Anuloma-Viloma technique. Anuloma Viloma: reviews and scientific confirmation

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama refers to mixed species pranayama technique. With the help of it, internal energy is awakened, blocked emotions are released, and the energy channels of ida and pingala are harmonized.

Regular practice helps restore Vata dosha. Before starting the practice, the student must undergo appropriate training. Without preliminary preparation, it will be almost impossible to add results.

Benefits of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

Practicing this technique constantly and competently, you can immerse yourself in conscious meditation, calm your mind. Those who have already experienced the benefits anuloma-viloma pranayama I was able to strengthen my mental abilities, get one step closer to healing my health and started the processes of self-healing. The benefit of otanuloma-viloma lies in the fact that the practitioner will be able to a short time achieve your set goals. This is due to the aggravation of brain activity and increased energy. Already after the first lesson, you can feel lightness in the body and notice the first results from pranayama.

To reach a certain level, you need to master the technique breath through the nostrils alternately. Beginners are advised to practice from a few minutes to 24. If there is a break between practice, you need to start over. Exercise is especially useful for hypertensive patients.

alternating d nostril breathing balances the energy of the channels - pingala and ida, which is the basis of this technique. This is a technique that allows you to hold your breath in several stages. Efficiency is achieved if regular repetition of at least five cycles.

Contraindications for Pranayama Anuloma Viloma

Like any other breath holding exercise, it is not advised for people with heart disease. You may not feel the limit of your capabilities, and besides, do the exercises incorrectly. In this case, it will be impossible to achieve results. Excessive tension should be avoided by performing pranayama in a comfortable asana.

Performing pranayama

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama can be practiced in asana () or on a low chair while sitting. Close your eyes and balance your breath. It is advisable to feel the pulse on your wrist and use it as your own metronome. fingers right hand you need to touch the point between the eyebrows. Close the right nostril with the thumb, and the left with the middle or ring finger. More detailed execution technique:

1. If there is tension, we remove it, tune in to joy and sublime feelings of gratitude. You can do the exercise: inner smile (imagining that every cell of your body is smiling).

2. We place the right hand at the level of the nose: we rest the index and middle fingers between the eyebrows, the ring and little fingers on the left nostril, and thumb on the right nostril.

3. We clamp the right nostril with the thumb. We inhale through the left. We hold our breath, we pinch both nostrils of the nose. The hold is exactly four times longer than the inhale.

4. Then we exhale through the right nostril, removing the thumb from it. The exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation and twice as short as the delay. Breathing pattern: 1-4-2, i.e. inhale for 2 pulses, hold for 8 and inhale for 4 pulses. After exhalation without a pause, inhale into the right nostril. And again hold your breath.

5. At the end of the delay, we exhale through the left nostril, opening it. This is one cycle. There is a second cycle right now.

6. After exhalation, we immediately inhale into this same (left) nostril and close it with the ring finger and little finger. Again we hold the breath (this is the second respiratory cycle). You repeat all the same - one breath cycle after another. At least 5 cycles, we recommend doing 12 cycles.

Important! We do not change the hand, i.e. do it all the time with your right hand. The left hand is relaxed on the knee. Find your rhythm, your hold time and every week you can increase by 2 pulses (or seconds if you do not feel the pulse during breathing). For example: Inhale 4 sec, hold 16 sec and exhale 8 sec (4-16-8). Increase gradually according to the pattern 1-4-2. It is also important - keep a relaxed face, if during the delay you start to strain, then reduce the length of the delay. Don't worry if the hold and/or exhalation don't match in a 1-4-2 pattern. In pranayama, as in yoga, observe gradualness and calmness. During breathing, breathe in the belly (abdominal breathing) or full breath.

Effectiveness can be felt after five full cycles.

Concentration during pranayama

During execution, you need to concentrate on the point between the eyebrows. Attention is directed through the channels of Ida and Pingala. Concentrate on your own breathing, the breaths should be deep and thoughtful. On inspiration, you need to imagine how the energy moves through the channels from top to bottom, and on exhalation - from bottom to top.

While holding your breath, hold mula bandha or both mula bandha and udiyana and jalandhara bandha (about bandhas).

After completion, it is advisable to devote a couple of minutes to meditative practice or perform Savasana. During which you can listen to the heartbeat or contemplate the natural flow of your breath.

