Yoga, Pranayam & Meditation- How I Strength... - Diabetes India

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Yoga, Pranayam & Meditation- How I Strengthened my Lungs, Heart and also benefitted in managing Diabetes

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Administrator's Note**: Please consult your personal doctor before you change your diet/exercise routine.

You can live without food for days and perhaps months... You can live without water for days. But, how long can you survive without oxygen? Perhaps not more than a couple of minutes!

We take 16-20 breaths per minute round the clock in normal conditions........we also breath non- stop while sleeping..........Mother Nature is so generous to us that it ensures we get abundant oxygen 24x7....where ever we go ....whatever activities we default we breathe oxygen...

I met with my neighbour who is a Health worker in the Covid19 emergency ward.. she also tested positive for Covid19 in spite of all precautions. She survived because of her knowledge as to how to deal with it...she developed Covid19 antibodies......she came back stronger....she continues her dedicated service for Covid 19 patients...

She told me when there is only one ventilator left and two Covid19 people need ventilators - one who is 20 years and one who's 70 years.... How to decide whom to give....she said it is difficult to make the right call. The decision is taken by the Head of the medical team depending upon complications. In most cases, the old one is given the ventilator. The young one is asked to sleep in the prone position (Upside down - sleeping on your belly, face downwards- in yoga it is called Advasan Or reverse corpse position - in Hindi Sastang Pranam as we do in a temple ). By doing so, the lungs get pressed and the patient starts breathing to take OXYGEN.. ...and most cases they sleep for long time ...and in all possibilities they survive from Covid19 infection only by sleeping in prone position...

Why is Oxygen is so important?:

We inhale goes to our lungs ....then from our lungs, it goes to our blood. Hemoglobin carries it to our cells...where oxygen is required to burn the food and releases energy (Mitochondria). This is a 24X7 process which keeps happening in all our body cells. The final products of combustion of all food we eat are Carbon dioxide and useless carbon dioxide is carried back from cells to lungs and then we exhale carbon dioxide to atmosphere ..and Mother Nature is ready to take back your useless carbon dioxide from you and give it to the plants and ask plants to release oxygen for you in a process called photosynthesis in presence of sunlight.. plants prepare food for their growth and also for us during should we not plant a tree???🙂 Should we do those activities which increases Carbon-dioxide level in the atmosphere? Reduce your travel .... go digital.......reduce your fuel consumption.....Reduce your electricity consumption.... if you can not plant a tree, don't destroy a those items which don't involve production of carbon dioxide...carbon dioxide leads to climate change and Global warming....let us not put too much pressure on Mother Nature.

Our body can store up food and liquid for future use, that is the reason people can do fast and survive for days together. But our Body can't store oxygen. Every minute that we are alive, we must continually provide our cells with stream of fresh oxygen. We can measure our blood oxygen level by a Pulse Oximeter to diagnose if we lack oxygen. Perhaps, we never knew before what is an Oximeter- But Covid taught us what is Oximeter- Today Pulse Oxymeter is a standard instrument at Airports, Shopping malls, housing complex Gates to measure Blood oxygen level of people .

How many of us have ever thanked Mother Nature for providing us Oxygen 24X7? Perhaps most of us not even once ...because we take it for granted...☹️

How can we strengthen our lungs and our respiratory systems and enhance our immunity so that viruses can not attack us ??????? Yes, good news is that it is possible through Yoga Pranayam....

Covid19 came ....took away millions of people only by cutting off oxygen supply by weakening the lungs....thank God now science has found out a vaccine ....though we still do not know its side effects when inoculated in a massive scale and how long can it give immunity is also not known?

Virus attacks our lungs/ respiratory system and these virus in millions known to get originated from animals/birds because it is man who rear animals birds for eating as food! So God forbids i.e.. I wish it does not happen in future again .... we don't welcome another Virus. But, there is no guarantee that there would not be another virus attack in future...going by the past history...

Here is a link which shows the History of virus attack on men since 1967 till date ...if you open the link. and scroll down a little , the summary is given in image form along with the virus name, its origin, year of attack, people compiled from WHO sources.

So how do I strengthen my Lungs , my respiratory system and enhance my immunity....the ideal way is to run at high speed everyday morning at least for 1-2 km....or run on a treadmill... It is a cardio exercise....your lungs also get exercised. But while young ones can always do it , but it is a challenge for most senior citizens and people who are overweight .

Well, most of Yoga Asana are static....these are basically stretching tones your muscles....during yogic exercise one is advised to breath in......hold breath.......and some extent it helps...

You can get variety of yogic asanas in social media you tube by different yoga Guru's. .... I had posted some videos of Dr. Pramod can choose carefully what suits you the careful not to overdo....don't try something which you are not comfortable with....

In this post I wanted to emphasize on Pranayam's to strengthen our lungs. Oxygen is freely made available by Mother Nature. We must make best use of it to strengthen our lungs , manage diabetic conditions , enhance immunity...

3-Natural ways you can enhance your blood oxygen level

(A) All the time , Please be conscious that you would like to increase your blood oxygen Level. Be conscious to inhale deeply...trying to extend the duration of Inhale as long as possible.......and then exhale gradually .....and repeat the cycle again and again for 2-3mnts. You can do this while watching TV, while sitting, while sleeping, while as many times as possible in a day ..every time 2-3 mnts

(B) Sleep in Prone position for sometime every day. In the morning , take yoga mat and sleep in Prone position ( upside down meaning sleep in your belly face down wards/ Advasan or reverse corpse position ) Sastang namaskar for 10-15 mnts.

(C) Pranayam every day morning

While you can get many of the video's in you tube... I am attaching some links which you will find simplified and easy....if you find difficulty in squatting, you can sit on a chair and do it.. you will definitely get the benefit good as running at high speed..

I wanted to strengthen my Lungs, respiratory system , enhance my immunity against Virus attack...but I never knew it would help in reducing my blood sugar too...🙂🙏

(1) Bhastrika (2) Kapal Bhati

(3) Antar kumbhaka (Internal retention)

(4) Bahya Kumbhaka(External retention)

(5) Anulom vilom- apply both antar / Bahya kumbhaka

(6) Bhramari Pranayam

Some of the video links given for your ready reference which I refer in framing my routine. ....

What I find when I do Antar kumbhaka sitting in my Yoga Mat by which I take a deep inhale and hold my breath for 60 seconds , then release .... I feel I have just finished a running race of 200 meters at high speed.... I started with 30 seconds, increased to 45 seconds , then to 1 minute I am at 75 seconds.....with gradual practice..

Bahya Kumbhaka which is more challenging ...i started holding for 15 seconds ...increased to 30 seconds I can go up to 45 seconds...but 30 seconds ok..... Watch the last link which explains very well both Antar kumbhaka and Bahya Kumbhaka. Mul- indriya means your urinary tract/ sex organ...which you need to contract and try to pull upwards as far as possible. In Bahya kumbhaka, normally it is advised to do contraction of both for the stomach and the Mul- Indriya during kumbhaka though the last video talks only about Mul- indriya !

May God Bless you and you live longer and healthier . 🙏

Precautions: Pranayam's are deep breathing exercises . while Pranayam's are safe for most people, if some one is sufferring from severe Hypertension , Asthma and giddiness, please consult your physician if you can do this.

In any case , Pranayama in mild form can always be tried by any one.

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