Breath of fire in yoga: benefits and harms. Breath of Fire (Agni Pranayama)

It is known that with the help correct breathing metabolic processes in the body are normalized, nervous system, people get rid of many diseases. But few people are aware of such information and almost few people apply healthy breathing techniques in their lives. The Breath of Fire practice is used in Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga.

Breath of fire is one of the most powerful cleansing techniques. It is called so because the exercise “kindles the fire” of digestion, which allows you to “burn” waste and toxins. This is fast and rhythmic breathing from the diaphragm. Systematically using the technique, the following changes will occur in the body:

the digestive system begins to function normally, there will be no bloating, gas, or indigestion;
the work of the kidneys and liver is activated;
acidity is normalized;
depression will go away, they will “burn out” negative emotions(only good things are inhaled, all bad things are exhaled);
the lungs increase in volume and toxins are intensively released from them;
the walls of blood vessels are cleansed;
all internal organs are massaged;
the nervous system becomes stronger, which increases resistance to stressful situations;
the immune system is activated;
The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems work in a balanced manner;
the rhythmic functioning of internal organs comes into synchronicity.

In addition, fire breathing helps to get rid of drugs and smoking.

But you need to understand that performing Breath of Fire more than 100 cycles at a time increases your appetite. It is important to drink more water when performing cleansing breathing to enhance the cleansing effect.

Execution technique

It is necessary to perform fire breathing only on an empty stomach. To do this you need to do the following:

take a sitting position with a straightened spinal axis (Lotus pose, sitting on your knees, etc.);
stretch your neck, tilting your chin slightly towards your chest. This creates a small throat lock, which facilitates the flow of energy into the head area, since the neck and spine are located in the same line;
the stomach is relaxed. It is important to know that you need to breathe only with the help of the diaphragm, without activating the chest;
place your left hand on your stomach to control breathing with your stomach without pressing on it;
Exhale vigorously with your stomach and immediately relax it. Intentional inhalation is not necessary when
relaxed stomach, air will come in without effort;
inhalation and exhalation should be equal in duration.

At first, you feel a little dizzy; fever is a normal reaction of the body.

You need to start with 27 cycles and work your way up to 108. A cycle is inhalation and exhalation. The power of exercise is systematic. The technique must be performed daily. This should become a habit, like washing your face every day.

For a better understanding of the Breath of Fire technique, here is a video:

In order for Breath of Fire to bring the desired result, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

As you exhale, sharply pull your stomach in and up. So the abdominal cavity begins to press on the diaphragm, which involuntarily rises, pushing air out of the lungs.
Inhalation is done involuntarily, relaxing the abdominal muscles, and the diaphragm sags downwards, letting air into the lungs.
Perform 2-3 breathing cycles per second.
Start breathing with the chest slightly raised.
Breathe using the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. The top of the chest area does not move.
Inhaling, stick your stomach forward, exhaling, pull it in.
Make sure that the inhalation and exhalation are equal in length and power. IN otherwise, an energy imbalance is formed.
The exercise should not be used by women during their menstrual periods.

In the first days, it is better to do Breath of Fire slowly, placing one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest area, and use it to control the mobility of the abdomen and the real estate of the chest.

To complicate the practice, you need to perform the exercise in yoga positions with different positions chest:

crossing the upper and lower limbs;
raise your hands up with clasped fingers;
in a pose bending your back back (Camel, Cobra).

As many people know, yoga has many aspects, each of which studies a specific effect of the vital energy flowing in the human body on its mental, spiritual and physical state. One such aspect is prana yoga or breathing yoga. This is a unique style of yoga that focuses on breathing so that through practice a person can find harmony, as well as improve their health and clear their mind. This practice allows you to significantly increase your energy potential. human body. How exactly with the help of prana yoga you can achieve unity with your environment, clear your mind of the “unnecessary” and learn to enjoy life, read in this article.

Prana yoga is a complex special exercises, by practicing which you can provide your body with everything it urgently needs for optimal functioning. But before trying such a complex, you need to study a lot of specific nuances, since breathing manipulations, if used incorrectly, may not provide a miraculous effect.

