The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times, Issue #29, April 2015 | Page 21

From East Indian yoga comes the term pranayam. Pranayams are
breathing exercises that accompany a program of yoga and
meditation. These pranayams bring energy to designated organs of
the body, helping you in all areas of your life. When done with
certain yoga poses, they can really energize the body’s systems. The
following pranayam is called the Breath of Fire. Do it every day for
at least three minutes and you will feel great! It's is a great pick me
up if you are feeling lethargic or mentally unclear.
Breath of Fire
Sit with your hands in prayer pose, with thumbs against the
sternum. It's a rapid and rhythmic breath through the nose.
Breathing evenly and relaxed. Try not to force the breath.
Take a deep breath in and feel your stomach relaxing outward.
Exhale as you pull your diaphragm back in forcefully. Immediately
relax the diaphragm as the air comes back in with a sniff. Continue
with a pumping motion of the sniffing breath. There should be no
pause between the inhalation and the exhalation. You'll sound like a
locomotive. It takes practice to listen to your body and stop when you
need to.

This gives you a powerful aerobic effect. Three minutes of this
exercise circulates the blood throughout the entire body. One minute
of this breath equals an hour of normal breathing. It’s that powerful.
Use it when you need to rid your body of toxins, flu symptoms or to
balance your hormones. Now try it with your favourite yoga poses.
You burn fat right off your body as well. You’ve now given your body
a complete energy bath.