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What is Yoga ?
Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy and way of life, where complete harmony between our body and mind is achieved by special exercise (posturing), breathing and meditation. Yoga is the product of thousand years of research done by rishis in ancient India. The aim of Yoga is to live a healthy living and attain self-enlightenment. Yoga means to yoke (to unite) with the source of our Being. In Yoga through practices of holding a variety of body positions or asanas, and the centering of the mind and breath in a meditative way, the practitioner increases body awareness, posture, flexibility of body and mind and calmness of spirit.
What is Pranayama ?
Pranayama is an aspect of Yoga, that deals with breathing. Pranayama is a method of controlling prana or life force through the regulation of breathing. It is the breathing process or the control of the motion of inhalation, exhalation and the retention of vital energy.
Who is Ramdev Maharaj ?
Baba Ramdev Maharaj ji a Yoga and Ayurved master, who has become very popular in India[3], and has popularized yoga among millions of his followers. He established Divya Yoga Mandir Trust in 1995 in Kankhal (Haridwar) and began activities in health and spiritual pursuits and has cured many incurable diseases since then. Now thousands[4] of people everyday attend his Yoga camps.
Yoga was always there, but he has given a new birth to it by bringing it to public and benefiting people with it. He has helped Yoga become so popular among common man. He has done so by curing many incurable diseases. He is responsible for a revolution in Yoga and health.
He believes that “the Aryavrat desh(ancient India) will again become vishva guru (world leader) through yoga”. He dreams of a disease free India and World (rog mukt bharat/vishva).
A few of Pranayama exercises that Swami Ramdev recommends for everyday practice are[5] -
1. Bhastrika Pranayam
Procedure : Take deep breaths and then completely breathe out.
Duration : 2 mins atleast. 5 mins max.
Benefits : heart, lungs, brain, depression, migraine, paralysis, neural system, aabha
2. Kapal Bhati Pranayam
Procedure : Push air forcefully out. Stomach will itself go in.
Duration : Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 mins max.
Benefits : aabha, tej, obesity, constipation, gastric, acidity, Croesus(liver), hepatitis B, uterus, diabetes, stomach problems, cholesterol, allergic problems, asthma, snoring, concentration, and even cancer and AIDS.
Tips : heart and high BP patients, and weak people do it slowly.
“dharti ki sanjivini hai kapal-bhati pranayam”. “cures all diseases of world”. important than food.
3. Baharya Pranayam
Procedure : Breathe air out, touch chin to chest, squeeze stomach completely and hold for a while. then release chin, breathe in slowly.
Duration : 3 times to 5 times normally. max upto 11 times. and extremely max upto 21 times (in winters).
Benefits : stomach(udar), hernia, urinal, uterus
Tips : not for heart and high BP patients
4. Anulom Vilom Pranayam
Procedure : Hold your right nasal with thumb, breathe in from left. Now open right nasal and close left nasal with middle and ring finger and breathe out from right nasal. Now breathe in from right nasal. Now close right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal. and so on.
Duration : atleast 10 mins.
Benefits : heart, high BP, heart blockage, vat-cuf-pit, arthritis, cartilage, bent ligaments, sinual fluid reduced, parkinson, paralysis, neural related, depression, migraine pain, asthma, sinus, allergy
Tips : breathe into lungs not to stomach. no organ in stomach absorb oxygen. Do not hurry. Do it slowly. Rest whenever needed (in any pranayam).
5. Bhramri Pranayam
Procedure : Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : ?? ( 10 mins )
Benefits : tension, hypertension, high BP, heart, heart blockage, paralysis, migraine pain, confidence, concentration
6. Udgeeth Pranayam
Procedure : Breathe in deeply, and chant ‘Om’kar. OOOOOOm ( long O and small m )
Duration : ?? ( 10 mins )
Benefits : meditation
More
For more information Pranayam and Yoga in general by Ramdev Maharaj you can buy his books Yog Sadhna and Yog Chikitsa Rehasya and Pranayam Rehasya. His camps are often relayed on Aastha TV channel. Videos of his teachings are also available. visit www.divyayoga.com for ordering this material.
My tip -
* Believe. Most important factor for Yoga to benefit you is to believe in it.
Motivation -
This summer vacation, I happened to watch Aastha TV many times with family. My uncle is doing Yoga daily, and strongly advised me to try it too. He said “All these thousands(in camps) of people must not be stupid. There must be something in Yoga.” I bought his book and got one of his video Pranayam - The techniques of Yoga. I find him good and promising.
Links -
* Know Yoga
* Divya Yoga Mandir
* Aastha TV Channel
* www.swamiramdev.info
and… “Thunda matlab Toilet Cleaner” 
[6]
[1] Wikipedia/Yoga , Google Definitions / Yoga
[2] Wikipedia/Pranayama , Google Definitions / Pranayama
[3] especially in Northern India. An article
[4] Upto 50 thousand people have gathered in a single seminar to follow him in Yoga.
[5] source : Video : Pranayam - The Techniques of Yoga. The pictures are stills from the video. Dont know whether thats some kinda IP violation or not.
[6] My prev mention of Ramdev @ summer vacations ‘05
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