“At 52, I’m healthier than many 30-year-olds.” A personal story about the experience of breathing practices

professional philosopher and orientalist, mentor of experts in the field of self-development

I started practicing pranayama – breathing exercises in the holistic system of yoga – in the late 90s, while traveling to India and preparing my thesis on Indology. At first it was separate courses with traditional Indian yoga masters, but gradually the practice became regular. By now I have been doing breathing exercises daily for over 20 years, of which I have been teaching for 15 years.

Each morning begins with intense breathing through intense pranayamas such as bhastrika and kapalabhati. The former involves intense inhalation and exhalation with full opening and contraction of the rib cage like a forge (hence the name bhastrika). The second one is performed with an intensified exhalation of the abdomen due to a sharp contraction of the abdominal muscles, while the inhalation is done automatically in a relaxed state.

Usually after that I also do the exercise “tri-bandha locks” while holding the breath on deep exhalation, which makes the abdomen retract due to vacuum, as if it is trying to stick from inside to the spine and even gets sucked under the ribs.

Sometimes I add the technique of agni-sara-dhauti, i.e. during the delay I additionally alternately push out and pull in the abdominal wall. Literally 10-15 minutes of such practice includes all systems of the organism into active life, and further it is possible to proceed to asanas or daily affairs according to the situation.

Evening time is more suitable for breathing techniques aimed at relaxation, calming and harmonization after a hard day’s work, although my activity is mainly mental, but teaching and even creativity also take a lot of energy.

The practice of nadi-shodhana, or channel cleansing, is best suited here, when the right and left nostril alternate when breathing: inhale to the right – exhale to the left, inhale to the left – exhale to the right, and then on to the next cycle. The result is a peaceful state with a clear mind and lightness in the body.

Breathing exercises can be used throughout the day to manage one’s state of mind when one needs to intentionally activate or calm down. In this way, I am able to regulate my own psyche and body.

After a quarter of a century of pranayama practice, as I approach my 52nd birthday, I am calm and energetic at the same time, well balanced and can serve as an example to young 30 year old yoga instructors on how to be in great shape.

What’s to say that I don’t have the problems common to this age, such as overweight, cellulite, varicose veins, headaches, high blood pressure and others. I am practically healthy – and when I compare myself to others around me, I can say that I am extremely happy.

Expert opinion

Dean of the Faculty of Sports Industry at Synergy University, Ph.

Breathing practices are not as popular as physical practices, but their effect is often greater. Let’s find out why this is the case.

The heroine of the story is a perfect example of how breathing practices can make life more balanced and healthy.

Breathing is the essence of life. Prana means energy, and ayama means the distribution of that energy. Pranayama is the teaching of breathing. By practicing pranayama, we are not only working on the physical level, but also on the energetic level. We learn to move energy in different directions depending on the tasks and needs of the body.

Maria makes excellent use of different breathing practices in her life – in the morning you need energy and warming up, active bhastrika and kapalabhati practices are suitable. They have additional positive effects.

Thus, bhastrika gets rid of toxins, speeds up metabolism, increases the “inner fire in the body” (especially relevant in the cold season), heals the respiratory tract (prevention of throat diseases), harmonizes the central nervous system, relieves drowsiness and helps to quickly fill up with energy.

However, there are contraindications – pregnancy, critical days, serious brain diseases, epilepsy, any inflammatory and infectious diseases, malignant tumors of abdominal and pelvic organs, hypertension, heart disease.

Kapalabhati removes toxins, clears sinuses and respiratory tract, improves brain function due to oxygen enrichment, stimulates digestive system, strengthens abs.

Do not perform this practice in the first days of the cycle in women, pregnant women who have cardiovascular diseases, abdominal hernia and recently undergone surgery in the abdomen, as well as on a full stomach (at least two hours after eating), ideally – in the morning, immediately after waking up.

Mary’s evening practice of nadi-shodhana pranayama, often called alternate breathing practice, is primarily concerned with restoring the balance of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It is good to practice at the end of the day to calm down, get rid of any excitement and feel balanced, to switch from activity mode to rest mode.

There are many different techniques that can be practiced as separate practices, or you can incorporate breathing into your yoga practice.

The effect of pranayam comes after a minimum of two minutes of practice. We increase the time gradually. You can practice sitting, it is important to keep your back straight, for beginners you can sit next to the wall. Some practices can be done standing or even lying down.

There are various applications for breathing practices, counting the length of inhalation, exhalation and breath holding, which will help in home pranayama practice.