Keep heart diseases at bay with these easy breathing exercises
Singer KK’s sudden demise and a string of celeb deaths in the recent past due to heart attack has brought focus on importance of cardiac health.
Cardiologists and fitness experts are recommending timely screenings and a healthy lifestyle to ward off risk of cardiac death. There are many factors that are contributing to poor heart health from stress, alcohol to sedentary lifestyle.
Sadly, our busy lifestyle hardly leaves any time for self-care and exercise to remain healthy. Whether you are working from home or from office, the lack of work-life balance could also adversely affect vascular health.
Pranayama or breathing exercise with its immense benefits could be easy to include in daily routine. Long deep inhalation and exhalation has proved to be very beneficial for heart health. This can not only be done in much less time but also indoors.
“Yoga is a natural and safe solution to most health-related concerns – prevention, treatment and cure. And this holds good even when it comes to your heart health too. Yoga is an amalgamation of many techniques like pranayama, mudras and asanas that can be very helpful for you.
Along with yoga, ensure that you make the required positive lifestyle changes that can support your overall health. Do not overlook your brain and heart’s health as it could result in issues like stroke, paralysis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, acute stress, and anxiety etc,” says renowned Yoga guru Grand Master Akshar.
Here are some pranayama practices that you can start gradually in your everyday life. This will take care of your heart keeping you healthy.
Bhastrika Pranayama
Bhastrika Pranayama
Technique
· Inhale and fill your lungs with air
· Exhale completely
· Inhalation and exhalation should be done in a 1:1 ratio. For example, if you breathe in for 6 counts, you must take 6 counts to exhale
Fill your lungs with air as you inhale
· Do not disturb your stomach area
· Visualize 3 circles in front of your face
· Use your right hand to draw imaginary circles close to your nose
· Imagine the air flowing into your nose like a spring
· With one breath, draw 3 clockwise circles in front of your nose and then exhale
· Start with a few circles and gradually increase up to 100 as you become an expert in this technique