Side Effects of Anulom Vilom pranayam

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi All,

     I have just started doing nadi shodhan pranayama or Anulom vilom pranayama, I have little high blood pressure due to stress and anxiety. I read about this pranayama and watch on internet how to do it correctly so i am doing on my own daily 15 minutes. Please tell me if any time somehow I do it little incorrectly can there be any side effects of this breathing exercise though I do it as the steps mentioned by all the  teachers but still somehow if I do it wrong  can it cause me any problems. Please clarify my doubts.

Thanks And Regards
Arav

#2

Hello Arav,

It is best to learn pranayama directly from a teacher.

In your case (high blood pressure due to stress), please do [U]not[/U] do any breath retention. Just do alternate nostril breathing. And allow your breathing to be completely natural: Do not attempt to introduce a rhythm(e.g. 1:2) and do not attempt to lengthen the time of inhalation or exhalation. If you stick to these recommendations, you will not aggravate your condition. If not, you can actually increase your blood pressure, especially if you attempt to hold your breath in or out.

#3

Thanks willem for your reply.

Yes when I do this pranayam I don’t do breath retention and try to inhale deeply and exhale slowly and try not to create breath sound. Since I started doing this pranayama the tiredness of the body and mind is reduced I feel good and energetic is it a good sign. I have read that this pranayama can cure blood pressure. Till how much time I should do this alternate nostril breathing without retention or should i never do it.

Please give your comments it will be very helpful for me.

Regards
Arav

#4

Aravkr,
if your blood pressure is not VERY high, and especially if it’s caused by stress rather than a congenital problem or physical condition (hardening of arteries for example), you really don’t need to worry too much about ‘being careful’.
I have been teaching anuloma viloma for over 10 years, i’ve taught many people with blood pressure problems, I have always taught the full anuloma viloma quite quickly (within a few weeks the students are practising retention, and the ratio 1:2:4 - inhale:exhale:retention).
The only counter-indication is if you FEEL something is wrong… in which case listen to your body / feelings, and adjust the practice accordingly.

From what you wrote, it sounds as if your technique is fine. I suggest doing the full exercise, and see how you feel.

Ben

#5

Thanks a lot Ben,

Yes I have made all the test related to heart and all the test came normal my basic problem was that due to tough competition of studies i felt stress one day at the age of 19 suddenly i felt that my heart is beating fast and it was tachycardia but the pulse rate was not more than 120 when i had this uneasy fast pulse rate, the thing that came out was that my blood pressure was high. So to prevent this tachycardia and blood pressure i started this nadi shodhan pranayam, I have read this can make things better.

Can this pranayam cure my problems your comments will be very helpful.

Regards
Arav

#6

No, this pranayam will not cure your problems - YOU will cure your problems, and the pranayama will help you to do that.
Learning not to view life in terms of competition is the key. Slow down, and enjoy the ride more - the journey is more important than the destination.
At 19 it’s too young to feel stress. Enjoy yourself, live for the moment, be young and free. Studies are not so important - can I make a suggestion?
Ask yourself, what do I value? What do I value in my life. Make a list of your values. And then spend most of your time and energy on those things…

Pranayama is a wonderful tool, use it by all means. But don’t think of it as a cure.

With love to you,
Ben

#7

Once again thank you very much Ben.

Yes I will try to do as you have advised to me and will live in present moment to become more relaxed . I have felt good since i have started doing this pranayama, hope this will make my mind much more calm and make my body and mind relaxed and energetic because in general my mind is very restless and I feel tired easily. Once again thank you very much.

Regards
Arav

#8

You might like to read my blog (see signature below) - I hope that some of the writing there could help calm a restless mind.
Ultimately, the best thing for you would be meditation. Have you considered that? Read the articles on the blog about meditation, and think about it.
Ben

#9

Hi Ben,

I am little confused about the efficacy of pranayama as you have suggested, I should not think paranayama as a means to cure my problems. What it means that with this nadi shodhan pranayama will not help me much in tachycardia from which I have been suffering from a long time. Please give me any suggestions what else I can do naturally so that my heart rhythm come back to normal because 19 years of my life was very good I never had any health problems but suddenly this fast pulse rate problem came in my life and it makes me really uneasy in work and study. Any suggestions from your side will be very helpful to me because I have tried all the doctors and medicines but all in vain .

Once again thanks a lot to reply me I appreciate it a lot.

Regards
Arav

#10

Dear Aravkr,

After reading your correspondence (stress-induced tachychardia and high BP that does not respond to medication), I really stand by my first post.

Doing alternate nostril breathing without retention will give you all the benefits of relaxation without the risk of inducing more stress. Just one of the reasons for avoiding retention is that many people with stress tend to become less sensitive to their bodies and therefore may not even be able to tell when they are introducing more stress.

You are just fine with alternate nostril breathing. Breathe comfortably. If you like, you can add a mantra (Soham), with SO on the inhalation and HAM on the exhalation. Try this for three months, say 10 - 15 min in the morning before breakfast and 10 - 15 min in the evening before your dinner. Anything beyond that should be supervised directly by a competent teacher (in my opinion).

If you want to progress in pranayama or apply yoga therapeutically, you could try The Yoga Institute (www.yogainstitute.org) in Mumbai. You went to see a doctor. Why not see a yoga expert to “administer” such a powerful technique as pranayama?

I believe that yoga can help you to control stress and therefore your symptoms. In terms of asana, I would recommend gentle movement in harmony with your breath (pavanmuktanasana), gentle breathwork (abdominal breathing, ujjayi, alternate nostril breathing), and some meditation (such as yoga nidra). It would also help to examine your lifestyle for stressors and try to reduce these. And move to regular sleeping, eating, working and relaxation habits. It helps to have a teacher to guide you on this path.