In daily life, the process of breathing goes on naturally and automatically. We are mostly unaware of our breathing until a problem comes along. Every organism and every process in the body requires oxygen to sustain its life and activities. There is a great amount of medicinal value to our breathing, if only we can become aware of it and take care of it.

The best way to do this is to become totally and keenly aware of our natural breathing cycle. This awareness helps us to inhale larger amounts of air and oxygen. Such an inhalation process also enables us to exhale the air intake, slowly and gradually .This process of the real awareness of our breath, its slow and gradual inhalation and exhalation is called deep breathing.

Deep breathing has several benefits in maintaining good health. Some of these are

1. It gives more energy,
2. Reduces fatigue and stress of the body and mind,
3. Reduces chest pain caused by muscular stresses and strains,
4. Reduces the intensity in suffering from chronic illnesses such as Asthma and Bronchitis,
5. Help in reducing the intake of prescription drugs and medicines,
6. Accelerates the process of eliminating impurities from the body,
7. Improves

Yoga is a Sanskrit word, which is meant for certain meditative practices. There are various forms of yoga. In India yoga is being practiced from very ancient period(Right from Veda period-2500 BC).

The following are some of the ancient forms of yoga that has been practiced since the past 1000 years.

1. Pathanjali Yoga
2. Hata Yoga
3. Bakthi Yoga
4. Karma Yoga
5. Gnana Yoga

and many more.

Learning yoga is not so easy. It is an art to practice. You need a guru or a teacher to learn yoga and practice the yoga in the right way with his guidance. I would not recommend any CD formats or any audio-visual media that teaches yoga.

Yoga can only be taught by the right teacher in the right manner.

Practising yoga will definitely increase your life and you will feel fresh and never become tired. There are many religions that follow yoga in various forms. In India yoga is being followed majority of Hindus then Buddhists, then Jain.

“Bagavt Gita”, a sacred book of Hindus teaches and explains Bakthi Yoga (Yoga of Bakthi through which you can attain eternity), Karma Yoga, the art of attaining eternity through your karma (Work), Gnana Yoga, attaining eternity …

Since yoga is so much taken up with breathing, it might seem very obvious, but it can take years for beginners to realize that the essential exercise series called Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) can be perfectly co-ordinated with normal inward and outward cycling of the breath.

Part of the essence of Hatha yoga is to coordinate each movement with controlled breathing. Good breathing can deepen stretches without straining the muscles. It can awaken the body to the demands of more challenging postures, and it can assist the body to relax in resting postures. It can even help the body to cleanse and purify itself.

Normally, in yoga, whenever the body bends forward or twists sideways and the abdomen and chest are compressed, the breath is exhaled. When the body straightens and lengthens, or when the back is bent backwards so the chest opens up, the breath is inhaled.

Surya Namaskar is a series of postures that seamlessly flow from one into another, beginning while standing in prayer position with the hands meeting in front of the heart. In the first movement, the arms are extended upwards, until the whole body is lengthened and the back arches back slightly with the …

What is Asthma?

Asthma, pronounced Azma, is a lung disease associated with difficulty in breathing. This is because of inflammation and constriction of the airways to lungs, which makes it difficult to breath. The onset of this condition is usually, sudden and the sufferer generally is left gasping for breath. That is why onset of Asthmatic symptoms is called an Attack.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this condition are wheezing, constriction of the chest, shallow breathing and coughing. Coughing may be accompanied by expulsion of phlegm (thick, stringy mucous).

Causes of asthma

Asthma can be caused by:

1. Genetic factors as this condition is hereditary.
2. Allergy. Persons allergic to certain substances or smells are likely to have an attack.
3. Panic.
4. Pollution.
5. Lifestyle. (Smoking etc.)

Anyone can get asthma and since this disease is long-term or chronic in nature, it has to be managed carefully. Thankfully, there is effective medication available however as we know, long-term medication has its own problems.

Yoga breathing exercises can be practised as a supplemental therapy. Regular practice can help reduce the frequency of attacks. This should be the aim.

How do breathing exercises help?

Firstly, lets consider how a person breathes. The diaphragm …