Kriyas to clear the nasal passage and increase air intake

These breathing exercises also aim at clearing the nasal passage and allowing a greater volume of air to enter the lungs at one time. Practice the following with utmost sincerity as it is your effort which will give you the desired results.

Caution:  Those suffering from high blood pressure, heart problems, gynaecological problems, stomach ailments or have undergone recent surgery, should consult their doctor before doing exercises one to three.

Exercise 1

• Sit back on your heels as shown, place your palms on the knees as shown, keep your back straight
• Exhale forcefully and rapidly through the nose in quick succession, pulling the stomach in towards the spine as you exhale. Inhalation will be automatic and passive between every two exhalations
• Practice 30-50 inhalations at a stretch
• Repeat three times.

Exercise 2

• Sit back on your heels as shown. Bend your arms at waist, keep the elbows close to body and make fists with your palms. Raise both fists up, a bit higher than the head, keep the elbows close to the body

• Exhale forcefully through the mouth (cheeks puffed out) as you pull the arms down, taking the elbows behind the waist as shown

• Repeat 20 times, exhalation should be rapid, movements smooth not jerky

• Inhale deeply and slowly

• Exhale slowly.

Exercise 3

• Sit as for exercise three and bend fingers as shown

• Close the left nostril with the last two fingers, inhale through the right nostril to a count of five and exhale through the same nostril to count of 10

• Repeat three to five times

• Repeat with the other nostril - closing right nostril with thumb

• Now breathe in through both nostrils to count of five, hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale to count of 10.

Exercise 4

• Sit as in exercise one and two, back straight, one palm resting on the knee of the same side

• Close one nostril with your thumb

• Exhale forcefully and rapidly through the open nostril in quick succession, pulling the stomach in towards the spine as you exhale. Inhalation will be automatic and passive between every two exhalations

• Practice 20-30 exhalations at a stretch, then inhale deeply, then exhale

• Repeat with the other nostril.