Asthma has a very crippling effect, leaving the person gasping for breath and heavily restricts the activity of the person which affects their lifestyle Regular practice of Yoga and Pranayam(breathing) can help beat the challenges of breathing and make your lungs stronger.
Here are some basic yoga asans and Pranayam offers best solution to breathing problems that can help overcome the challenges of asthma.
Caution: Asans should not be practiced in acute stages of illness
Bhujangansan or Cobra Pose
Steps
- While inhaling slowly, raise your head tilt it back and chest upwards by pressing down on the hands but letting contraction of the back take most of the strain.
- Your body from toes to the navel should rest on the floor.
- Then look up, hold your breath in this pose as long as possible without feeling uncomfortable Then while exhaling, slowly return to the face-down position.
Benefits
- Bhujangasana strengthens pancreas, liver and other organs of digestive system.
- Cures constipation, indigestion, asthma and dysentery.
- Makes spine more flexible, cures cervical problems, slipped disk and back pain.
Caution: People having undergone recent abdominal surgery or having backache and hernia patients should not try this pose.
Dhanurasan
Steps
- Lie down on your stomach. Bend the knees hold the left ankle with the left hand and the right ankle with the right hand.
- Now inhaling gently pull the legs up by lifting the knees above the floor and, meanwhile, raise the chest and head and draw it backwards.
- The abdomen should bear the whole body weight on the floor separate the knees to raise the body higher and try to arch the back as far as possible.
- Stay in this pose for 15-20 seconds with normal breathing, then slowly come to the floor.
Benefits
- Effective in weight loss.
- Improves digestion and appetite and cures constipation.
- Gives flexibility and strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.
- Good stress and fatigue buster
- Cures respiratory disorder like asthama.
- Improve function of the pancreas and it is beneficial in diabetes.
Ardhamatsyendrasana
Steps
- Sit up with the legs stretched keeping the feet together and the spine erect.
- Bend the left leg and place the heal of the left foot beneath the right hip and take the right leg over the left knee.
- Place the left hand on the right knee and the right hand behind you.
- Twist the waist, shoulders and neck in this sequence to the right and look over the right shoulder hold for 15-20 seconds with long and deep breathing.
- Exhale and bring the right hand behind you, come back to your normal position.
- Repeat to the other side.
Benefits:
- Stretches the elasticity of the spine, tones the nerves of the spine and makes the functioning of the spinal cord supple.
- Stretches the muscles on one side of the body whilst compressing the muscles on the other side.
- Relieves back pain and stiffness and very useful for slipped disc.
Ushtrasana or Camel Pose
Steps
- Kneel down on the floor or a yoga mat.
- With the support of the hands, stand on the knees on the floor with the ankles together.
- Keep your knees are hip width apart and thighs are vertical to the floor. The soles of your feet should face upward, toenails touching the floor.
- Rest the palms on the waist, stretching the thighs & extending the ribs
- As you inhale, bend slowly towards the back and place the right palm over the right heel and the left palm over the left heel.
- Exhaling, slowly come back to the normal position by releasing the hands one by one and placing them on the waist.
Benefits
- It stretches and tones our front body, including the limbs,chest, abdomen, and thighs.
- It strengthens the back and shoulders and gives relief in lower backache.
- The beginners should not hold the posture for more than 15-20 seconds.
- Ustrasna also improves the digestive respiratory and skeletal system.
- This posture is highly recommended for people suffering from asthama .
Trikonasana
Steps
- Stand in an upright position and Spread the legs 3 to 4 feet apart, toes pointing forward.
- With an inhalation raise the arms sideways to the shoulder level, palms facing down.
- With an exhalation slowly bend down to the right from your waist as far as possible & try to touch the right foot with the right hand
- Do not bend either forward or backward; keep the knees and the elbows locked; the left arm is straightened up, in line with the right hand, palm facing forward.
Benefits:
- Trikonasan tones and alleviates the nervous system, constipation and improves digestion
- While stretching the sides of the body, the waist is made very flexible and reduces waistline fat.
Veerasan
Steps
- Place the right foot at a 45 degree angle to the left foot.
- Bend the left leg to a 90 degree angle so that the thigh is parallel with the floor.
- Raise the arms straight over the head with palms joined in Namaskar position.
- Take the arms backwards as far as possible.
- Stretch the entire body backward while maintaining the balance.
- Benefits:
- Improves the strength and blood supply to the joints like the ankles, knees, hips, lumber region, cervical region and shoulders.
- Abdominal muscles are stretched so helps to remove fat from the region.
- Helps to maintain the proper balance of the body.
- Improves the flexibility of the spinal column.
Shalabhasan
Steps
- Lie down on your stomach.
- Place your arms under the body as closer to each other as possible with the palms on the floor under the thighs and facing upwards.
- Gently stretch the chin a bit forward and touch it on the floor at all times.
- Keep the legs straight and together and inhaling deeply, slowly raise both the legs as high as possible with the help of the arms and lower back muscles, hold for 15-20 seconds.
- Exhale comfortably lower the legs to the floor.
Benefits
- The practice of this asan is useful in treating spinal problems.
- It synchronizes the nervous system, balances the whole digestive system and is also equally helpful in curing abdominal ailments.
Caution: It is advisable to practice all the asans under guided instruction or it might prove counter productive..