Pranayama for winters

Handy tips for winters

• Before bathing, massage your body vigorously with lukewarm mustard oil for 10 minutes.
• Have tulsi-ginger juice with honey in the morning, as it unclogs the oral passage.
• Instead of tea/ coffee, have vegetable soups with seasonal veggies.

Suryabhedi Pranayam

• Sit comfortably, back straight and breathing normally.
• Form the pranayam mudra with the right hand.
• Close your left nostril with your ring and little fingers and exhale slowly through the right.
• Now, breathe in deep with the right.
• When your lungs are filled to capacity, close the right nostril with your thumb, hold for some time then lift your ring and little fingers the left nostril and exhale slowly. This completes one round.

Benefits: Induces body heat, thus countering cold.
Caution: Avoid if you suffer from high blood pressure or migraines.

Bhastrika Pranayam

• Pic: yogaworksonline.com

  Sit in a comfortable posture, your back straight and eyes closed.
• Form the gyan mudra and place your hands on your knees.
• Exhale to maximum capacity through both nostrils, then inhale with force through both.
• Continue till you feel tired. Do it slowly to begin with.
• Maintain a rhythmic pattern of exhaling and inhaling.
• You should be able to repeat the cycle 30–40 times in one round. Repeat the entire pranayam 2–3 times.

Benefits: Balances the body’s vata, pitta, kapha; counters constipation, obesity, asthma, low blood pressure, stress, insomnia.
Caution: If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart problems or migraines, practice this pranayam slowly and without excessive force.

Ling Mudra

• Pic: about.com

  Join your palms and interlock the fingers.
• Keep the right thumb straight and upright.
• With the first finger and thumb of the left hand, encircle the right thumb.
• Hold this mudra for 10 minutes. This can be practiced any time of the day.

Observe yourself and others when it is very cold. You will notice that the most common reaction to cold is that our hands automatically form the ling mudra!

Benefits: Helps the body fight common cold and removes cough; regular practice keeps the body warm