The proverbial yoga guru—Baba Ramdev, is in Lucknow these days. And unlike last time there is not a single school student at the yoga camp he is conducting this time. Apparently because it’s exam time—the most stressful part of a student’s life.
But Baba Ramdev says stress increases stress. Stress makes bad hormones secrete more. So a student should face exams without stress.
He has something for students facing exams. He gives ten minutes recipe for managing stress and help memory retention.
Keeping in mind the time crunch that a student faces during exam time, Baba Ramdev, tells HT WE that if a student spares just ten minutes to do Anulom-Vilom, Bhramari and Udgeet Pranayams than he will be able to cope with exams better.
Anulom-Vilom for five minutes, Bhramari five times and Udgeet for five times.
Anulom-Vilom Pranayama (AVP) is done with alternate breathing from the left and right nostrils for cleansing of Nadis. (energy meridians). Seated in a convenient posture, start off with slow inhalation from the left nostril first by closing the right nostril with the middle of right hand thumb, and after fully filling the lungs, breathe out slowly from the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the two (left hand middle and ring) fingers.
Now breathe in from the right nostril by closing the left nostril in the above manner and exhale from the left nostril by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. It completes one cycle.
{{/usCountry}}Now breathe in from the right nostril by closing the left nostril in the above manner and exhale from the left nostril by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. It completes one cycle.
{{/usCountry}}Continue cycles of alternate breathing for 5 minutes with break for rest after each minute, if required or do continuously for 5 minutes. Gradually, with practice, the speed of breathing can be increased to medium and to fast. While you do this pranayama visualise that the Divine power and the Divine knowledge is being bestowed upon you in the process.
Bhramari Pranayama: Bhramara means a bumble bee. The Pranayama gets its name from the resounding sound produced like the bumble bee, during exhalation. After breathing in fully, place both of your thumbs of the hands inside the ears so as to close the latter, place index fingers on both sides of the forehead and the three fingers each on both sides of the nose. Slightly pressing the sides of the nose with the fingers, exhale from both the nostrils, as if chanting OM from the nose, making a humming sound like a bee.
Udgeet Pranayama After performance of the two pranayama concentrate your mind on the respiration and mediate on the sacred Mantra “Aum”. Sit in Sukhasan, Siddhasan , Padamasan and with every act of breathing in and breathing out, go on repeating the Mantra “AUM” . The speed of respiration should be so slow and subtle that you yourself also may not aware of sound.
And you can have short relaxing rest, two or five minutes, in form of Shava Asana: Relax for some time in Shava Asana (Corpse posture) with normal breathing keeping the eyes closed, lying down on the back keeping some distance between the legs and spreading the hands away from the body. It gives a lot of relaxation.