Given the amount of toxins present in our surrounding, we need to incorporate a certain practice of Panting Dog Breath of Fire into our routine from time to time. There is no doubt that its regular will help cleanse and detoxify your entire system. Breath of Fire and Kapalabhati breathing are two yogic breathing techniques that can flood the system with oxygen and promote the release of toxins.
Free radicals develop due to the accumulation of toxins in the body. Toxins, themselves, are a product of our lifestyle, our diet, the environment and our emotional patterns.
With our unregulated and undisciplined lifestyle, the kind of food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and our emotional pulls and pressures, certain hormones are secreted that have a tendency to leave behind toxins.
Breath of Fire
According to the advanced yogis, breath of fire oxygenates and detoxifies your blood. Regular practice can build your lung capacity, clear your respiratory system, balance your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, heat your body to increase energy, boost your immune system, build concentration, reduce addictive impulses and improve your sense of well-being. Think of breath of fire as a tune-up for your system so all parts work harmoniously together.
Instructions
- Begin by sitting in Virasana (Hero Pose) ~ buttocks on ankles, knees together, spine extended, and gazing forward (just as in Camel Pose).
- Lean forward slightly, and rest your hands on your knees.
- Now open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out as far as it will go.
- Begin to pant like a dog. Don’t hold back; stick your tongue out and pant like a dog.
- All the breathing should be taking place through the mouth.
- Emphasize the exhalation, and with every exhalation your stomach should be contracting in towards your spine sharply (just as in Breath of Fire). The pace should be fast, just like a dog’s panting.
- If you feel a metallic taste emerging on the back of your tongue, this is toxic heavy metals being released and cleansed from deep within your tissue; keep going!
Work in this pose for between 1 – 5 minutes. If 1 minute is too much you can start with 15 seconds and build up from there as well.
Try adding this exercise to the end of your yoga practice.