Conclusion

To achieve your goals, practice must be regular. Do not perform pranayama in a bad mood and on a full stomach. Before practice, try not to eat for three, but preferably five hours, if it is too difficult - you can drink a glass of milk and do Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama in an hour.

Anuloma Viloma is a yoga breathing technique that can dramatically change your life. With its help, you can achieve an incredible effect: to find peace, increase intelligence, neutralize negative thinking, including its consequences in the form of bad karma, and also heal the body.

How to stop thoughts

There is an opinion that the main problem of our restless existence is thoughts. “Tell me what you think, and I will tell you who you are” - this well-known phrase accurately assesses the spiritual development of an individual. Perhaps thoughts are material, and what we think about will certainly come true, but this applies precisely to those of them that are filled with bright emotional coloring. And those are often negative.

Our thoughts, mostly criticizing ourselves or others and empty, having no practical use, actually take not only a lot of time, but also take away a huge amount of our mental energy, which could be directed to really important things: the realization of a long-cherished dream, implementation of the set theoretical task, replenishment of energy to perform standard basic life processes.

That is why yoga focuses on practices to stop thoughts or turn off the mind. They ideally prepare the body for meditation and are the first step in spiritual development.

What is the breathing technique

Anuloma Viloma is one of the pranayamas - breathing exercises yoga, aimed at controlling prana. The main goal of such practices is to cleanse the system of channels through which vital energy moves and the subtle (etheric) body from stagnation, various pollutions, astral debris and similar negativity. Also, with the help of special breathing, you can accumulate and transform the vital energy in the way you need.

There are many different pranayamas, but Anuloma Viloma is a breathing practice that is considered one of the easiest, and that is why it is ideal for people who are just starting to work on themselves.

Preparation for practice

Before proceeding directly to the breathing itself, it is necessary to prepare. Basic prerequisites:

  • Anuloma-Viloma breathing exercises are best done in the morning or 2-3 hours after eating;
  • the greatest effect can be achieved if they are performed after yoga asanas and before meditation;
  • it is better to start breathing practice in humility, having previously relieved tension by any in an efficient way and entering a state of calm and joy;
  • should initially be taken correct position, for beginners, a pose with a simple crossing of the legs may be suitable;
  • when performing the exercise, the body should be kept straight, eyes should be closed and one’s internal sensations should be transferred to the point between the eyebrows (to the area of ​​the “third” eye);
  • take 2-3 deep breaths and exhale.

Hand position

In the practice of Anuloma-Viloma, they are given special attention. The left hand should rest on the knees if the practitioner is in a yoga or sitting posture. The main thing is to be comfortable. Often the rosary is touched with this hand, which is convenient when counting the number of seconds that must be maintained when inhaling, exhaling and holding the breath.

The fingers of the right hand should be collected in a certain way: the index and middle fingers are bent, the rest are set aside and kept straight, and the little finger should slightly go over the ring finger.

How to do Anuloma Viloma

For correct execution necessary:

  • place the right hand in front of the chest, holding the original mudra;
  • close the right nostril with the thumb;
  • take a slow and deep breath through the left;
  • turn your hand
  • close the left nostril with two fingers - the ring finger and the little finger;
  • make the same slow and deep exhalation through the right nostril;
  • repeat the breath, but with the right nostril;
  • hold the right thumb again and exhale through the left.

This is where the cycle ends. Its peculiarity is that it includes 2 inhalations and exhalations, and it is always necessary to start it with an inhalation and end with an exhalation, and only through the left nostril.

Duration of exhalations and inhalations

Initially, it is best to choose a pace that is comfortable for you. You should not strain, the main thing is calmness and immersion in yourself. It is only required to observe the same length of inhalation and exhalation. For some poorly trained people, it may be convenient to inhale and exit for 4-5 seconds, for experienced people - for 20 seconds or even more. Initially, you can count the time to yourself or touch the rosary with your non-dominant hand.

Every day try to increase the length of inhalation and exhalation. If it does not work right away, then you need to wait and practice Anuloma-Viloma with the rhythm that is most convenient for you. If you don’t feel much tension, you can add 1-2 seconds a day or over several days. Remember that the main thing is your inner feelings - complete relaxation, calmness and harmony. If you try to achieve the maximum result as quickly as possible, you will not receive any consequences or only negative ones: a lot side effects in the form of depression, bad mood, adverse situations and minor health problems. The main principle of implementation is gradualness and smoothness, you must remember in the name of what you are practicing - to achieve peace and comfort. The body itself will feel when it is necessary to extend the respiratory pair.

