| Aside from being a form of relaxing exercise, yoga | | | | Sitting erect on the floor, crossing your legs and |
| has also been used by asthmatics to achieve relief | | | | clasping your knees is all it takes. Breathe deeply |
| over their condition. Researches conducted by | | | | through the nose for about five minutes or until the |
| various Yoga Centres across the globe have shown | | | | symptoms start to subside or totally vanishes. |
| astonishing results in improving the condition of | | | | Shoulder lifts: For this method, you will need to lie flat |
| asthmatics. In some cases it has also been found | | | | on the floor with your hands stretched above your |
| that yoga can help asthmatics avoid and control | | | | head. Relax for a couple of breaths then slowly lift up |
| attacks without the aid of conventional medication | | | | your shoulders towards the front together with |
| thereby minimizing dependency. | | | | head, crunching the abdomen as if you are curling up. |
| The exercises associated with yoga (asanas, kiriyas, | | | | Inhale as you get up and exhale when retracting. |
| pranayamas, along with relaxation and meditation) | | | | Kapalabhati: A highly meditative breathing technique, |
| have been known to calm down the whole system, | | | | Kaphalabati requires that you breathe rapidly in short |
| bringing equilibrium in a sense, which in turn facilitates | | | | sequences and consciously control the movements of |
| proper assimilation of nutrients taken from the food | | | | the diaphragm. This will exercise the entire respiratory |
| that you eat, strengthen the lungs, digestive and | | | | system bringing relief within a couple of minutes after |
| circulatory system. With continuous practice, control | | | | starting. |
| is achieved to a great extent that attacks and flare | | | | It is advised that when practicing yoga it would be |
| ups will almost be nonexistent. | | | | best if you're on an empty stomach only taking few |
| Practice and mastery of yoga can also bring about | | | | sips of water from time to time in order to keep |
| greater self awareness helping you to accurately | | | | your airways most. Using light, loose-fitting clothes |
| pin-point your own triggers and the patterns | | | | and practicing in a comfortable, well ventilated, airy |
| associated with your condition. Even simple yogic | | | | room or outdoors with enough space for any of the |
| practices help regulate breathing patterns as well as | | | | exercises you will be doing is also an advantage. |
| enhance lung functioning and correct erroneous | | | | Mastery of yoga is not that easy to achieve, that is |
| breathing habits that have been developed over time. | | | | why it would be best to get help from experts first |
| Some of the yoga poses that help in alleviating or | | | | so that you will be able to get professional advice as |
| preventing asthma include: | | | | to what forms of yoga will work best for your |
| Sukhasana: the easiest of all the yoga poses available. | | | | condition. |