BENGALURU: It’s been a month since Sacika J Satish started pranayama classes but the 25-year-old is already all praises for its benefits.
“Breathing is voluntary and an involuntary action, but we’re always dependant on the latter. These pranayama classes teach you how to breathe, which is ironic considering we do it every second of the day, but most of us are doing it wrong,” says the city-based architect and copywriter.
Satish is not the only one turning towards pranayama in these times. According to Divya Rolla, yoga and meditation head, Cult.fit, in the last six weeks, they have seen 300-400 people registering for their twice-a-week pranayama sessions on Zoom.
“Hardly 40-50 people would have enrolled for a similar session pre-Covid,” she adds.
But what exactly is pranayama? Rolla explains, “Pranayama is paying attention to how we breathe and using certain practises to break bad breathing habits, quiet the nervous system, oxygenate the whole body, reduce stress, reduce blood pressure, and most importantly help quiet the mind.”
Feeling more energetic and at one with her herself physically and mentally are changes Satish noticed.
“My parents, who also got inspired by me, now do it too and it’s been a relief to see my mother’s breathlessness get better. Covid may not be in our control but at least with pranayama, I know we’ll be in a better state to handle whatever comes our way,” she says.
At yoga and fitness company Lyf Wellness, pranayama used to be a small segment of their yoga sessions. But with demand from students for exclusive sessions, co-founders Jannet V and Violet F introduced short 25-minutes sessions last month that focused on just pranayama.
It was designed to enhance lung capacity, boost the immune system and correct breathing processes naturally.
“Using the full capacity of the lungs aids better immunity and has other benefits. For example, anulom vilom balances and calms the mind and bhramari helps with memory and insomnia,” explains Jannet. One of their students, Suja P, says, “Earlier I wouldn’t be able to sleep even at 2 am but now I am sleepy by 9.45pm.”
Dr Rajiv Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute, says several queries about pranayama have come in over the past few months. According to him, to benefit from pranayama, one should practice this after yoga poses.
“The breath is to be smooth and even and not strained even after breath retention. It is best to practise pranayama in the morning on an empty stomach and in a room with fresh air,” he suggests. Pranayama with fast rhythms or breath retention should not be practiced if someone has asthma, heart disease, hypertension or is pregnant.
“People with health conditions must speak with their health professional before practising,” he adds.