Breathe Easy

This spring I've been seeing a lot of clients suffering from seasonal nasal allergies, early in the season. Not only watery and itchy eyes but manifesting into breakouts around the face too. This is triggered by pollen in the air. Newly blooming trees, grasses, and weeds are the culprits now in the spring and summer. Though many of you find relief in physician-prescribed medications and anti-histamines you may want to consider yoga. Practicing yoga  may help to alleviate allergy symptoms, including runny noses and inflamed sinuses,  in particular some of the breathing exercises can be helpful.

Skull Shining Breath - Kapalabhati Pranayama: cleansing, invigorating, warming, prevents illness and allergies.

Kapalabhati breath consists of a series of rapid, forceful exhalations and passive inhalations. This has long been believed to clear out the nasal passages where allergens lurk, and thus offer some relief from irritation. This is a heat-generating breath, however, so limit yourself to a single round at the start of your practice. I recommend learning this breath from an experienced teacher, as you may become lightheaded if you do it incorrectly.  It is best done at the beginning of a yoga session or before a meditation practice. In Kundalini practice, Kapalabhati breath is sometimes done while holding poses.

1. Come to sit in a comfortable crosslegged position.

2. Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.

3. Inhale to a comfortable level, and then exhale sharply and forcefully through the nose, drawing the belly in as you exhale.

4. Let the inhale happen passively, and continue this cycle of forceful exhales and passive inhales at a fast pace, so that the belly is pumping continuously.

5. Do three rounds of thirty breaths each, coming back to deep inhales and exhales between each round.

6. Come back to normal breathing if you feel lightheaded at any time.

Alternate Nostril Breathing – Nadi Sodhana: balancing, relaxing, and calming

1. Sit in a comfortable crosslegged position.

2. Using your right hand, fold your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky sticking up (Vishnu Mudra).

3. Bring your thumb to the right side of your nose and your ring finger to the left side.

4. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.

5. Inhale through your left nostril.

6. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger.

7. Open and exhale through your right nostril.

8. Inhale through your right nostril.

9. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.

10. Open and exhale through your left nostril.

11. Inhale through your left nostril.

12. Continue alternating 5 to 10 times.