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We can let our negatives out through
I did not realize the power of my breathe until recently. One of the handy and vital possession that we have since our birth and without it we do not exist.
Breathe is not just a vital process that helps us to live, it has much more to inform about our life and transform it. I experimented the fact that if we count we normally inhale 2 times and exhale 4 times during our breathing cycle. Any change in this breathing cycle has a capacity to inform us about our feelings. For example, longer inhalation often means that we are happy or normal whereas longer exhalation means we are sad or not feeling good. The gradient of this longer inhalation or exhalation could tell us where we stand.
However, literature says that conscious and normal exhalation is a way to let our negative feelings out. Everyday if we do Pranyama (breathing exercise) we can notice our breathing cycle of 2 counts of inhalation and 4 counts of exhalation. During Pranayama and our normal 4 counts of exhalation we could let our bad memories and negative feelings out and during 2 counts of inhalation we could take in the positive feelings.
Even "Zen" literature says that when we feel sad or have negative feelings during our regular routine in a day, we could stop for a while just watch our routine breathing cycle (just few times), which would bring us back to the routine.
Can you believe how powerful our breathe is!
I started practicing Pranayama and taking notice of my breathe during bad times of a day since past 2 days. Hope for good with 2 counts of inhalation!
By Anguraj Sadanandam
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Air Therapy FAQ
- Should it be done every day? If yes, when is the best time?
- How do I do Pranayam as a part of Pancha Bhoota healing?
- Are there problems associated with the practice of Pranayam?
- What are the benefits of Pranayam?
Should Pranayam be done every day? If yes when is the best time?
Yes, it is good to do Pranayam every day. Every morning and/or evening, for 5 to 10 minutes. Morning is better because the mind is less agitated. However, time is not a factor. Whenever you can find time to sit and practice for 5 to 10 minutes, do it. Place is also not a concern, but a well-ventilated place is the best.
How do I do Pranayam as a part of Pancha Bhoota healing?
Pranayam is a part of Pancha Bhoota and if coupled with the other four elements of healing, gives much better healing results. It could be done after water therapy in the morning and before or after the Pancha Bhoota yoga. If you do not have time then it can be practiced in the evening, even though morning is a better time.
Are there problems associated with the practice of Pranayam?. Yes; and the reason is that most people do not adopt the natural course. They begin to inhale and exhale for long intervals and that makes them sick. Be natural in every part of this breathing process. Make efforts, do your best to lengthen every process, but do not fatigue yourself. If after performing only the first two processes, say, the inhalation and keeping the breath in your lungs you feel tired, stop. You are under no obligation. The next day be more considerate; continue with the remaining processes; be judicious.
Benefits of Pranayam
- Improves air circulation in the body
- Removes toxins and purifies the body and maintains good health.
- Enhances brain functions
- Relieves many symptoms of diseases
- Helps to observe thoughts and be in the awareness state (present).
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How Pranayam Works
Pranayam at a higher level of consciousness.
Getting connected to nature increases healing power. Understand that the air you breathe comes from trees and other plants around you. Feel the pure air and become one with the trees and plants. Give thanks in your mind to those oxygen givers for healing your body. Understand you are a part of nature as the trees and plants. This feeling of oneness or connectedness relieves all the stress in the body and strengthens your healing force.
It is best to do Pranayam in a garden or at least before an indoor plant. Ask the plant(s) or tree(s) to give out healing oxygen and cleanse the disease(s) in your body. Imagine the plant or tree giving you healing oxygen and you are healed. This gives you positive vibrations and plants are known to take away our negative vibrations. You will get connected to the plant(s) and your awareness increases.
The air we breathe has many functions in the body; the oxygen we breathe in is an electron acceptor in all metabolic reactions. The food we eat is for deriving energy for doing action. Without energy, nothing will move. The food we eat has to be broken down (oxidized) to derive energy. In this process an electron that originally came from water goes back to water itself. You will understand why our body needs oxygen by understanding how plants synthesize food (please refer to fire therapy section).
Feeling Oneness
The awareness then extends from the body to the universe and feels one with everything. This is a prerequisite for the ego-mind to dissolve and transcend all limitations imposed by the very own ego-mind.
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How Pranayam Works
There are many scientific studies showing that Pranayam influences cognition, hypertension, acts as a stress reliever, helps in overcoming depression etc.
Dr. Shannahoff-Khalsa and his colleagues at the University of California, Davis quoted “This yogic breathing technique may have useful application in treating psycho-physiological disorders with hemispheric imbalances and disorders with autonomic abnormalities" (International Journal of Neurosciences, 1993 Nov;73(1-2):61-8). These effects are due to the influence of the forced air on a spot in the nostril which triggers effects in the brain.
Another scientific aspect of Pranayam is that it brings a positive feeling in the individual which is a very important factor in healing. The more optimistic the attitude the better the healing. The atmosphere we breathe normally is full of positive and negative ions. Air conditioning, lack of ventilation, and long dry spells remove negative ions, which usually serve to latch onto airborne dirt particles and wrestle them to the floor, rendering the air purer. Roughly one-third of the population seems to be particularly sensitive to negative ion depletion. The proportion of negative ions is highest around moving water -storms, oceans, rivers and waterfalls. It's no wonder that we feel so energized at the beach! The best ratios of negative to positive ions are associated with waterfalls and the time before, during, and after storms. The worst are found in windowless rooms and closed, moving vehicles. Air purifiers work typically by emitting negative ions, which purify the room air by attaching to impurities and making them sink.
High concentrations of negative ions are essential for high energy and a positive mood. In fact, Marian Diamond, a professor of Neuro-Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that levels of negative ions are inversely related to levels of serotonin in the brain. Negative ions suppress serotonin levels in much the same way that natural sunlight suppresses melatonin. Hence,the invigorating effect of fresh air and sunshine and the correspondingly depressed feelings associated with being in a closed and dark space! If you deplete the air of negative ions, you experience an increase in serotonin and its attendant drowsiness and relaxation—not exactly what you need when mental agility is demanded of you. Diamond's research, along with other information on ions, is summarized in Yepsen (1987).
Pranayam and Positivity
In an interesting twist, Josh Backon, a member of the Department of Cardiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, writes in an internet posting (email address is
Pranayam and Bio Feedback Therapy
After mastering Pranayam, combine it with bio feedback therapy. When you inhale fresh air, feel that you are inhaling the air to heal yourself. When you hold the air, feel that the air is going to the region or organ of your illness and feel this air removing all the toxins and other impurities. Feel that organ or tissue becoming healthy. Feel the love towards that organ. Feel the nurturing action, as you would nurture your sick child. Gently rub your hand externally over the region of illness with love as you would rub your child’s body when he is sick. This gives immense power to the organ to heal. We have personal experience of patients who did this and attained remarkable healing. Not only during Pranayam, this thought during the entire Five Element Healing will intensify the process.
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Benefits of Pranayam
- Improves air circulation in the body
- Removes toxins and purifies the body and maintains good health.
- Enhances brain functions
- Relieves many symptoms of diseases
- Helps to observe thoughts and be in the awareness state (present).
A Word of Caution
When people begin to practice Pranayam, most of them fall sick. The reason is that they do not adopt the natural course. They inhale and exhale for such long intervals that it makes them sick. Be natural in every part of this breathing process. Make efforts, do your best to lengthen every process, but do not fatigue yourself. If, after performing only the first two processes, say, the inhalation and keeping the breath in your lungs you feel tired, stop. You are under no obligation. The next day be more considerate continue the remaining processes; be judicious. This is the favorable method of controlling the breath. Pranayam is a kind of physical exercise;it has no mystical, divine meaning.