In fact, prana yoga is very simple and amazing. But it is recommended to master breathing exercises if you have a certain “experience” of practicing hatha yoga. The fact is that pranayama (prana yoga exercises) represent a higher level and therefore require special concentration and skills from the practitioner. And if beginner yogis can familiarize themselves with the theory from this article, then in practice they better first It’s time to study with an instructor who can literally explain the technique of doing the exercises “on your fingers.”

Life energy (prana) is the basis of all life on earth. That is why you need to start practicing by understanding the basic aspects and principles of yoga, through which it can change the physical and energetic body of a person.

Internal vital energy is necessary for every person. A practitioner who regularly receives such nourishment will be able to clear his mind, getting rid of unnecessary thoughts, and also improve his health, which is also an important point in the teaching. With an insufficient level of prana, a person may begin to look for pleasure in others (food, vivid impressions, etc.). This, in turn, can lead to not very favorable consequences: depression, apathy, illness.

The main pranas in this direction

If you delve into the basics of the teachings of yoga, you can understand that all life energy moves inside the human body in the form of streams along energy channels. They are called nadis, and represent a whole system that connects the energetic and physical body of a person through certain points in the body. However, they are not lymph nodes, nerve endings or blood vessels.

Only 5 main energy flows and the same number of pranas move through such a system. Each of these vitality circulates in a certain body cavity and is responsible for the functioning of certain body systems. And, if all pranas function in harmony, then the human body will work without failures. If a malfunction occurs in any of the channels or energies, the overall harmony of prana will be disrupted.

About the benefits of practices

Prana yoga, breathing practices which are based on certain techniques, is very useful for humans. Initially, it can increase his inner potential, and also help the practitioner learn to transform and manage his inner strength.

The physical aspect of the benefits of pranayama breathing practice is expressed in several of its advantages. So, prana breathing in yoga:

saturates the entire body with oxygen;
improves blood circulation;
strengthens the nervous system;
relaxes internal organs;
creates a stable emotional background;
makes a person more stress-resistant;
increases the adaptive abilities of the human body.

Contraindications

But, even despite its harmlessness, yoga breathing exercises have some contraindications. This is due to the fact that the technique of this practice involves holding your breath. Beginning practitioners should not start pranayama tactics if they have the following diseases:

traumatic brain injuries;
mental health disorders;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
any chronic diseases;
eye diseases;
oncological pathologies;
diseases respiratory system;
pregnancy.

The rest, who do not have health problems of this nature and who are already familiar with the asanas of hatha yoga, can start prana yoga. Where exactly to start and what yoga breathing exercises you can do, read on.

Types of exercises

Having decided to try healing breathing exercises for yourself, you must first become familiar with the types and techniques of pranayamas. There are several main types of breathing that are used in prana yoga:

Calming breathing. This is the most commonly practiced breathing technique for beginners in yoga. Its name is Ujjayi, which literally translates as “to take possession of something after conquest” (or “to conquer”). With the help of this technique, yogis are able to learn to control their internal energy. As a result of regular practice of Ujjayi, a person can control his inner background and keep his life force in harmony.
Cleansing Breath - Kapalbhati. Purifying, cleansing, or fire breathing, yoga helps practitioners clear the mind as well as open the pranic channels so that life energy can flow freely through them. We will tell you below how to breathe yoga Kapalbhati (fire breath) correctly using the example of several exercises.
Bhastrika or Breath of the Bellows. This is a specific yogic technique with which the practitioner can ignite the inner fire and, thereby, bring the spiritual body closer to the physical.
Full Breathing is the deepest yogic breathing. This technique allows you to use all the muscles of the respiratory system and fill the lungs completely with oxygen. With this technique, a person will be able to fully provide his body with fresh air.

Pranayama complex

To master yogic breathing, you must first do the simplest pranayama. As you master them, you will be able to move on to the next level of training, practice breathing fire in yoga (Kapalbhati), Bhastrika and other techniques.

Ujjayi Pranayama

To master this technique, you need to take a sitting position on your heels with a straight back. This position is best because it allows you to relax. Especially after performing hatha yoga asanas.

