere of your brain. and Left nostril for calming breathing in through your left nostril will access the right “feeling” hemisphere of your brain,

 

So forcing breathing through one nostril or the other can actually affect the way you think at a given moment

Another study in 1993 showed that when you are breathing through your right nostril you will use significantly more oxygen than when breathing through your left. For thousands of years the Indian yogis believe that many diseases are connected to disturbed nasal breathing .and   Consciously alternating your breath between either nostril will  allow you to activate and access your whole brain

Yogic breathing, the perfect relaxation tool: It helps greatly to cool a busy mind and calm an overstimulated nervous system. In yoga this called Pranayama. It provides your body with a much needed dose of extra energy. A few rounds of alternate nostril breathing is a quick pick me up if you are feeling flat, tired or even stressed.

Slightly forced alternate nostril breathing improves and directs the flow of energy throughout your body – preventing sluggishness.  It oxygenates your blood and allows the energy (prana) in your body to be strong and flowing.This is helpful  in calming the “over thinking” mind.   The ancient yogis believe that if you can regulate your breath, then you can control your mind.

In times of emotional distress and upset, a few rounds of mindful nostril breathing will soften the intensity of over reactive emotional states.  The longer you practice, the more stable your thinking, and the calmer your emotions will become.

Alternate nostril breathing is a simple little trick that can be practiced for a few minutes before you begin your meditation practice.  It’s a very easy way to help you find your meditation groove.

Improves brain function: When you mind is dull – concentration and clarity is poor.  Alternate nostril breathing brings equal amounts of oxygen to both sides of the brain for improved brain function.  Five minutes of alternate nostril breathing before an exam or interview is a great way to access your whole brain for improved performance.

Cleanses your lungs: A daily five minute practice morning and night of alternate nostril breathing is great way to remove stale air and impurities from the bottom of your lungs. 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated via our lungs.

Improves sleep: If you can’t sleep at night lay on your right hand side, gently close your right nostril with your right thumb and breath through your left nostril.  This will activate your parasympathetic nervous system which will calm you down and slow your heart rate.

There are some yoga poses for insomnia practicing this will definitely help in addressing it.

Purify your breath  with 10 steps

 

Step one: Use right thumb to close off right nostril.

Step two: Inhale slowly through left nostril

Step three: Pause for a second & try to pump from your diaphragm about 3 times

Step four: Now close left nostril with ring finger and release thumb off right nostril

Step five: Exhale through your right nostril

Step six: Now, inhale through right nostril

Step seven: Pause & for a second & try to pump from your diaphragm about 3 times

Step eight: Use thumb to close of right nostril

Step nine: Breathe out through left nostril

Step ten: This is one round. Start slowly with 1 or 2 rounds and gradually increase.Never force.Sit quietly for a few moments after you have finished.

There are many, many different techniques of pranayama such as inhaling for 4, holding for 4 and exhaling for 4.

Caution:

Do not hold your breath if you have high blood pressure.  More advanced methods of pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) need to be practiced with an experienced practitioner.  practicing on an empty stomach is preferred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Children the Calorie Burners



Yesterday I was sitting back and pondering about how a each day of last one month passed– it goes like this – The alarm goes up, into the kitchen, make some sandwiches,  into gym cloths, wear your shoes and in no time I am in the gym working-out, noting down the calories and feel bit happy if the target figure is achieved. 

 

Then rush to the shower , into the office attire and there you are in the office between the pile of papers to be sorted out, and I start tackling them as if an unseen  magic wand has been working on me.

Back home running after the children tracking out what they have been doing during the day and most of the time with the question mark in the place of halo.

I am sure this would be the story of many of the working mothers.  Then I thought why not change this question mark to a halo and become a complete angel to your child for a day.  So the week end morning me and the child were up with full vigor, into the kitchen made few different DIY flavored water, cut some fruits and veggies, packed the bag and left to the beach.

While in the water, I got to hear a lot of stories which otherwise I would not have had time to hear.  Not TV, no “WHYs” only a listening with undivided attention.  A real quality time with your child.

Now let me do justice to the Heading of this article. While listening to the child’s story you can do the following:

-          Set a small challenge of jogging in the water from one point to another. Try to move a little faster than the kid so that she is eager to catch up with you. You stop and wait for them with an open arm and they come running to you. Make it a game and a few such jogging will get you burn more than 100 Calories in 15 minutes since you are also wading  though the waves and water.

-          Tread water while listening to the stories – This is a full-body workout that involves movement from every major muscle group, there is potential for significant Calorie burn. A 180 lb. person like me will burn approximately 817 Calories while threading water for about an hour and if I do it a bit slow about 327 Calories.

-          Rowing on the board – about 302 Cal per hour

-          While you do the above you are pulling and pushing the child and this will burn about 250 Cals more.

-          Run errands – you burn about 280 Cal per hour

Also you can burn few more calories by getting involved in some more activities like -

-          Jumping the waves – every time the wave come jump over them.

-          Running before the waves.

-          Dig and make puddle of water in the sand and have fun hopping in it until it dries

-          Do some sand crafts

Before you leave collect some shells and stones for craft and painting for the rest of the week.

WOW ! what a SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT, for both you and your kids.

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