Suitable Postures for Pranayama

Sitting posture is recommended for pranayama, in this the body is held erect, allowing free movement of all the parts are called meditative or meditation postures, because they are the most useful for practicing meditation. There are few postures traditionally available as below

1. Padmasana: Keep the right foot on the left thigh and left foot on the right thing. Keep the hands on the heels as shown in photograph.

2. Sukhasana: Sit at ease with a straight back, one foot under the opposite thigh and the other under the opposite leg.

3. Siddhasana: Sit with the left heels, greater toes nearly touching each other.

4. Vajrasana: Sit between heels greater toes nearly touching each other,

5. Swastikasana: Sit with the feet crossing each other above ankles.

6. Puraka: Expand the chest fully and uniformly, without allowing the abdominal wall to tulge as shown in the photograph.

7. Kumbhaka: Hold the breath in after puraka, without straining the respiratory system.

8. Rechaka: Exhale deeply and uniformly without bending shoulders.

9. Anuoma-Viloma: Breathe in and out through alternate nostrils.

10. Suryabhedana: Using the right nostril for puraka and left one for rechaka in each round as shown in the photograph.

11. Shitali: Do puraka by sucking the air in slowly through a channel like arrangement of the togue.

12. Sitkari: Breathe in through the mouth, along the surface of the tongue.

13. Jivha-Bandha: Keep the tongue tightly pressed up against the mouth.

14. Jalandhara Badha: Set the tongue tightly pressed up against the mouth.

15. Jalandjara Bandha: After exhaling deeply, the chest is expanded without
allowing the air to enter the lungs. This pulls the diaphragm upward in the thoracic cavity, pulling back the abdominal wall. This posture can be done in sitting or standing position.

16. Vastra Dhauti: a process of cleansing the stomach by moistened with water. One end of strip must always be kept out of the mouth so that dhauti can be taken out after cleansing stomach.

17. Jala Neti: A process of cleansing the nassal passage by pouring lukewarm water through one nostril which comes out through other nosril.

18. Sutra Neti: The sutra can be prepared by intertwining six to eight threas of soft cotton yarn or a rubber catheter. The process also cleanses nasal by putting it through one nostril and taking out from other.

19. Kunjal: aslo called Vamana Dhauti. After drinking lots of water, it is expelled from the mouth by a vomiting like action.

20. Nasagra Drishri: involves flxing the gaze on the tip of the nose. It helps to arrest the movement of mind and concenrtate it.

21. Bhrumadhya Drishti: The eyes are fixed at mid point of the eyebrows.

22. Ujjayi: In this variety both the nostrils are used for puraka and the left one for rechaka. The sound represented by the letters ‘hm’ is be produces during them. It is also called ‘Ujjapi’.

23. Bhastrika: This variety of pranayama is different from all others as it includes a few strokes of kapalbhati in the beginning of every round. This variety of paranayama is recommended for the purpose of arousing the kundalini quickly.