Yoga Practice Name
Surya Bhedana
English Name
Sun Piercing Breath
Yoga Practice Branch
Ashtang Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga
Yoga Practice Type
Ashtang Yoga Category
Pratyahara
Hatha Yoga Category
Pranayama
Steps and Description
- Sit in vajrasana or sukhasana(any comfortable pose), adopt nasika mudra.
- Keep your spine straight and take few deep breathes to make your mind focused and relaxed, bring focus inwards on your breathing.
- Close your left nostril with your other two opened fingers and inhale slowly through the right nostril(Surya nadi) as much as you can.
- Close your right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.
- While doing this practice, focus on your breathings and feel the positive energy inwards.
- Continue the same process for few more times or as much as you can according to your capacity and preferences.
- Maintain silence for few minutes, focus on your breathings and observe the benefits of surya bhedana.
Practice Keynotes
- While doing this practice, focus on your breathings and feel the positive energy inwards.
- Maintain silence for few minutes, focus on your breathings and observe the benefits of surya bhedana.
Cautions and Limitations
- Never practise surya bhedana pranayama after food as it will interfere with the natural flow of energy associated with digestion.
- Those suffering from heart ailments should not attempt retention of breath.
- Under no circumstance should the breath be forced. Never breathe through the mouth.
- Proceed carefully and only under expert guidance. At the slightest sign of discomfort, reduce the duration of inhalation/ exhalation/retention and, if necessary, discontinue the practice.
- Pranayama should never be rushed.
- Person with breathing ailments must consult the suitability of pranayama with their doctor.
Contraindications
- Never practise surya bhedana pranayama after food as it will interfere with the natural flow of energy associated with digestion.
- Those suffering from heart ailments should not attempt retention of breath.
- People suffering from heart disease, hypertension or epilepsy should not practise this pranayama.
General Benefits
- This practice creates heat in the body and counteracts imbalances of the vata dosha or wind element.
- Burn downs the calories, that eventually reduces the body fat.
- Beneficial for obesity.
- Helps to cure mental problems like Depression, Anxiety etc.
- Beneficial for breathing-related problems like asthma, brochitis etc.
- Warm ups the body, which makes it more active.
Benefits for Disease
Depression
