
Yoga For Asthma (Photo: freepik)
Asthma is a condition that impacts on the breathing of an individual. It occurs when the airways in the lungs become sensitive, swollen, or narrow, making it difficult for air to move freely.
During an asthma episode, a person may experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing, or wheezing. These symptoms can feel frightening, but with awareness and the right practices, breathing can gradually become more stable and comfortable. Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar – Author, Columnist, Founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa shares few breathing techniques to strengthen your lung capacity.
In simple terms, it is connected to how the body responds to stress, environment, and lifestyle. The breath becomes shallow and irregular when there is always tension in the nervous system. Over time, this weakens lung capacity and increases sensitivity to triggers such as dust, pollution, weather changes, or emotional strain. This is the reason why a supportive role can be played by gentle yogic breathing and movement. Yoga is not the contrary of medical treatment rather it assists the body to breathe comfortably once more.
Asthma usually occurs due to a set of factors:
• Overreaction of the airways to external elements like allergens or pollution
• As a result of poor breathing and particularly shallow chest breathing.
• Emotional stress, tightening of respiratory muscles.
• Physical inactivity, which lowers the strength of lungs.
• Genetic inclination among a few people.
The lungs lose the natural rhythm when the breathing gets blocked on several occasions. The yoga method is slow and gentle to restore this rhythm.
Dwi Khand Pranayama teaches to separate the breathing into two conscious practices first breathing into the abdomen and then into the chest. The habit teaches the lungs to utilize their full potential instead of short and upper breathing.
How it helps:
• Promotes slow and deep breathing.
• Improves oxygen exchange
• Relaxes anxiety associated with breathlessness.
• Develops unconsciousness to natural breathing.
• With regular practice, the breath becomes longer, smoother, and more controlled.
This mild backbend will expand the chest and make the lungs longer, thus creating room to breathe in even more.
Benefits for asthma:
• Increases the ribcage size and enhances lung bounciness.
• Firming respiratory muscles.
• Lowers stiffness due to shallow breathing.
• promotes deep breathing.
The position must be carried without straining the body.
Setu Bandhasana poses the chest in the air, and this creates a natural hole at the front body. The posture corrects the tendency to get down on the chest, which tends to squash lungs.
Benefits for asthma:
• Enhances chest expansion
• Enhances the blood flow to the lungs.
• Helps to improve posture to facilitate breathing.
• Relaxes the nervous system
The pose assists the body to have an effortless breathing.
Bhramari is a soft humming sound when breathing. The calming effect of the created sound is on the respiratory system due to the effect of vibration.
Benefits for asthma:
• Extends exhalation, which is critical to the management of asthma.
• Lessens panic and breath anxiety.
• Enhances breathing control.
• Form a calming motion of the airways.
The soft humming as a natural process slows down the breath, and warns the body to take a rest.
Yoga provides people with asthma another opportunity to know their breath once again rather than being afraid of it. Through mindful movement and controlled pranayama, the lungs gradually become stronger, the chest more open, and the mind calmer.
With patience and consistent practice, breathing eventually becomes a normal effort other than a stressful event, a continuous effort that the student of this discipline is informed of which reminds the student that with practice, each breath can be a form of healing.
Olivia Sarkar is a Senior Content Producer on the Entertainment and Lifestyle desk with 6 years of experience. In 6 years, she worked with ANI, IANS, Zee News. Known for covering trends and engaging storytelling, she covers a wide spectrum of topics including entertainment news, fashion, fitness, health, food, travel, astrology. From major film announcements to industry controversies. Throughout her career, she has interviewed several notable personalities such as Femina Miss India World 2022 Sini Shetty, Miss World 2024 USA contestant Victoria DiSorbo, Miss France 2020 Clémence Botino.Her interview portfolio also includes celebrities like Milind Soman, Tiger Shroff, and Vikrant Massey, along with acclaimed singers Shubha Mudgal and Padma Shri awardee Dr. Jaspinder Narula. Beyond work, Olivia enjoys exploring new food joints, being wanderlust, and writing poetry. You can reach her out on X: @OliviaSarkar11
Looking for Manchester United vs Aston Villa live streaming? , kick-off times, and mobile streaming…
Actor Vijay’s TVK enters Tamil Nadu politics, raising the question: can his fanbase rival MGR’s…
Abhishek Banerjee is a senior leader of the All India Trinamool Congress and a three-time…