Sitting on your heels with your buttocks, you need to close your eyes to focus on your breathing and completely relax. Next, having narrowed the glottis so that you can make subtle hissing sounds, you can begin to do pranayama.

First, take a measured deep breath for eight seconds. Then we begin to release air from the lungs, stretching the exhalation for 16 seconds. At first it will seem difficult, but believe me, after just a few lessons you will be able to gradually make pauses of 8, 16 and 32 seconds between inhalations and exhalations.

Pranayama Uddiyana Bandha

This is a whole series of exercises that is highly recommended to be performed in the morning on an empty stomach and bladder. Initial position for this exercise - lotus position or the same position as in the previous case. Having relaxed, you can begin to take sharp and not deep breaths and exhales without counting. In general, beginners need to perform 450-500 inhalations and exhalations, although beginners who have not dealt with yoga before can do only 200-250.

This “warm-up” is followed by a series of exhalations and exhalations with the highest possible speed and amplitude. You can first try to make a series of five such inhalations and exhalations, gradually increasing this number to 2-3 series of 10-15 repetitions each.

From the last exhalation of bhastrika, inhale calmly and slowly until a comfortable volume of lungs is filled with air. In this case, you need to fix your breathing by tightening the dimple under the Adam's apple and the root lock. It is better to exhale when there is a second impulse and immediately move on to uddiyana bandha: by straightening the chest and lowering the chin to the chest, you need to prepare the lungs for inhalation, and then, in fact, inhale after a long delay from the last exhalation.

The cycle of such exercises should be repeated two more times, while trying not to forget to relax and clear your mind, freeing it from unnecessary thoughts.

Pranayama Kapalbhati

Breath of fire in yoga, the technique of which consists of alternating passive inhalations with sharp exhalations through the nose, can be performed in or sitting cross-legged with eyes closed for greater concentration. I. p. as in the case of other yogic exercises, during fire breath need to relax. But at the same time, Kapalbhati differs in that the muscles abdominal cavity When exhaling, the abdomen should sharply compress and unclench so that when inhaling, the abs are relaxed again.

In total, it is recommended to do 100-110 times in one session of this practice. As you manage to master the technique flawlessly, you can try increasing the number of approaches to 2, and then to 3.

These are just some of the exercises that will help clear the pranic channels and balance the flow in the body. vital energy. Moreover, every breathing technique is unique and at the same time has its own special advantages. Therefore, by practicing pranayama, you will have the opportunity to personally experience the benefits of yogic breathing.

What is breath of fire, why is it so beneficial for health and self-development, and what should you expect from regular practice?

Breath of fire (agni pranayama) - fast, rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing. It helps cleanse the body, especially the lungs, of waste and toxins, strengthens the immune system, and expands the lungs.

How to do breath of fire?

Breath of fire is performed very quickly and rhythmically, without pauses between inhalation and exhalation. The practitioner exhales by sharply drawing in the abdomen inward and upward. At the same time, the organs of the abdominal cavity put pressure on the diaphragm from below, forcing it to rise, expelling air from the lungs.

Inhalation occurs automatically when the abdominal muscles relax. The diaphragm moves down, allowing air to fill the lungs.

To master the breathing practice, it is first recommended to perform it at a slow pace, controlling the movement of the abdomen and the immobility of the chest with your hands.

Execution technique

1. The practitioner sits cross-legged or on a chair, placing one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest.

2. Slightly pulls the stomach in and up, pushing air out through the nostrils. At the same time, the diaphragm rises slightly. Hand movements while breathing will help you understand the correct technique.

3. Then the practitioner slightly relaxes the stomach - air automatically enters through the lungs.

You need to breathe at a speed of 2-3 inhalations/exhalations per second (small variations are possible).

When the breath of fire has been mastered and the practitioner can easily perform the technique without using his hands, then at the next stage of mastering the technique, he is recommended to perform agni pranayama in asanas¹ where the position of the chest is fixed in one way or another.

For example, sitting in a cross-legged position with your arms raised vertically above your head (fingers clasped together). Or in backbending poses such as Camel Pose or Cobra Pose.

