Pranayama For Depression: Yoga Breathing for Anxiety & Depression
Breathing to Beat Depression and Anxiety
Depression can come from a variety of sources such as work, school, and family. It is important to fight depression because it can be very hard to focus on anything else if you are constantly feeling sad or unhappy.
One way to beat depression is pranayama: the practice of deep breathing.
This blog post will teach you how pranayama helps with depression and what type of pranayama will help deal with your specific situation.
What is pranayama?
Pranayama (also known as yoga or yogic breathing) is a practice of deep breathing that can help to reduce stress and restore balance in the mind. Pranayama includes many different techniques, but they all have one thing in common: they involve controlling your breath.
What prana means is very important when it comes to pranayam. In yoga philosophy, prana refers to the life force energy within us. By taking control over our breath we are able to manage this prana flow more efficiently throughout our body which helps keep depression away!
How does pranayama work?
Many people believe that improved oxygenation will improve your mood because there's no better way for blood and nutrients to reach every part of your brain than through deep breathing: pranayama is like a full-body workout for your mind
It’s also incredibly beneficial to your mental health.
It is also a great way to lower blood pressure, activate your parasympathetic nervous system and give you a boost of sustainable energy (unlike caffeine or other drugs).
Personally, I find that deep breathing of any kind helps me to calm my mind and control negative emotions throughout the day. It is also a great way to prepare for a meditation session.
Best pranayama exercises for depression
There are three types of pranayama breathing exercises that I recommend for helping reduce anxiety and depression: alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodana), “skull shining” breath (Kapalbhati) and the three-part breathing technique.
1. Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodana)
One of the best pranayamas to start with if you're looking to beat depression and anxiety is Nadi Shodhana, also known as alternate nostril breathing (also known as anuloma viloma).
This pranayama technique reduces stress, helps balance emotions and increases concentration. This exercise works by clearing out any excess oxygen from one side of the brain so that more blood flows into it – resulting in better focus! It's great because there are no complicated hand movements either – just breathe through your nose while blocking one nostril at a time.
Nadi Shodhana pranayama is also great for beating fatigue caused by depression because it stimulates the right side of your brain which controls energy levels in the body.
You can do this pranayama anywhere and anytime you feel stressed or tired! It's even recommended to practice it twice daily, morning and evening.
How to do it:
Move through a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing the next time you find yourself doing too many things at once or feel panic or anxiety begin to rise. It's a fantastic approach to reset your mental state.
Take a seat that is both comfortable and tall, keeping your spine straight and your heart open.
Rest your left palm into your lap and bring your right hand in front of your face.
With your right hand, bring your pointer finger and middle finger to rest between your brows, lightly using them as an anchor. The thumb and ring finger will be the fingers we'll be utilizing the most.
Close your eyes, and breathe deeply in and out through your nose.
Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale slowly and steadily through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger, keeping both nostrils shut; hold your breath at the top of the inhale for a brief time.
Open your right nostril and breathe out slowly through the right side; hold your breath for a moment at the bottom of the exhale.
Inhale as slowly as possible on the right side.
Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb).
Open your left nostril and release your breath slowly through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.
Repeat 5-10 cycles, concentrating on your inhales and exhales.
Steps 5-9 are one complete alternate nostril breathing cycle. If you're going through the sequence slowly, each cycle should last roughly 30-40 seconds. When you're feeling tense, anxious, or need a reset, go through at least 5-10 cycles.
Note: Consistency is important, so try to keep your inhalations, pauses, and exhalations of the same length. For example, you might start by inhaling for a count of five, holding for five seconds, and exhaling for a count of five. As you get more comfortable with the process, you may gradually increase your count.
3. Skull shining breath (Kapalbhati pranayama)
Closely related to Nadi Shodhana is Kapalbhati pranayama. This pranayama for depression is great because it helps balance the nervous system, makes you feel relaxed, calm and happy and helps to control any negative emotions.
Kapalbhati, also known as “Skull Shining” breath, is the practice of exhaling quickly and strongly with a very quick contraction in the abdominal muscles. This pranayama for depression focuses on clearing out old air while strengthening the lungs.
How to do it:
So how do you perform Kapalbhati pranayama? Here's an easy way to get started:
Sit up straight or stand if that feels better. If standing, place your feet hip-width apart.
Place your hands on either thigh (palms down), close to your hips/knees. Keep them here throughout this pranayama. It's totally okay to keep them wherever they feel most comfortable! can also experiment with placing the hands on the upper thighs or hips.
Inhale a full, deep breath through your nose.
Exhale forcefully and quickly through the nose by thrusting your abdomen. Allow the inhalation to come naturally.
You should feel a short burst of energy moving down towards your legs as you exhale. If not, don't worry! It takes some pranayama breathing exercises for anxiety to get used to this pranayama but it will come in time with practice.
How often: Do at least three rounds of 20 inhales/exhales twice per day every day. You can try to increase by ten breaths each week until you can do 100 per round comfortably.
Note: This can be a difficult pranayama technique to get the hang of, so I recommend getting proper instruction from an experienced yoga or breathwork instructor. Alternatively, YouTube has some great videos on how to perform Kapalbhati correctly.
3. Three-part breathing technique
Another simple pranayama technique that works well to reduce anxiety or depression is the three-part breathing technique. It's a simple breathing technique that can help you to improve mindfulness and relax your nervous system whenever you are feeling stressed or anxious.
How to do it:
Inhale through your nose slowly and deeply, filling up your lungs with air until they are full to capacity; you should feel your abdomen rise on the inhale. Imagine that there is a balloon in between each pair of ribs towards the top of your chest near where it meets under your neck - visualize inflating these balloons before holding your breath.
Hold your breath comfortably for about five seconds while contracting (not flexing) the diaphragm muscle at the base of your rib cage (you may need to contract other muscles as well).
Slowly exhale all of the air out of your lungs, visualizing the balloons deflating as you let go of your breath and the air is being exhaled from your lungs
Repeat this pranayama breathing exercise five times, or as many times as you need to (without any strain).
This is a pranayama technique that I find to be very calming and can be easily used anytime you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
How long to do pranayama?
And if you're wondering how long you should sit comfortably while practising pranayama…the answer is about five minutes per session every day. Even just ten minutes each day will make a big difference when it comes to fighting stress, anxiety and low energy brought on by depression.
The wrap-up
Pranayama is an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, which often contribute to depressive symptoms.
I would recommend taking the time each day to practice pranayama (or any breathing exercises you enjoy) as part of your self-care routine if you suffer from bouts of depression or experience feelings of low energy and fatigue.
Have you tried pranayama or yoga breathing to combat depression, anxiety or stress in your own life? Let us know your experience in the comments below.
Mental Health Support Services
As always, stay healthy and reach out to friends, family or loved ones if you need support. You can also find a list of helpful services if you or a loved one is battling anxiety or depression below:
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