Adding a breath hold

When you master the long inhalation and exhalation, you can add delays, but remember that it is better not to rush into this. Here it is important to choose a special rhythm. Inhale / hold / exhale should correspond to 1/4/2. That is, when inhaling in 1 second, the delay should be 4 times longer, and exhaling - 2 times. If it does not match, you should not strain, we practice everything gradually.

Working with energy

Having achieved tangible results, you can add work with energies. For this:

  • when inhaling, imagine how the energy rises along the spinal column up to the top of the head;
  • when holding the breath - we hold the energy at the crown, in the chakra area;
  • when exhaling - flows vital energy lower to the base chakra;
  • when moving, you can concentrate on each chakra, or limit yourself to one upper, at the crown.

Anuloma-Viloma: benefit and harm

It is quite safe and recommended as pranayama for beginners. It can be performed for a long period of time without any negative effects on health and psyche. Already from the first days of practice, you can notice that there are fewer and fewer useless thoughts, and after a few months only useful ideas will appear that lead to results. The appreciation of the “here and now” moment will begin, and not the constant pursuit of a happy “later” or worries about a negative past. You will gain awareness and appreciate it.

The main benefits of Anuloma-Viloma:

  1. The initial effect of the daily implementation of the practice is the removal of disturbing thoughts, the so-called emptying of the mind. This is achieved by absorbing the general idea, focusing on the main aspects and saturating the brain with oxygen, forcing it to be cleansed of negativity.
  2. The oxygen entering the brain will start the synchronization of both hemispheres and allow them to operate in a single mode. After all, it is initially known that only one hemisphere dominates in each person. And constantly performed breathing techniques can significantly increase intelligence, since the hemispheres of the brain will work in full force.
  3. There is also an opinion from the field of esotericism that Anulom-Vilom breathing helps to correct karma, and if you practice for at least 20 minutes daily, you are cleared of your sins for the whole day.
  4. You will get an improvement in overall well-being and get rid of many diseases. It is known that the deeper and slower a person breathes, the healthier he is and has a longer life expectancy. Also, cleaning the energy channels will give a feeling of a surge of strength, energy and joy.

Harm in the implementation of such a practice is possible only in case of improper operation. This happens in a hurry, misunderstanding of the principles, so initially it is better not to rush and it is advisable to read the relevant literature on yoga. One of the basic rules for doing breathing Anuloma-Viloma is to remember that this is not a simple exercise, but a very deep spiritual work, and should be treated accordingly.

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama belongs to the category of mixed pranayama techniques, which should be performed only after the methods of which it consists are fully mastered.

The meaning of the term "anuloma-viloma pranayama"

The name of the pranayama technique "Anuloma-Viloma" consists of two words - "Anuloma" and "Viloma". "Anuloma" means "what one does naturally" ("anu" - "together", "in connection", and "loma" - "to lie in a natural order"), and "Viloma" is translated as "against wool" (" vi "- a negative particle and" scrap "- the natural order. Thus, you can fully translate "anuloma-viloma" as "to move together and not together", that is, the essence of the method lies in the fact that the yogi breathes then in the natural respiratory cycle, then vice versa.

Benefits of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

Anuloma viloma pranayama is wonderful and incredible effective method awakening and harmonization of the energy channels of ida and pingala, as well as with the regular practice of anuloma-viloma pranayama, the most important energy channel of a person, sushumna, is activated, which helps to awaken consciousness and reveal superpowers.

In addition, anuloma-viloma pranayama develops a person's ability to deep levels of meditation, enhances all intellectual abilities, has a powerful and universal effect on the entire body, which starts the process of self-healing and healing.

Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama Technique: Option #1

The starting position for performing anuloma-viloma pranayama should be stable, because as you master it, you will have to stay in it for a long time. Therefore, to practice anuloma viloma, sit in one of the yoga asanas, for example, vajrasana, padmasana, or something similar, you can also do it while standing or just sitting on a chair. The main thing is that the back remains straight, but without tension.

Close your eyes. Balance your breathing, it should become even and smooth.

Now actually anuloma-viloma pranayama.

Close the right nostril and inhale through the left, then close both nostrils and hold the breath while doing all the bandhas. Open your right nostril and exhale. Inhale through it, pinch your nose again, hold your breath, open your left nostril and exhale. Inhale through both nostrils, pinch your nose, hold your breath and exhale through both nostrils. This is one cycle. The ratio between respiratory cycles is proportional, i.e. 1:1:1:1.

