How to remove pollution from your lungs

Have you ever seen your white shirt at the and of the day? Have you noticed the blackish coating on it? Well, Atleast you can wash your
shirt! But what happens to your lungs which get this coating everyday? Pranayam is most effective in cleaning the lungs, If done regularly,
the fitness of your whole body improves.
Pranayam is a systematic exercise of respiration, which makes the lungs stronger, improves blood circulation and makes the man healthier.
Physiology teaches us that the air (Prana) we breathe in fills our lungs, spreads in the entire body, providing it with essential oxygen. If this
action of the respiratory system is done regularly and efficiently, lungs become healthy. However, most of the people do not have the habit of
breathing deeply with the result that only one-fourth part of the lungs is brought into action and 75 percent remains idle. Like the
honeycomb, lungs are made of about 75 million cells, comparable to a sponge in their making. On normal breathing, to which we all are
accustomed, only about 20 million pores in the lungs get oxygen, whereas remaining 55million pores remain deprived of the benefit, with
the result that they get contaminated by several diseases like tuberculosis, respiratory diseases and several ailments like coughing,
bronchitis etc.
The inefficient functioning of the lungs affects the process of blood purification. Heart weakens because of this with a constant possibility of
untimely death. It is for this reason that the importance of Pranayama has come to be recognized, for a healthy long life. Several diseases
can be averted by regular practice of Pranayama. Hence, it is obvious that the knowledge of the science of Pranayama and its regular
practice enables a man to lead a healthy and long life...

How does pollution effect the body?

Your lungs are made up of tiny round spongy sacs, called alveoli sacs. These expand during inhalation and allow the oxygen to be
absorbed into the blood. Pollutants destroy the elasticity of the elveoli sacs and many of them get destroyed also leading to cancer. Lac of
rich oxygen supply to the body effects all systems adversely.

Symptoms of pollution in the lungs

Shortness of breath
Tiredness
Headache
Asthma and breathing problems
Cough and congestion
Sinuses

How pranayama works

Pranayama is an amazing technique to purify your lungs. When you learn to breathe correctly a rich supply of oxygen is available to your
body which slowly clears the pollutants from your lungs making the cells healthy again.
Many of you may not know that: there is a small bit of air in your lungs that remains even after exhalation. This is called the residual volume
of air this poisonous air consists of Carbon Monoxide, Carbon dioxide, Nitrous oxide, Nitrogen dioxide and Suspended Particles.
Pranayama is very effective in removing this poisonous air from your body.
I am giving you below a three step breathing routine to clean your lungs.
In the pranayama practices there are three important aspects of breathing which are utilized. These are:

Pooraka or inhalation (Most people dont know how to inhale. Inhalation takes atleast 10 seconds. So inhale deeply and expand
your chest.)
Kumbhaka or breath retention (Inhale and hold your breath. As long as you can. Normally when you inhale there is no retention, but
if you can learn to retain your breath it will greatly increases the absorption of the oxygen.)
Rechaka or exhalation (Exhale slowly for 15 seconds, so that every last bit of air is removed from your lungs.)
Each technique should be done 5 times.
Bhastrika Pranayam
Sit in any comfortable posture like Sukhasan, Vajrasan and Padmasan with back and neck straight. Inhalation and exhalation should be
through your nostrils only. Keep your eyes closed.

While inhaling deeply raise your arms up.

Exhale forcefully brings your arms down till your shoulder level.
Keep concentrating on the breathing and the counting.
After doing this close both nostrils and retain the breath for a few seconds.

Do this 100 times

Benefits: This practice burns up toxins and removes diseases. Because of the rapid exchange of air in the lungs, there is an increase in the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide into and out of the bloodstream. This pranayam increases lot of heat in the body and removes
residual volume of air from the lungs.
If some one has high BP and heart problems. Please dont do this pranayam.

Kapalbhatti Kriya
Its a purification technique to clean the naadis and also calms the mind. Its used to energise the mind for mental work. It has similar
cleansing effect on the lungs as bhastrika and is, therefore, a good for asthmatics and those suffering from bronchitis and tuberculosis.
It opens up all the blockages from the lungs and also strengthens the nervous system and tones the digestive organs.

Sit in any comfortable posture with back and neck straight in chin mudra.
While exhaling push your abdomen in forcefully, and inhale naturally.

Do this kriya for atleast 5 mins.

Keep in mind while doing Pranayam.

Sit in any of the Asanas, viz. Padmasana, Sidhasana or Vajrasana, which ever you find comfortable.
Breathe only through the nose, because by doing so the air which you take in, is filtered.
Select a clean and peaceful place for doing Pranayama.
Try to do pranayama early in the morning with empty stomach
Find a place with lots of trees so that you can take fresh oxygen into your lungs.