The air quality index or AQI levels in Delhi, India and surrounding areas are touching a severe 400 with the air looking dark due to the smoke and pollution. Besides staying indoors and investing in the best quality air purifiers, it is also important to take care of your lungs internally. Pranayama, a yogic breathing technique, can help you with this. There are many types of pranayama that you can alternate in a week. These help to keep the body cool and calm, clear out the lungs, and keep infection at bay. Some of the types can also help you sleep better. However, make sure to do them in the right way, and at the right time and place to get all the benefits.

​What is pranayama?

Pranayama is an ancient breathing technique with its roots in yogic practices. To do pranayama, you need to control your breath in different styles and lengths. By regulating your breath, you can control the flow of prana, or life energy, within your body. There are different types of pranayama that can help your lungs during air pollution. They improve lung capacity and respiratory function. Besides this, they are also known to reduce stress and anxiety, boost the immune system, and lower blood pressure. They also helps to improve digestion and aids in weight management.

Pranayama can help to build immunity. Image courtesy: Freepik

Besides physical benefits, pranayama has many mental health benefits as well. It calms the mind, increases focus and concentration, improves sleep quality, reduces stress and anxiety as well as enhances emotional well-being.

How does doing pranayama during air pollution help?

Pranayama makes the lungs strong enough to easily sail through this period of high pollution in the air, explains yoga instructor Khushboo Shukla. Here's how it helps:

1. Makes the lungs stronger

Yes, pranayama involves deep, conscious breathing exercises. A study published in the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research states that pranayama improves our respiratory breathing capacity by increasing chest wall expansion. This helps to expand your lungs, allowing them to take in more oxygen. Regular pranayama strengthens the muscles involved in breathing as well, this includes the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. It also helps you enhance the efficiency of oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion. In this way, this can help alleviate respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.

2. Helps in blood circulation

Pranayama involves deep breathing exercises. These help your lungs take in more oxygen. This increased oxygenation of the blood helps to improve circulation. Pranayama techniques such as Kapalabhati and Bhastrika, where we have to do forceful exhalations. This helps to stimulate the diaphragm as well as the abdominal muscles. These muscular contractions lead to more pumping of blood. A study published in the journal Heart Views observed that the participants recorded a significant reduction in resting pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure after doing pranayama as well as meditation for two weeks.

3. Improves immunity

Another benefit of doing pranayama to beat high AQI readings is that it can help make you stronger. Pranayama is known to improve immune function and reduce infection, states this study, published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. Air pollution can lead to many respiratory and other ailments which require a strong immune system. Pranayama strengthens the immune system to fight bacteria and viruses too. With increased pollution, cases of pulmonary and heart diseases increase. Doing pranayama at home in the clean air is a sure way to heal the body from these problems.

Types of pranayama to help lungs fight air pollution

Different types of pranayama can help your lungs deal with the stress of smoke and air pollution that surrounds us at the moment. Here are step-wise instructions on how to do these:

1. Kapalbhati pranayama

Kapalbhati pranayama is one of the most popular types of pranayama. This technique that helps to warm the body. It is also beneficial in removing toxins from the respiratory tract. This is a part of shat kriyas - cleansing techniques in yoga.

Steps

• Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position on the yoga mat or a chair.
• Exhale rapidly by pulling your abdomen in.
• Take short breaths in.
• Repeat for 3-4 minutes followed by deep breathing for two minutes to normalise heart rate.

2. Anulom Vilom pranayama

This breathing technique helps in balancing both the nostrils and the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This also promotes physical, mental and emotional stability. It is a great practice to bring about hormonal balance in the body. Additionally, it helps to boost immunity and metabolism.

Steps

• Sit with your spine straight… with your right thumb, close your right nostril.
• Exhale completely through the left nostril
• Now, inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril
• Inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril
• This is one cycle of alternate nostril breathing, repeat this for at least 7 to 8 minutes.

3. Bhramari pranayama

Anther types of pranayama is Bhramari Pranayama. This is also known as Humming Bee Breath. It offers numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. This breathing technique helps in improving heart function. It leads to better oxygenation of blood in the entire body as well as the brain. The humming sound produced during this practice helps to lower blood pressure, and the vibrations produced during the practice can help alleviate throat and nasal congestion.