In order for this version of anuloma-viloma pranayama to have the desired effect, at least three full cycles should be repeated.

Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama Technique: Option #2

The starting position is the same as with anuloma-viloma option No. 1. The execution technique remains exactly the same, except that now the ratio between the respiratory cycles should be 1:2:1:1:2:1:1:2: 1. For example, if the inhalation through the left nostril is equal to five seconds, then the delay is 10, the exhalation and inhalation through the opposite nostril is 5 seconds, the delay again is 10, the exhalation is again 5 seconds, the inhalation through both nostrils is 5, the delay is 10 and the exhalation through nose - 5.

You will feel the effectiveness of this version of anuloma-viloma pranayama after regular repetition of at least 5 cycles.

Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama Technique: Option #3

The starting position and execution technique are the same as with anuloma-viloma option No. 1. Only the ratio between the respiratory cycles changes. Now it equals - 1:2:2:1:2:2:1:2:2. Now, if the inhalation is equal to 5 seconds, then all breath holdings and exhalations are 10 seconds.

If this version of anuloma-viloma pranayama is performed regularly for at least 7 cycles every day, then very soon you will notice its miraculous effect on your body and superpowers.

The mental technique of anuloma-viloma pranayama

The difference between this technique and the basic one is that all efforts to control air flows are carried out not with the help of clamps, but mentally. Also, this option does not hold the breath.

At first glance, the mental version of anuloma-viloama may seem easy, but it is not. In fact, until a person learns to control the respiratory flows with the help of crude methods (pinching his nostrils), he will not be able to fully exercise mental control. In addition, one who begins to practice anuloma-viloma according to all the rules will be convinced that its lightness is deceptive.

The very performance of mental anuloma-viloma pranayama is as follows: Focus on the sensation of air entering and exiting through the nose.

Inhale through the left nostril, mentally directing air into it. At the same time, it should reach the ajna chakra, linger in it for a fraction of a second, causing a “vacuum” sensation, and exit through the right nostril. Then slowly inhale through the right nostril, flushing the ajna chakra again, and exhale through the left. Remember that the air flow is directed solely by the power of thought! Inhale through the nose, feeling the air flow evenly distributed between the nostrils, mentally change (“cross”) the flows in the ajna chakra, and exhale through the nose again. This is one cycle. And there should be at least 30 such cycles of anuloma-viloma pranayama. And for a full-fledged effect - 50 or more. The classic yogic version of anuloma-viloma pranayama involves performing 108 cycles!

Healing Benefits of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

In addition to various positive changes brought about by regular practice anuloma-viloma pranayama, it should also be noted its effective impact on health. So anuloma-viloma pranayama eliminates problems associated with digestion, has a positive effect on the hormonal background, on the endocrine glands, improves blood circulation, increases overall vitality, relieves chronic fatigue and lethargy, rejuvenates, lengthens life, helps prevent atherosclerosis, and so on. further and the like.

Contraindications for Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

In acute diseases, anuloma-viloma pranayama cannot be performed. It is also prohibited during pregnancy, during problem periods and to anyone who suffers from increased blood pressure who have recently had surgery or a heart attack and those who are seriously mentally ill.

© Alexey Korneev

Translated from Sanskrit, the word viloma means “against wool” or “against the existing order of things” (vi - against, loma - hair). The name itself reflects the essence of this technique: we divide continuous inhalations and exhalations into stages, interrupting them with several pauses - delays. Viloma Pranayama is like going up and down a high staircase, stopping at each step. The number of steps can be different and depends on the level of the practitioner; we'll stop at four. The length of inhalation (exhalation) and air retention should be equal in time. In the process of mastering the breath of Viloma, the number of steps can be varied, but usually they start with a minimum of two.

Protection and support

Like any other pranayama technique, you need to start mastering Viloma lying down: in this position it is easier to calm the mind and relax the nervous system, and this required condition doing breathing practice. Otherwise, there is a big load not only on the brain, but also on the heart muscle, which can lead to serious health problems.

Pranayama in the supine position is performed on a support: it can be a bolster or several blankets placed in steps - the lower one touches the sacrum closely, and the upper raises the chest. Place a blanket under your head so that your forehead is above the level of your chin: this will calm the mind and nervous system.

