Simple Pranayama Technique to improve your Digestion
Digestive Breathing is a simple method using the breath to support the natural digestion process. It enhances the peristaltic movement (colon movement) and shifts the energy from one side to the other in order to enhance the function of different organs. It is a very good accompanying training for Pranayama and helps you to develop sound diaphragmatic breathing. The main breathing muscle gets trained so that you can take in more oxygen with one breath and your breathing rate will decline over period of time which has an overall beneficial effect on your whole system.
How to perform Digestive Breathing?
Digestive Breathing is performed lying on the ground and in self-guidance. Make sure you rest on a firm space. Practice on the floor or on a yoga mat, so that you can feel the ground below you. It can take different amount of time depending on your breathing speed. At least 15 minutes should be calculated for the practice, which would mean five to six breaths per minute. As over time your breathing quality will improve the time frame for this practice will expand accordingly.
1. Lie down on your left side on the ground
The left arm is stretched out in elongation of your body and your head rests relaxed on your upper arm. Rest your right arm on the right side of your body. Bend your knees slightly and keep your legs on top of each other, so that your position is stable and comfortable. Take 21 conscious diaphragmatic breaths. Focus on the qualities of your breaths.
2. Breathing on the right Side
Make your breaths long, deep, soundless and without any pauses or jerks.
Slowly roll over to your right side and arrange your body accordingly. Do not change your breathing pattern. Take another 21 diaphragmatic breaths.
3. Shavasana Position
Roll over onto your back without changing the breath. Lie down in Shavasana Position; Legs open with the toes dropping to the sides, arm stretched out alongside and little apart from your body. Take another 21 diaphragmatic breaths.
4. Left Side Position
Roll back to the first position on your left side. Take 21 another 21 diaphragmatic breaths. Take the help of your right hand and push against the ground to help yourself up into a comfortable sitting position. Bow.
How does Digestive Breathing work?
This breathing Method is using the natural flow of energy, gravitation and biofeedback to work with our vegetative Nervous System, which autonomously coordinates all the basic body functions (like digestion) in the body without our awareness.
On the left side Pingala Nadi and the Sympathetic, activating Nervous system gets activated. The stomach and pancreas are activated through the gravitational flow of energy.
On the right side, Ida Nadi and the Parasympathetic nervous system get active, the energy flows towards the small intestine, liver and gall bladder. In Shavasana Pose the energy can balance out between the organs and we use the support of the ground to breathe diaphragmatically with more ease, increasing the flow of oxygen in the abdominal region. The movement of our breathing muscle is massaging the organs and enhancing the peristaltic movement.
On the left side we end with igniting the digestive fire again.
Who should do Diaphragmatic breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing is good and very healthy for everyone and should be practiced after every meal. In all cultures of the world, you will find the same principles: to rest and digest after food intake. Giving time to digest after food intake is important to get access to the nutrients in the food. Going into action right away after your meal will withdraw the energy from your digestive system and transfer it into the muscles or the brain instead. The food rots in the stomach, produces poisons and you don´t have the energy to go on with your day and will exhaust yourself despite having eaten well.
Mental Effects of Diaphragmatic breathing
As simple as the technique may seem, a lot of things are happening when you perform it with awareness. The physiological effects alone are immense and you can feel the change right away. But beyond that it has a very calming and centring effect on the mind. Keeping the count for 21 breaths and refining the breathing qualities is training your breath awareness and your self-observation skills. Your mental capacity increases, better concentration, better memory and a refined sense of your body are the common results of ongoing practice.
Digestive Breathing as a treatment
As the small exercise has such strong impact on our mind, every person with nervous problems should add it to the daily routine. Whether you´re exhausted, anxious or dispersed, you will feel the improvement immediately. But even in stronger problems like depression, amnesia, Alzheimer or other mental illnesses, it can be used as an accompanying method towards healing.
Digestive Breathing is predestined to help with any digestive problem. Whether you have gas, constipation or diarrhoea, this technique is balancing and will improve your belly health. We bring energy where it belongs, shift it in organs and our nervous system so the body can do what it is supposed to. The list of benefits is as long as the list of abdominal problems. From Menses pain to an acidic stomach up to stones in organs, there is no part in our belly that does not gain from the practice.
Caution
This soft method has no counter indications or negative side effects of any kind. Everyone can do it. In case you have a shoulder-problem and cannot arrange the body as described above, only adjust in a way so that you can lie down on your sides on the floor.