Prānāyām - Complete Breath

What This Does For You:

• Directly affects the mental and physical wellbeing of a person, determining the length and quality of his/her life.
• Purifies and improves quality of blood.
• Improves resistance to colds and other diseases, particularly respiratory diseases.
• Improves the capacity to take in oxygen, develops the lungs and diaphragm which in turn imparts a general improvement in health and appearance.
• Strengthens the nervous system, lends alertness and clarity to mind due to an increased amount of prana (life force)

How To Do The Technique

The objective here is to fill the lungs with air for which it is vital to make certain movements in the body during breathing.




First let us get used to the physical movements:

• Sit in sukhāsan (Ardhapadmāsan) and breathe normally.
• First use your abdominal muscles to push your abdomen as far out as possible. This enables the air to be taken into the lower lungs during breathing. (See pics. above)
• Practice pulling in with the abdomen and pushing out, first in the lower chest and then the upper chest areas. Finally raise your shoulders, keeping your hands on your knees.

(See pic. below)

Slowly lower your shoulders and relax your chest and abdomen.

Practice to make the first step to continue easily into step two.

Next practice only the breathing.

First exhale completely so that there is no air left in your lungs. (See first pic.)

Then start inhaling (through the nose) very slowly (taking up 15 seconds to complete the inhalation)

Now hold the breath for 10 seconds. Slowly start exhaling (through the nose) till the lungs are empty (taking up 15 seconds to complete the exhalation).

Once you’ve mastered the inhalation-exhalation process in the 15-10-15 pattern, combine the physical movements with the breathing:

1. Push out the abdomen as you inhale during the first 5 seconds (air fills in the abdomen first)
2. Now pulling in your abdomen (without exhaling), push out the chest while inhaling during the next 5 seconds.
3. Finally slowly raise your shoulders for the last 5 seconds while still inhaling.
   Hold the breath for 5 seconds.
4. Slowly exhale though your nose and return to the normal position counting 15 seconds.(emptying the lungs first and then the abdomen)
5. When the lungs and the abdomen are empty repeat the process again.

Time To Hold The Extreme Position

Inhale 15 secs
Retain 10 secs
Exhale 15 secs

Number Of Times – 5- 10 times

Time Of The Day

- Any time
-As advised in the complete practice plan

Important Things To Remember

• This technique can be performed at any time of the day and anywhere though it is preferable if it is done in a quiet and comfortable place.
• For maximum benefit keep your eyes shut throughout the proceedure and follow the breath mentally.
• You should take a few COMPLETE BREATHS whenever you can during the day

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