Steps

• Sit in a cross-legged position on the mat or a chair as comfortable.
• Close your ears with index fingers and close your eyes.
• Take a deep breath in and while exhaling create a buzzing (humming) sound from your throat.
• Keep the vibration as high as possible. Repeat 10 times and sit in silence for a few minutes afterwards.

4. Ujjayi Pranayama

Also known as Victorious Breath, this technique involves breathing deeply and slowly, making a soft hissing sound as you exhale. This helps to relax the body and mind and reduce stress and anxiety. It also helps to strengthen the respiratory muscles and increase lung capacity, which is essential where there is air pollution. Besides this, it can help alleviate symptoms of respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis which can get worse in air pollution. The gentle constriction of the throat that happens while doing Ujjayi leads to the creation of subtle heat in the body, which can be beneficial for physical and mental well-being.

Steps

• Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Ensure your spine is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Gently close your eyes to focus inward and minimize distractions.
• Take a deep, slow breath through your nose. As you exhale, slightly constrict the back of your throat. This constriction will create a soft, audible sound, similar to a gentle ocean wave.
• As you continue breathing, maintain the soft, hissing sound on both the inhale and exhale. The sound should be consistent and gentle.
• Pay attention to the sensation of the breath moving in and out of your body. Feel the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen.
• Start with a few minutes of practice each day and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable.

5. Sheetali Pranayama

This types of pranayama is known as the Cooling Breath technique. This involves inhaling through a curled tongue. It helps to cool the body as well as the mind. It helps to stimulate digestion and reduce acidity. This type of pranayama can help reduce inflammation in the body and regulate blood pressure as well.

Steps

• Sit in a comfortable meditative posture. Ensure your spine is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Curl your tongue sideways, forming a tube-like shape.
• Inhale deeply through the tube-shaped tongue.
• Fill your lungs with air.
• Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nostrils.
• Repeat this process 5-10 times.

6. Sitkari Pranayama

This is also called the Hissing Breath technique. Here, you need to inhale through the teeth, while making a hissing sound. It can help reduce the sensation of thirst, especially during dehydration. The technique aids in digestion by stimulating the digestive fire. The hissing sound can help soothe the throat and alleviate throat irritation. It can also help reduce high blood pressure.

Steps

• Sit in a comfortable meditation. Ensure your spine is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
• Bring your upper and lower teeth together, slightly parting your lips to create a small gap.
• Inhale slowly and deeply through the gap between your teeth, making a hissing sound.
• Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nostrils.
• Repeat this process 5-10 times.

7. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

This type of pranayama, also called alternate nostril breathing with breath retention, is a variation of Anuloma Viloma where you hold your breath after each inhalation and exhalation. Besides relieving you of stress and anxiety, this technique can help to improve sleep quality by calming the mind and body. It can help strengthen the immune system. It is also used as a treatment to alleviate headaches and migraines.

Steps

• Sit in a comfortable meditative posture. Keep your spine straight.
• Use your right hand to control your breath. Place your index and middle finger between your eyebrows. Use your thumb to close your right nostril and your ring and little finger to close your left nostril.
• Close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale slowly through your left nostril.

  Inhale slowly through your left nostril.

• Close your left nostril with your ring and little finger and exhale slowly through your right nostril.
• Inhale slowly through your right nostril.
• Continue this cycle of inhaling and exhaling through alternate nostrils.

Pranayama can help promote better blood circulation. Image courtesy: Freepik

How to practice different types of pranayama safely?

Here are some points to keep in mind while practising these different types of pranayama:

• Don’t practice pranayama outside or if you already have chest congestion or blocked nostrils or throat pain.
• If you are doing this indoors, make sure you have an air purifier or some plants around to clear toxins from the air.
• Don’t do these techniques right after a meal. A gap of at least 2 hours should be maintained before practising pranayama.
• Begin with a few rounds and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable.
• Pay attention to the rhythm and flow of your breath.
• If you are new to pranayama, it is advisable to learn from a qualified yoga instructor.
• Pregnant and lactating women, as well as people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, and blood pressure, should consult a healthcare provider. People with hypertension or hernia should avoid it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When should you practice pranayama techniques?

Early morning and evening are good. You can also do it before sleeping as it will enhance the sleep quality. The only condition is that it should not be done right after a meal. A gap of at least 2 hours should be maintained before practising pranayama.

2. What should be the duration of breathing techniques?

A minimum of 10-15 minutes every day is required to beat this high AQI as well as air pollution. However, make sure to not strain yourself, and gradually increase the time.

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