5 Simple Pranayama Exercises to Do Every Morning for Instant Peace of Mind

Feeling stressed at work or home? Know 5 simple pranayama techniques to calm your mind, relax your body, and improve focus with just a few minutes of daily practice.

Stress has become an unavoidable part of daily life in today's fast-paced world.Whether it is a long day at work or getting distracted by our gadgets all the time, we are exhausted both mentally and physically. According to Dr Narendra K Shetty, Chief Wellness Officer, Kshemavana Naturopathy and Yoga Centre, "Pranayama, the ancient method of breath control, is one of the easiest and yet most effective techniques to overcome the imbalance and calm down."

Benefits of Practising Pranayama Daily Morning

From Nadishodhana Pranayama to Hand In and Out Breathing, here are five pranayama exercises to relax, replenish energy, and enhance general well-being that you can use each day.

• Helps in purifying nadis in the body.
• Balance out the energy flow of the body.
• The consistent practice brings with it a steady mind and a disease-free body.
• It is known to increase the vitality of the person.

What Happens When You Start The Day With Pranayama

Are you starting your pranayama journey? Here are the top benefits that your body and mind may enjoy:

1. Increase lung capacity
2. Improve the immune system
3. Reduce weight
4. Relieve stress
5. Develops concentration and mindfulness
6. Promote balance
7. Enhance good sleep

5 Simple Pranayama Exercises to Do Every Morning

Here are the top 5 simple, yet effective pranayama techniques that you must consider adding to your daily life for instant peace of mind:

1. Nadishodhana Pranayama

The nadishodhan pranayama is a breathing technique that helps clear these blocked energy channels, thus calming the mind.

How to Perform:

1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture, spine and neck erect, eyes closed, and relax yourself.
2. Place your left hand in chin mudra and your right hand in nasikagra mudra and place them over your lap. Breathe normally.
3. Now slowly inhale through the right nostril, close your right nostril, and exhale through the left nostril.
4. This completes one round; practise this for 5 to 9 rounds.

Benefits:

• Breathing technique to calm and centre the mind.
• Therapeutically focus on circulation and respiratory problems.
• Release accumulated stress in mind and body effectively and help to relax.
• Harmonise the left and right hemispheres in the brain. again.
• Maintain body temperature.

2. Bhramari Pranayama

Bhramari pranayama is helpful in immediately making the mind peaceful.The science behind this is that it has the ability to relax the nerves, particularly in the brain and forehead.The vibrating humming penetrates with its natural relaxing effect.

How to Perform:

1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.
2. Neck erect, spine erect, eyes closed, and relax yourself.
3. Gently adopt suchi mudra/shanmukimudra in both hands and try to close the ear flaps.
4. Now slowly inhale, and while exhaling, chant 'mkara'ra' in a single stretch.
5. This complete one-round practice is for 5 rounds to 9 rounds.

Benefits:

• Instant relief from tension, anger and anxiety.
• Reduce the stress
• Improve concentration and memory
• Build confidence
• Reduce blood pressure
• Slow your heart rate
• Improve better sleep

3. Hand Stretch Breathing

Hand-stretch breathing exercises involve a combination of hand movements and breathing simultaneously.

How to Perform:

1. Stand in Tadasana. Neck and back erect.
2. Bring both your hands in front of the chest and interlock your fingers.
3. Place the hand in in front of the chest, and while inhaling, gently stretch your arms straight out with palms facing outward in front of your body. First at your shoulder level.
4. While exhaling, bring both your hands to the chest.
5. Complete a round and practise for 5 rounds.
6. Variation: shoulder level, forehead level and above the head.

Benefits:

• Helps in stretching the thoracic region muscles.
• Helps in improving the lung capacity
• Reduces blood pressure
• Lowers the stress.

4. Hand In and Out Breathing

Hand-stretch breathing exercises involve a combination of hand movements and breathing simultaneously.

How to Perform:

1. Stand in Tadasana with neck and back erect.
2. Bring both your palms together in front of the chest.
3. Now while gently inhaling, slowly spread your arms sideways horizontally.
4. While exhaling slowly, bring both your arms in front of your chest.
5. This complete one-round practice for 5 rounds.

Benefits:

• It helps in calming the nervous system.
• Helps in focusing and concentration
• Improve lung capacity.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Helps in managing depression and anxiety.
• Reduce tension

5. Cat and Cow Breathing

Cat-Cow pose (Chakravakasana) involves a rhythmic sequence of spinal movements coordinated with breath.

How to Perform:

1. Sit in vajrasana. Back and neck erect.
2. Place both yours in front of the knee and place the palms on the ground. Knees shoulder-width apart.
3. Now slowly come up. Gently, while you are inhaling, arch your back and look up.
4. While exhaling, hunch your back.

Benefits:

• Loosens the spine
• Strengthens wrists
• Massages abdominal organs
• Stimulates kidneys and adrenal glands
• Stretches the neck and torso
• Relieves menstrual cramps
• Increases well-being

Thus, practising these pranayamas helps in reducing the stress and increasing the lifespan. These practices can be practised when we are on the job; it just takes 15 to 20 minutes when it's done with mindfulness.