14 Best Yoga Poses For Lung Health
Are you one among the
millions that hardly has the 'time to breathe'? May be, then, you should take a
breather and read on why your lung health is important and how to improve your
lung capacity.
Breath is the most important centre that connects us with the Universe. Like the metal that receives electrical energy and supplies it everywhere, our lungs receive Universal Energy through breath and sends it to every part of the body through blood. By absorbing oxygen released by plants and giving out carbon dioxide, which is necessary for plants, breath maintains balance of nature.
One of the most effective ways to improve your lung health is by practicing yoga poses and breathing techniques.
How Yoga Poses
Strengthen The Lungs?
To enable inhalation and
exhalation of air, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles between the ribs
should contract and expand. This process helps in the expansion and contraction
of lungs. First, we need to do yoga postures to stimulate the act.
- Cobra Pose helps to expand the
anterior thoracic cavity.
- Locust Pose tightens the
abdominal muscles and this helps to expand the upper part of the body.
- Seated Forward Bend expands the back muscles.
The above mentioned yoga poses expand and contract the lungs thereby stimulating and enhancing the performance of lungs.
- Plough Pose and Standing
Forward Bend help in conditions related to asthma.
- Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose enhances
the performance of the lungs. It particularly improves blood circulation
in the small chambers of the lungs, activates the nerves and helps in the
process of cell regeneration.
Lungs get stimulated by doing back stretching yoga poses like Fish Pose, Bow Pose, Camel Pose, Half-Spinal Twist and The Psychic Union Pose .
Another type of
breathing problem is owing to excess energy in the lungs. This situation arises
if the kidneys are weak. Based on the theory of Traditional Chinese
Acupuncture, kidneys absorb excess energy from lungs. If kidneys are
weak, the excess energy is accumulated in the lungs which results in breathing
problems. To overcome this problem, you need to practice yoga poses to
strengthen kidneys. Seated Forward Bend is effective in treating this
condition. Other asanas that help to strengthen kidneys are Head Stand, Veeryasthamban asana, Auspicious Pose and Abdominal Lock.
While yoga poses strengthen your lungs, breathing exercises enhance the capacity of lungs. Thus the performance of lungs is improved and various breathing disorders are cured.
While yoga poses strengthen your lungs, breathing exercises enhance the capacity of lungs. Thus the performance of lungs is improved and various breathing disorders are cured.
1.
Hand-To-Feet Pose / Padahastasana
Excellent pose for toning your spine and improving spine flexibility.
2. Veerya Stambhan Asana
Gives your body an amazing stretch.
6. Camel Pose / Ustrasana
Improves lung capacity.
7. Auspicious Pose / Bhadarasana
The pose energizes the whole body.
9. Cobra Pose / Bhujangasana
It is a good pose for asthma.
10. Locust Pose / Salabhasana
Cures liver sluggishness.
11. Bow Pose / Dhanurasana
14. Fish Pose / Matsyasana
Alternate Nostril Breathing / Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama
Breathing techniques are very effective in strengthening lung function.
Procedure:
- Assume Lotus Pose or Thunderbolt Pose.
- Keep your spine erect and muscles relaxed.
- Fold your index and middle fingers of the right hand
and let the remaining fingers open.
- Now, you will be using your thumb to close your right
nostril and your ring finger to close your left nostril.
- Keeping your right nostril closed, inhale deeply and
slowly through your left nostril.
- After inhalation, close your left nostril and open your
right to exhale slowly.
- On completing exhalation through right, inhale through
right.
- Block the right nostril and exhale through your left.
This is one round.
- Do five rounds to begin with and after you are
comfortable with the practice, increase the rounds to 10. You will find
that you inhale and exhale more deeply and for longer duration with
practice.
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