Technique: After sitting is any meditative asana put your hand on left knee in jñāna mudrā, make Pranayama mudrā from right hand and by closing the right nostril by right thumb inhale deeply through the left nostril. After inhaling completely close the left nostril through middle finger (madhyamā) and ring finger (anāmikā) and exhale slowly through right nostril; then do puraka by right nostril and recaka by left nostril; this is one cycle. Repeat the same process again and again without fail. Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama starts from the left nostril because the left nostril signifies moon (soma), lunar power, coolness and calmness. Take breath from the left nostril in 2.5 seconds and exhale from the right nostril in the same time then inhale from the right nostril also in 2.5 sec. and exhale from the left nostril in the same time. This is one cycle and it should be practiced for at least 5 minutes. The duration of inhalation and exhalation should be gradually increased in equal frequency according to practitioner’s own tolerance and capacity. One should also take the support of digital counting; for example: if inhalation is done upto the count of 5 them the exhalation should also be completed to 5 counts.
Healthy persons or slightly sick persons should practice Anuloma- Viloma for at least 15 minutes. It gives quick relief if done for 30-30 minutes each morning and evening by person’s suffering from cancer, psoriasis, muscular dystrophy, migraine and other incurable diseases.
Benefits
- All the naḍis in the body i.e., seventy two crore seventy two lakh ten thousands two hundred one nāḍīs (Praśnopaniṣad-3.6) are purified by this Pranayama.
- All types of vata diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout, Parkinson’s disease, nervous debility etc. and depression, O.C.D, schizophrenia etc. are cured. Cholesterol, triglyceride, blockages in the heart and other heart related ailments are cured.
- This Pranayama helps to manage rational temperature of the body in all the climates.
- It helps to maintain equilibrium among the states of physical, mental and spiritual Health.
- Twenty minutes of Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama significantly reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in healthy persons.
- Ten days practice of Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama increased spatial memory scores by 86% (here spatial memory is the ability to remember a route, shapes, and so on). This suggests right hemispheric functional improvement with Anuloma-Viloma practice.
- There was an increase in focused and selective attention and in visual scanning after 20 minutes of Anuloma-Viloma practice. Hence this practice is specially useful for students and those who use a computer a lot.
- Increase in hand grip strength possibly related to better glucose oxidation was observed after 20 minutes of Anuloma-Viloma practice. Hence this practice is useful for those who over-use their hands (e.g.. using a computer keyboard) and in early arthritis).
- Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama allows a person to carry out breath holding without physiological signs of stress. This may be specially useful for competitive swimmers, mountaineers and related occupations.
- It helps in the management of Hypertension as systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure values reduces after its practice.
- It improves attention of memory in person suffering from ADHD- (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- It manages Rheumatoid arthritis with pain in the fingers and poor grip strength.
- Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama facilitates better management in repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome in which hand grip strength is reduced. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs in those who use a computer a lot.
- Spatial memory loss which is often associated with normal again and dementia can be effectively managed by Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama.