Rules for the practice of agni pranayama

When mastering the fire breathing technique, a practitioner must know several basic rules:

Begin breathing fire in a position where the chest is slightly raised.
You need to keep your head level; The chin is slightly pulled towards the neck. This position of the spine facilitates the access of energy to the head due to the fact that the neck and spine form one straight line.
Breathing is carried out only through the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Top part the chest remains motionless.
As you inhale, the stomach protrudes forward, and as you exhale, it retracts.
Inhalation and exhalation are equal in duration and intensity! If you focus on one thing, an energy imbalance will arise.

Women during menstruation are not recommended to perform agni pranayama, as well as other breathing practices².

What are the benefits of breath of fire?

Agni pranayama:

Increases the working capacity of the lungs.
Clears the lungs of toxins, as well as the walls of blood vessels.
Provides intense massage of internal organs.
Strengthens the nervous system and increases .
Strengthens the immune system.
Restores balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Synchronizes the internal rhythms of all organs and parts of the body.
Helps get rid of bad addictions such as drug addiction and smoking³.

Correctly performing fire breathing brings health to the entire body, cleanses energy channels, and ensures unhindered circulation of energy in the body. Serves as a good basis for mastering the technique of deep, slow breathing.

Yoga involves more than just doing physical exercise in the form of asanas, but also special breathing exercises. Breathing in yoga is divided into several techniques. Each of them has certain characteristics.

The breathing of fire technique involves continuous breathing. It is performed as a single breathing cycle, which is not divided into inhalations and exhalations. This type of pranayama is only available to those who are already familiar with simpler breathing exercises.

Breath of fire in yoga: benefits and harms

Gymnastics for the lungs, or otherwise pranayama, breathing of fire, allows you to achieve many goals. It is used to restore strength, fill energy, cleanse energy channels, as well as to stimulate the activity of the nervous system.

Fire breathing is beneficial not only for a person’s psychological health, but also has a positive effect on the immune system, nervous and digestive systems.

The benefits of fire exercises are as follows:

promotes weight loss;
removes waste and toxins;
strengthens the immune system;
strengthens the nervous system;
promotes the achievement of harmony with oneself and the environment;
pressure stabilization;
improvement of heart function;
increasing lung capacity.

Many benefits of fire cycles are achieved by saturating the blood with oxygen and strengthening the muscle corset.

Kundalini yoga involves the use of several types of exercises. Some of them promote relaxation of the body, while others, on the contrary, stimulate the activity of the nervous system. Fire exercises are just stimulating. However, this does not mean that the person performing these exercises will become hyperactive and more nervous. On the contrary, due to the specific effect on the human body, its nervous system is strengthened, and it becomes more susceptible to stressful situations.

Fire breathing, especially for beginners, should be performed with great caution, since in addition to its advantages, it has its own specifics. You may feel slightly dizzy during exercise. If your health has deteriorated significantly, then classes should be stopped.

Contraindications to breathing fire

Like any technique, fire breathing has its contraindications. You should not exercise if a person feels very tired, nervous, or aggressive. In this case, you must first calm down, and then start studying.

Pranayama is contraindicated for people with a hernia, since the technique is performed mainly using the abdominal muscles. It is also not recommended for those who have pulmonary diseases and infections, as well as those who suffer from serious abnormalities in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

We should not forget that any pranayama is contraindicated for those who are currently seriously ill, have elevated body temperature and weakness.

Women should refrain from performing activities during pregnancy and menstruation.

Fire breathing in yoga how to do it correctly

Usually, beginners consult with practicing yogis so as not to harm their health when performing any exercises. Fire breathing also has its own characteristics, so careful attention to your health is required, especially for those who have any contraindications.

The fire breathing technique is performed in a sitting position. Although you can take other positions, sitting is usually the most comfortable for both professionals and beginners. Place your hands on your knees, connecting the thumb and index fingers on both hands. It is allowed to place one hand on the stomach for control.

Performing fire breathing implies having free time. Usually the whole practice comes down to 15 minutes, but it happens that it takes more or less time. Each breathing cycle lasts about 10 times, with the repetition of inhalations and exhalations averaging 108 repetitions. Sometimes these numbers are different.

