HOW TO GET SHINING SKIN

 

                       KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA

                           (SHINING FACE BREATHING)

                  KAPALABHATI LITERALLY MEANS "THE PRANAYAMA THAT MAKES THE FOREHEAD AND ENTIRE FACE LUSTROUS". IT HELPS CLEAN THE SINUSES AND ALL OTHER RESPIRATORY PASSAGES, ANDIT STIMULATES THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AND DIGESTIVE ORGANS. A SENSE OF EXHILARATION IS EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PRACTICE.

                    THIS EXERCISE CONSISTS OF A VIGOROUS AND FORCEFUL EXPULSION OF BREATH, USING THE DIAPHRAGM AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, FOLLOWED BY A RELAXATION OF THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, RESULTING IN A SLOW, PASSIVE INHALATION. THIS CYCLE OF AN ACTIVE AND VIGOROUS EXHALATION FOLLOWED BY A PASSIVE INHALATION IS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION. IN THE BEGINNING YOU CAN ATTEMPT BETWEEN SEVEN AND TWENTY-ONE CYCLES, DEPENDINGON YOUR CAPACITY.

                           BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA

                             (BELLOWS BREATHING)

                  THE WORD BHASTRIKA MEANS "BELLOWS". IN THIS PRANAYAMA THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES WORK LIKE BELLOWS. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THIS EXERCISE ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF KAPALABHATI.

                   IN THIS EXERCISE, THE DIAPHRAGM AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES ARE EMPLOYED AS IN KAPALABHATI, BUT HERE BOTH INHALATION AND EXHALATION ARE VIGOROUS AND FORCEFUL. BETWEEN SEVEN AND TWENTY-ONE  CYCLES MAY BE ATTEMPTED, ACCORDING TO YOUR CAPACITY, AND THE CYCLES SHOULD FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN QUICK SECCESSION.

                                  UJJAYI PRANAYAMA

                            (VICTORIOUS BREATHING)

                 THE WORD UJJAYI MAY BE INTERPRETED AS "CONTROL OR VICTORY ARISING FROM A PROCESS OF EXPANSION". THIS PRANAYAMA ENHANCES THE VENTILATION OF THE LUNGS, REMOVES PHLEGM, CALMS THE NERVES, AND FILLS THE WHOLE BODY WITH VITALITY.

                    INHALATION  AND EXHALATION DURING UJJAYI ARE SLOW AND DEEP, AND THEY TAKE PLACE WITH PARTIAL CLOSURE OF THE GLOTTIS. THIS PRODUCES A SOULD LIKE SOBBING, BUT IT IS EVEN AND CONTINUOUS. DURING INHALATION, THE INCOMING AIR IS FELT ON THE ROOF OF THE PALATE AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SIBILANT SOUND SA. DURING EXHALATION, THE OUTGOING AIR IS FELT ON THE ROOF OF THE PALATE AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ASPIRATE SOUND HA. DURING INHALATION, THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES ARE KEPT SLIGHTLY CONTRACTED, AND DURING EXHALATION, ABDOMINAL PRESSURE IS EXERTED UNTIL THE BREATH IS COMPLETELY EXPELLED.

                           BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA

                                   (BEE BREATHING)

                   A BHRAMARI IS A LARGE BEE. THE SOUND OF THE BUZZING OF A BEE IS MADE DURING EXHALATION IS THIS EXERCISE. INHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. EXHALING AS IN UJJAYI, PRODUCE THE HUMMING SOUND OF A BEE. REPEAT FOR TWO TO THREE MINUTES. BHRAMARI SOOTHES THE NERVES AND CALMS THE MIND.

                   SITALI PRANAYAMA (HISSING BREATH 1)

                     SITALI AND SITKARI BOTH ARE EXERCISE FOR COOLING AND SOOTHING THE BODY. CURL THE TONGUE LENGTHWISE UNTIL IT RESEMBLES A TUBE (THOSE WHO CANNOT DO THIS SHOULD PRACTICE SITKARI INSTEAD) LET THE TIP OF THE TONGUE PROTRUDE OUTSIDE. EXHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. REPEAT THREE TIMES.

                          THE FOLLOWING EXERCISE (SURYA BHEDANA, MURCCHA, AND PLAVINI) ARE DESCRIBED HERE TO ILLUSTRATE IMPORTANT YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE. THESE THREE, HOWEVER, SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A QUALIFIED TEACHER. AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER CAN SHOW THE STUDENT HOW TO AVOID DAMAGING THE HEART AND LUNGS DURING THE PROCEDURE.

                         SURYA BHEDANA PRANAYAMA

                  IN THIS EXERCISE, THE BREATH IS INHALED THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, RETAINED, AND THEN EXHALED THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.

                               MURCCHA PRANAYAMA

                          INHALE COMPLETELY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS. APPLY THE CHIN LOCK, AND THEN SLOWLY AND GENTLY EXHALE.