The support sets the body in the correct position: the stomach naturally relaxes and lowers to the spine, and rib cage rises and opens. Regardless of whether pranayama is performed lying or sitting, the upward movement of the chest is very important: if it is absent, it is basically impossible to breathe correctly. The only difference is that when we sit, we consciously raise the sternum up, and in the prone position, thanks to the roller, it rises by itself.

Under control

The first thing to do before doing pranayama is to completely relax. Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the relaxation of the abdomen: it should not bulge outward - on the contrary, when tension leaves this area, it goes down. Until you succeed in achieving this, you cannot proceed to pranayama. To calm the mind, start observing the breath without directing it in any way. As the body relaxes and the brain and nervous system calm down, breathing gradually levels off. Thus, Ujjayi I breath spontaneously arises. And although the body is passive, the mind must be calm, but at the same time receptive. Gradually, it dissolves in the breath, begins to move with it. This state is called manalaya, or dissolution of the mind.

top of the pyramid

Having achieved complete relaxation, you can proceed to Vilome while inhaling (Vilome I). Two-stage breathing will allow you to study this technique in more detail. Performing any pranayama begins with a full exhalation in order to free the lungs from air and prepare for practice.

Exhale and take the first breath, starting from the area under the iliac bones. Lead him higher and higher until he reaches the floating ribs. Then hold your breath. This pause, called kumbhaka, must be absolute: make sure that during it there are no involuntary inhalations and exhalations. In the first stage of Viloma, while the air is flowing through the abdominal cavity, the inhalation remains invisible from the side: despite the fact that the diaphragm and lower respiratory muscles work, the abdomen must be still. If it rises with inhalation, it means that the lower respiratory muscles begin to get involved in the process too actively and take on all the work. In this case, you will no longer be able to use the upper respiratory muscles, which means that the upper parts of the lungs will remain unfilled with air.

The next breath will start from where you left off the first - from the floating ribs, and when it reaches the area solar plexus, stop and hold your breath again. At this stage, the base of the chest should expand: the lower ribs are directed exactly to the sides. This movement is the basis, the basis of the pyramid of breath, and if we fail to form it, we will never be able to reach its top. But make sure that the floating edges don't move up.

Then take a soft, calm exhalation and breathe normally to restore the normal rhythm and relieve nervous tension, if any. After resting, repeat the Viloma cycle again. Continue alternating pranamic breathing with regular breathing for 7-10 minutes or until you feel tired, and then move on to Savasana.

On initial stage the development of Viloma two steps is enough. Pranayama does not tolerate haste, so do not force things - move gradually.

Lotus in the heart

Having mastered the first two steps of Viloma, you can move on to the three-stage breathing. After taking the first and second breaths, perform kumbhaka and then inhale again, raising the air to the middle of the sternum. In this phase, continue to expand the chest - as you did during the second breath, but at the same time add an upward movement of the sternum. Your chest should open in two directions - not only expand, but also rise. Imagine that you have a lotus bud in your chest, and when the breath, rising, touches it, this flower opens. And again hold your breath, watching the lotus in your heart and not letting it close.

Continue practicing Viloma's three-stage inhalation until you feel that you can do it easily and without strain, and only then add the next, fourth stage. This work may take several months, so be patient and humble.

The fourth stage of Viloma is when air fills the space from the center of the sternum to the area under the collarbones. Imagine that there is a necklace on your collarbones and when you inhale, it diverges to the sides. This image will help to master the correct movement of the chest during the fourth breath and fill the uppermost parts of the lungs with air, revive and straighten those corners of them where air cannot reach during normal breathing.

Then hold your breath for two seconds and exhale. It should not be avalanche-like or, on the contrary, very long. Exhale gently and calmly, trying not to drop, not to collapse the chest immediately: by relaxing the intercostal muscles, keep it open. To avoid tension in the diaphragm, which often occurs during exhalation, mentally expand it from the back.

Beginners should not do Viloma breathing cycles in a row: after each cycle, take a few normal breaths. This will help relieve tension in nervous tissues, restore calmness, remove even a hint of any kind of aggression.

When performing Viloma I, make sure that the eyebrows do not rise up and look under the closed eyelids, that the shoulders and hips do not tense up - all these manifestations indicate that the mind is restless, such a breath is aggressive and acts destructively. It can cause severe fatigue or, on the contrary, an anxious, overexcited state. In this case, pranayama should be interrupted and rest in Savasana.

downstream

Having mastered Viloma I, you can move on to Viloma on the exhale in the prone position (Viloma II). The principle is the same: start with two steps and gradually increase their number.

