Pranayama: Yoga Breathing Practice

Pranayama for An Ayurvedic Cleanse from Adena Harford on Vimeo.

You may practice along with this video as part of your dinacharya.  This video explains two types of pranayama – Kapalabhati and Nadi Shodhana.

Kapalabhati practice is an energizing, cleansing breath, that focuses on  short exhale.  The abdomen or diaphragm is used to help expel air forcefully out the nostrils.

Nadi shodhana is also called alternate nostril breathing, or nerve cleansing.  It’s a very gentle practice, which is calming, and helps to turn on our parasympathetic nervous system – telling our body to relax.