Read more about the article Yogic Breath of Fire – Bhastrika Pranayama
SomDhara Bhastrika Pranayama

Yogic Breath of Fire – Bhastrika Pranayama

Pranayama is an important part of yogic life because it opens the doors to subtle energy. Bhastrika pranayama is a heating practice that cleans your channels, removes blockages, and helps activate kundalini energy. Why is it called Bhastrika? Bhastrika pranayama is a traditional breathing exercise of rapid and rhythmic inhalation and exhalation. The Sanskrit word “bhastrika” means “bellows”. The hissing sound created by forceful breathing mimics the sound of a blacksmith’s bellows. Like the bellows gives oxygen to the fire, bhastrika pranayama increases the heat and circulation of prana. Bhastrika vs Kapalbhati Even though the practice of bhastrika pranayama resembles kapalbhati breathing, these two are different in many ways. BhastrikaKapalbhatiPranayama techniqueA cleansing techniqueInvolves the stomach and the entire respiratory systemInvolves the stomach and the diaphragmActive…

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Read more about the article Kapalbhati – More Than Just a Pranayama

Kapalbhati – More Than Just a Pranayama

What is kapalbhati? Just a Pranayam, or more? Kapal means forehead and bhati means to shine. Therefore, the term kapalbhati means a kriya or practice which makes the forehead shines. Even though kapalbhati is a type of pranayama, yogacharyas include this under shadkriyas. Shadkriyas are six cleansing practices which include neti, dhauti, basti, nauli, tratak, and kapalbhati. Kapalbhati is included in the sadkriyas as a cleansing pranayama to keep the respiratory system clean and healthy.   Why Kapalbhati? Prana or vital life force energy enters the body through breathing. If breathing is poor or the respiratory system is compromised by other illnesses like cough, mucous accumulation, asthma, allergies, etc., the body cannot receive the proper amount of life force energy. To maintain proper health of…

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Read more about the article Anulom Vilom Pranayama

Anulom Vilom Pranayama

Anulom Vilom pranayama is known as Alternate Nostril Breathing. It is a type of Nadisodhana pranayama. This is one of the first breathing exercises taught in yogic practices, so it is very common and well-known. Anulom means ‘in a natural direction’ and vilom translates to ‘the opposite or reverse direction’. So this pranayama is simply translated as alternate breathing. We will discuss its exact procedure later in the article, first, let’s look at why one needs to practice this breathing exercise. Why Practice Anulom Vilom Pranayama? The natural way of breathing alternates between two nostrils to maintain harmonized bodily function. At any given time, one of the nostrils has predominant airflow, and the other is partially blocked. In a normal healthy person, the flow of…

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Read more about the article Is Pranayama Just Simple Breathing?

Is Pranayama Just Simple Breathing?

Many of you have heard the word 'pranayama.' However, you may not know what pranayama is. Most people just that pranayama is breathing exercises, and they are not wrong, but there is much more to pranayama than that. In Sanskrit, pranayama consists of two different words: 'Prana' and 'Ayama.' Prana means life force energy, and Ayama means to control or to increase. So the translation means to channel life force energy. Prana Prana should not be confused with the breath itself or oxygen. While oxygen is necessary for survival, infinite oxygen does not mean a never-ending life. For example, if a dying man is using an oxygen tube, that man will not live forever. Hence, oxygen is not everything. On the other hand, prana is…

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Read more about the article Staying Healthy Amidst Today’s Crisis Through Easy Ayurvedic Principles

Staying Healthy Amidst Today’s Crisis Through Easy Ayurvedic Principles

A noble effect of the coronavirus crisis is that everyone is eager to help each other. As a result, you are probably receiving a lot of tips on healthy practices and guidelines to prevent sickness. I want to share a few Ayurvedic principles on diet and lifestyle to build your body’s immunity. Ayurvedic Tips on Eating Habits Ayurvedic principles suggest how we should consume our three meals of the day. It says: Breakfast should be like "a prince" – well-nourished, warm, not too filling, and easily digestible food which provides strength and vigorLunch should be like "a king" – a full well-balanced meal with all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) which not only nurtures the physical body but also provides mental…

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Read more about the article Every Night is Another Death – Tatvabodh Sadhana

Every Night is Another Death – Tatvabodh Sadhana

Human birth is extremely rare. It should be carefully articulated in such a way that it helps to achieve the highest goal of human life to attain divinity through sadhana. Such a life can be an inspiration to others. The human body is an extraordinary gift of God with full of potential. It was given to us to maintain this beautiful garden of God, by removing painful weeds and growing flowers of happiness. As I mentioned in my previous article about Atmabodh sadhana, we are given a certain amount of breaths to live; and any breath can be our last one. So we should take each day as a new opportunity of life, and make it worthwhile. If we spend our day with this awareness,…

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Read more about the article Every Morning is a New Birth – Atmabodh Sadhana

Every Morning is a New Birth – Atmabodh Sadhana

Imagine that one morning upon waking up, you come to know that you have only one day to live! How would you spend this last day of your life? The answer may be different for each individual however there will be similarities too. You would focus less on material desires, rather focus more on inner feeling of soul or atma. We are all born with a finite number of breaths in our account called ‘life’. There is no depositing in this account, only withdrawal. One cannot check the remaining balance of ‘breaths’, only live it until the account is empty. On average, a human being spends 21,600 breaths per day and we never know which breath will be our last. Most of us spend these…

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