So, exhale completely, then - even, calm, deep breath - such that the area under the collarbones expands. Now exhale Viloma for the first time for 2-3 seconds, keeping a wide area under the collarbones. Retain the air in the lungs, remembering that the duration of kumbhaka should be equal to the length of the exhalation. Make sure that during this delay the chest does not settle. Then take a second exhalation: here focus on the position of the sternum - it should not go down with the exhalation. Again hold the air in your lungs. During the third exhalation, try not to drop the area of ​​floating ribs. Again a delay, during which make sure that the diaphragm remains motionless: its upward movement will mean that you are doing an involuntary micro-exhalation and the kumbhaka is incomplete. Finally, exhale all the remaining air in the lungs, completely relaxing. After this last exhalation of Viloma, there will be a natural breath hold for 1-2 seconds. Let it go and then go back to normal breathing. Repeat the cycles of Viloma II for 7-10 minutes, interspersed with normal breathing, just as you did in Viloma I.

See to the root

Be prepared for the fact that working with exhalation will seem more difficult for you. This is not so much related to physiological features(exhalation lengthening often leads to diaphragm tension), how much with our worldview and lifestyle. From the point of view of spiritual practice, exhalation symbolizes merging with the Absolute, which means the rejection of the ego, from what we used to consider our essence. Our habits and stereotypes, the desire to possess, dominate and subjugate others, the desire for pleasure and the desire to be happy - all this makes up our superficial self. Actually, this is our life - or rather, we see it like this and, naturally, cling to it. In Western culture, it is customary to perceive the manifestation personal qualities how good. We do not have the spiritual self-denial that is the basis of yoga. This unwillingness to part with one's Self gives rise to resistance, which makes the pranamic exhalation tense. But only sincere self-giving and giving up the ego can make us happy. By learning to relax when exhaling (and this is the only way to make it long and calm), over time you will be able to dive deeper into yourself, comprehending your true, divine nature and approaching the wisdom of the universe.

A nuloma viloma pranayama- one of the most effective breathing exercises in yoga. From Sanskrit, “scrap” is translated as “hair”, “anu” - “in the direction”, and “vi” - “against”. The essence of the method is alternate breathing through one of the nostrils without holding the breath with mental control over the nostrils. This practice is effective to perform after Nadi shodhana, because they complement each other perfectly.

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama: Technique

Stage 1. Take a comfortable position with crossed legs and a straight back. Close your eyes and try to relax your whole body. Be aware of your breath for a while. Try to feel how with each exhalation you relax even more and dive deep into yourself. Able deep relaxation Let's go straight to the exercise.

Stage 2. Try to imagine and feel that you are inhaling and exhaling only through the left nostril. After a while, the sensation becomes almost real. Continue this practice for 1-2 minutes. Then repeat the same with the right nostril. Try to visualize and feel that the entire breath is flowing in and out through the right nostril. Do the same for 1-2 minutes. Throughout the exercise, be aware of the breathing process.

Stage 3. Try to mentally control the flow of breath going in and out through each nostril alternately. Feel yourself breathing in through your left nostril. Then feel how you exhale through the right nostril. Feel the inhalation through the right nostril. Next, exhale through the left nostril. This is one cycle of anuloma-viloma. Continue the practice in the same sequence. At the same time, mentally count each cycle, starting at 100 and ending at 1. Stay aware, and if your mind wanders and you lose count, then you should start over. If you can afford it, keep practicing until you count to 1.

Anuloma Viloma: Breathing, Awareness and Duration

Try not to experience excessive tension, let your breathing take place in the usual way. The duration of the exercise depends on the time and experience you have. The minimum execution time at the initial stage is 10 minutes. However, it will take longer to complete the entire practice when counting from 100 to 1 if breathing is relaxed, averaging about fifteen breaths per minute. In this case, those who do not have enough time can start counting not from 100, but from 50. As in all yoga practices, here you need to listen to your body, determining the duration and degree of load. It is also necessary to be fully aware of both breathing and mental counting throughout the practice. This is quite difficult at first, and after a few cycles you may find yourself losing count. This indicates that you have ceased to be aware of what you are doing in this moment time. When this happens, no need to get upset, just start the countdown again. Over time, with regular practice, you will achieve noticeable progress and be able to maintain awareness of counting and breathing.

Benefits of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

This practice has a relaxing effect on the mind and body, and also enhances mental focus and can be used to achieve states of meditation.