Wednesday's yoga procedure for diabetes

ANULOMA-VILOMA
Anuloma Viloma is also called Alternate Nostril Breathing. It is also known as Nadishudhan pranayama and it is another process of purification. It strengthens the lungs and calms the nerves. It helps the human body to get rid of the toxins that have built up through stress and pollution. It also helps to cure cough and colds, insomnia, chronic headaches and asthma. Normally, the person performing this exercise, actually inhales through one nostril and then he or she has to retain the breath for a few moments and then exhale the air through the other nostril. As a general rule our left nostril is considered to be the path of the Nadi, called Ida and the right one the path of the Nadi called pingala. A healthy person is very likely to breathe through the Ida nostril for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, followed by the other nostril. Unfortunately, due to a series of factors related to the precarious health condition, many people have their breathing rhythm disturbed. In such cases, Anuloma Viloma restores, equalizes and gradually balances the flow of Prana in your body.

Steps to be followed while practicing this technique
•You should sit in a comfortable meditative pose keeping the head, neck and spine erect. Place your left hand on your left knee or thigh.
•Place your right index and middle finger on the space between your eyebrows. Then, place your right thumb on your right nostril, while the right ring finger should be placed on the left nostril. Start inhaling through the left nostril, by closing the right one to a count of four.
•Hold your breath and count up to sixteen.
•Then exhale through your right nostril, to the count of eight, while closing the left nostril with the ring finger.
•To the count of four, you should inhale through the right nostril by keeping the left one closed.
•To the count of sixteen, you should hold your breath by closing both nostrils.
•Then exhale through the left nostril, to the count of eight while keeping the right nostril closed.


**The inhaling and exhaling should be done very slowly and without making any sound. This exercise should be repeated 10 times.