Asthma is characterized by dryness in lungs as a result of loss of sukra from the body. This hampers the normal supply of air, leading to respiratory disorders. The book, ‘Sanatan Kriya, the Ageless Dimension’ details the causes for loss of sukra for the body and techniques to prevent its loss and also for increasing its production in the body. In this article, we will be discussing certain techniques from the book, to tackle the specific condition called ‘asthma’.
For the lungs to function at their optimum level, one needs to optimize the expansion and contraction of abdomen by maximizing the movement of diaphragm. This reduces pressure on lungs while optimizing its efficiency. This might seem technical; however it is so simple that even a newborn baby knows the trick. All you need to do is get back to nature, to Sanatan Kriya.
Close your eyes and sit in Vajrasan with your back straight. While inhaling, expand the stomach [diaphragm is pushed downward] and on exhaling, contract it [diaphragm is pulled back up]. Keep your awareness on the breath. Produce a gentle hissing sound from the pit of the throat as you exhale. This is Ujjai Pranayam.
Breathing in ujjai, has the twin effect of first heating and then cooling the body. In the process, all the impurities are killed, and the entire body including the lungs gets revitalized. While optimizing the functioning of the lungs, the practice also acts as a purification process.
When the weather is changing, the environment is full of allergens and these allergens often contribute to problems like asthma and for an asthmatic, aggravates the problem. An effective technique to prevent allergens from entering the body is Jal Neti, which was discussed in the previous issue.
When the allergens irritate the lungs, our body secretes certain anti-allergens as a natural defense mechanism. Below are certain asans through which these secretions can be directed to the lungs effectively.
