Fight Hypertension

Pranayama

Pranama or breath control is a very powerful tool not only in yoga but also anywhere and at anytime to keep blood pressure and stress at a minimum. prana means "life force." The ancient sages realized that a person couldn't live for very long without breathing and there was a direct connection between breathing and living. Smart people those sages. Pranayama is definitely an art as well as a science. Many people breathe incorrectly by forcing air into the upper lobes of their lungs leaving the bottom half of their lungs inactive. Watch a person breathe, while they are unaware of your watching them, and you will probably see their chest move rather than their stomach. This is indicative of wrongful breathing. The diaphragm, the sheet of muscle between the thorax and the abdomen, is the organ of breath. When it moves downward air flows into the lungs and when it relaxes back to its original dome-shaped position air flows out of the lungs. This is normal, natural and unconscious breathing. But with the advent of chairs for sitting and tight belts for holding up pants, breathing has become reversed and lungs have become underutilized.

Wave Breathing

Wave breathing is a type of pranayama that I have learned to use over the years that is very effective in lowering my blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate. It is also very relaxing and soothing to my mind. Wave breathing is best done while standing, sitting or lying down. It can also be done while walking and doing mild yoga, but it is very difficult to do while vigorously exercising.

To do wave breathing, breathe in through the nose focusing on the diaphragm, pulling air into the bottom of the lungs. I like to imagine the lungs as one large flat bag (much like a water bottle) extending all the way from the pelvis to the neck. Inflate the lungs slowly from the bottom, bringing air toward the top and imagine the air moving like an ocean wave. Don't inflate the lungs fully but only partially, maybe about one-third full and then relax and let the lungs slowly deflate from the bottom to the top again. Breathing is done slowly and deliberately with emphasis on wave motion from bottom to top both on inhalation and exhalation. One hundred percent of the lungs' volume is utilized this way with very little effort. With practice you will begin to notice your breathing rate become slower. You may be taking only two or three breaths per minute and feeling no discomfort at all. Also, the amount of air that you are taking in with each breath will get less and less, almost to the point of having the feeling of not breathing. The first time this happened to me I thought I wasn't breathing at all. This is a very healthy practice because it calms everything while bathing every cell in the body with rich, fresh oxygen.

I didn't read about wave breathing and no one taught me how do it. I discovered the method accidently one day while in the resting pose after doing some yoga. Since then, I have practiced wave breathing in different positions and in various situations. It always brings me into a state of calmness and peace of mind. Sometimes I like to practice wave breathing while listening to music. This morning I put on a CD consisting of a mixture of Benedictine Monk songs. I traveled though the poses very slowly and held the poses longer than usual while wave breathing. It was another unusual but marvelous experience. Focusing on my breath moving up and down my lungs like an ocean wave, I could literally feel the music being absorbed into my body The experience brought a complete sense of oneness with the breath, the body, and the music. I believe wave breathing could be another way to calm the mind for the purpose of reaching the state of consciousness known as pure awareness.

Neil Crenshaw, Ph.D.
http://www.pureawareness.info