Videos of the 7 daily exercises are posted below for quick and easy practice.
For full details and explanations of the exercise techniques and their benefits, you can click on their respective titles.
Posture
- Take up a comfortable upright posture that you can maintain for an extended period of time.
- Sit in a cross-legged position, with a cushion beneath your sitting bones to ensure your knees are below your hip crease to keep your back straight.
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Alternatively, if you have back problems, sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground and your back comfortably upright.
- Feel your sitting bones grounding down into the earth and your spine gently spiralling upward.
- Pull your belly gently in toward the back of your spine and feel your chest lift up and out. Your head should feel like it’s floating on top of your body. Your neck and back should not feel strained.
- Touch your thumb and index finger tips. This is the Gyan Mudra, or the seal of wisdom. This mudra symbolizes the union of the individual soul (index finger) with the Supreme soul (thumb). The hand and finger positions of mudras make important connections in the nervous system and stimulate specific energy pathways (nadis). It is also said that mudras increase energy and blood circulation to different parts of the brain, to important nerve junctures and glands. If you have gas diseases, alter the hand position to have the index finger touching the base of the thumb.
Different Forms of Breathing
Pranayama involves techniques practiced in many different ways. is an incredibly powerful force. Controlling it requires discipline. If done incorrectly, it could cause more harm than good. Listen to your body and do not overexert or force anything.
Swami Ramdev, a revered Pranayama teacher from India, has formulated the following 7 steps in the given order and time for us to derive the most benefit from the practice.
The whole process should take about 20 minutes every day.
Pranayama should be done only on an empty stomach. A gap of 5 hours after a big meal is advised. Because of these requirements, early morning is ideal, however any other suitable time is equally good if it meets the above requirements.
Pranav Pranayama
Other Pranayama Techniques
Chandra Bhedi Pranayama (cooling)
Surya Bhedi Pranayama (warming)