How to Treat Asthma With Yoga

Some medical studies show that practicing simple yoga breathing techniques can be as effective in controlling asthma as a corticosteroid inhaler. According to experts, the effects may be due to increased relaxation, increased lung capacity or both. Either way, a few minutes a day could lead to a fuller life with less medication for some asthmatic. You can choose from two levels of complexity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Simple Yoga Breathing for Asthma

1. Close your eyes.
2. Inhale naturally.
3. Exhale naturally.
4. Pause without holding your breath for 1 or 2 seconds before inhaling again. This brings the exhalation to full completion. You’ll exhale for about twice as long as you inhale.

Deep Yoga Breathing for Asthma

5. Sit in a comfortable position with good posture. Your spine must be straight to allow your lungs to fill completely.
6. Sit with your hands on your tummy and inhale. Fill the tummy first and then the upper lungs. The parts you’re filling should be expanding as you inhale.
7. When the breath has filled you up to your throat, begin immediately to exhale. Your body should contract as you exhale. Exhale until you’re completely empty.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 3 four times.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t force your breathing to be slow or deep. Take it easy. If you have to inhale deeply, do so and then return to natural breaths.
• Perform this breath any time during the day to help you relax.
• If you're relatively inactive, this kind of breathing is particularly important. Hunching over a computer keyboard, for example, can starve your cells of oxygen, making you tired and short of breath.