Breathing is the most natural process we follow, without any constant attention over it. Breathing does the basic exchange of gases in our body that make our living possible. However, breathing does not stop just at it naturally happening. Our lifestyle doesn’t completely contribute to our sustainability for a healthy life. Our culture and ancestral legacy bring us the best gift of knowledge about Yog and being one with self. This brings us the multiple techniques of breathing and what each technique is purposed at achieving.
One of these techniques is Bhastrika Pranayama or as it is also called the yogic fire breath. This process of breathing has to do with a very quick inhale and exhale pattern. Bhastrika Pranayama or Bellows breath is aimed at energizing you resulting in pumping higher amounts of oxygen. The name itself suggests, the process resonates with the bellow used to release strong air from ironworks, producing the heat and removing all the impurities.
This means that with Bhastrika Pranayama you can never go short of breaths or suffer from oxygen debt again. All the possible situations that can make you fear your capability to keep breathing fine, can now be overcome with the yogic breath of fire. Place yourself in the seating position, ensuring your spine is straight up. Once you find yourself there, shut your eyes and begin breathing very deep, but also with a straining force. Repeat this at least 10 -12 times and then hold your breath for 20-25 seconds. This increases the potential for your lungs to throw out the dust and other impurities, preventing them from entering your body. You can find such other benefits about practicing the Bhastrika Pranayama below:
Benefits of acquiring to Bhastrika Pranayama:
Producing necessary heat for the body:
Most of our body processes work under the requirement of heat. The process of Bhastrika Pranayama suffices the need for heat for all the body functions to be executed with ease. A well-working cardiovascular and respiratory function leads to sufficiency in oxygen supply to the body, which regularizes the metabolism and enhances your leveling your body weight and balances it throughout. These results can be observed after a good run of practicing the breath of fire.
Activating the mind, body, and soul:
Bhastrika Pranayama is one of the processes of yoga that is said to revive our mind, body, and soul. The practice of bellows breath enhances your capability to uplift yourself in times of stress or feeling low. Rapid breathing enunciates your circulation, causing your thoughts to run fast and your body to get the necessary revitalization. The rapidity also increases the removal of impurities from your blood, lungs, and the complete airway. You can observe your skin to be better glowing after a good session of Bhastrika Pranayama.
Rejuvenates your lungs to be durable:
If you have any trouble breathing or any disorder in your respiration, Bhastrika Pranayama can catalyze the process of cleansing and curing all of it. Conditions like cold, asthma, breathless situations, suffocation, allergy or so on can make it extremely difficult for you to breathe normally and enough for your body. In these circumstances inculcating a routine of Bhastrika Pranayama can force the airways to do their work, regardless of the problem resulting in an early cure to it.
Strengthens your skeletal parts:
There are 3 major skeletal portions of your body on which you can balance and move fluently, they are Kapha, Vata, and Pitta. The posture of your body requires a tensile and lasting strength. This means that your blood circulation and flexibility around these areas must be perfect and regular. Bhastrika Pranayama can help you activate your blood circulation and provide you with the energy that helps you keep these parts working and lubricated.
Stimulates a mind to be healthier:
Your mental state health is a balance between the autonomic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This means that you can think better when enough amount of oxygen is distributed in your body as well as your brain. In our normal breathing ways, the amount of oxygen we get is not always enough and while it is distributed, our brains don’t get it up to the mark causing mental fatigue. Bhastrika Pranayama can ensure that your brain gets oxygen enough to work without exhausting.
To be able to execute Bhastrika Pranayama at its best, follow the process below:
- Clean out your thoughts and start by sitting down in the Vajrasana position, also known as Lotus posture. This ensures the linearity of the body and the moment you begin with Bhastrika Pranayama; the oxygen will be evenly distributed throughout the body.
- Begin with your first inhale and exhale with a force. There should be a little more pressure forcing your breath while you inhale and the same force to be used while you are exhaling. Make sure you are not applying too much force; it could give you a cough reflex.
- The moment you are done with breathing in, hold in your breath for a good 5-7 seconds and then proceed towards breathing out. Ensure you don’t forget to use the same force throughout.
- Pay good attention to the changes in your body while you are continuing with your session of Bhastrika Pranayama. In this equation, the abdomen is supposed to move out and the diaphragm is supposed to descend during breathing in. The abdomen then moves in, and the diaphragm ascends while breathing out.
- This process is supposed to be repeated in consistent sets of 10-12. After every set, you are supposed to hold your breath for a good 30 seconds and then begin the next set. Practicing this every day for 30 minutes – 45 minutes can be result-bearing for your mind, body, and soul.