Initial pose

It is most convenient to perform pranayama in a sitting position. You can sit on a chair, sofa or armchair. Some people find it comfortable to sit in the lotus position. Hands must be on your knees, or one hand is on your stomach for control.

Be sure to wear simple, comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement and does not distract from the activity.

Exercise technique

Fire breathing should only be performed in good mood and in good health. If a person feels unwell, the practice should be postponed. First, you need to do a cycle of normal inhalations and exhalations to balance your pulse. After which you can proceed to the technique itself. The exercise involves working your stomach. During inhalation, the abdomen opens, and when exhaling, it contracts strongly.

Inhalations can be long, but not excessively, exhalations shorter and sharper. As you exhale, be sure to strain your stomach, but it is not necessary to strain your internal organs. The diaphragm should be relaxed. The tension comes only from the abdominal muscles. Other muscles of the body also remain as relaxed as possible.

Beginners can perform the technique at a fairly slow pace. For those who have been practicing for a long time, the speed of inhalation and exhalation can be gradually increased, thereby increasing the intensity of the load on the body. If any unpleasant symptoms occur, fire breathing should be stopped or the breathing rate should be reduced.

When performing the technique, it is imperative to adhere to the rule of maintaining chest balance. Shoulders should not rise up. Inhalations and exhalations are carried out only through the abdominal muscles.

Number of repetitions and approaches

For those who have been practicing relatively recently, all approaches should be regulated independently, taking into account the characteristics of their body. But in general, pranayama involves about 108 breathing cycles. After which a break is taken, during which the person can recover and switch to normal breathing for a while. Then two approaches of 108 times are done again.

The main exercise that underlies the practice of yoga is the legendary - Breath of Fire. This breathing exercise is absolutely necessary for the practice of Kundalini Yoga. The roots of this cannot be traced because there is no convincing evidence about the time and place of origin of this

Positive effects of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Primary:

Quickly saturates the blood with oxygen, thereby helping the body quickly and effectively cleanse itself of toxins.
Increases lung capacity and helps clear airways.
Generates heat and increases energy levels by activating energy flows in your body.
Adjusts the entire body to the same rhythm, thereby promoting greater internal harmony and health.

Secondary:

Heals and strengthens the nervous system.
Increases the positive effect of other exercises that are combined with this breathing.
The internal organs are massaged, thereby improving the functioning of the entire digestive system.

Warnings for practitioners of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

If you feel dizzy while practicing Breath of Fire, you should immediately stop the practice and return to normal breathing. If you suffer from dizziness, you should take extra care when practicing this breathing exercise.
Women during menstruation should not practice Breath of Fire.
You should be careful about practicing Breath of Fire if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a history of stroke, or epilepsy. In addition, if you have high stomach acidity or an ulcer, you also need to be very careful.

Stages of performing Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

To practice this breathing exercise- sit in a comfortable position.
Lengthen your spine and neck upward and lift your chin slightly. This will align the spine with the back of the head.
Close your eyes.
Place your hands in any comfortable position.
Relax your abdominal muscles.
Now we begin to breathe quickly through the nose with equal emphasis on inhalation and exhalation. It will be like smelling a flower very quickly. Keep your breathing shallow. Create a comfortable and stable breathing rhythm for yourself. Rib cage and the diaphragm should remain relaxed, breathing occurs only at the tip of the nose. You will feel your stomach pulsating in time with your breathing. That's it, continue for 1 minute.

Advanced technique of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Breathe at a faster pace.
The duration of the exercise is up to 3 minutes

For experienced practitioners of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Increase the pace and force with which you breathe.
Increase the time of pranayama to 11 minutes.

The Secret of Kundalini Yoga Pranayama - Breath of Fire:

Some people who believe that each of us is born with a given number of breaths and as soon as we finish our quota, life ends, the question may arise: “How many breaths can you take in pranayama - breath of fire”? To reassure them, I want to tell them that there is no need to worry - the brain perceives the entire cycle of pranayama as one breath. So leave your worries behind and enjoy the practice of this pranayama, the real gem of Kundalini Yoga.