Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY): Art of living

 


 


Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a method of cyclical controlled breathing with its roots in traditional yoga. 


A fundamental aim of SKY is to elicit a mind-body interaction of calmness and alertness. A typical SKY session is 90 min long and consists of four distinct yogic breathing stages (Ujjayi, Bhastrika, Om, and Sudarshan Kriya). 


Before starting SKY, wear comfortable clothes, take a comfortable seat, and seat in a straight position and do all the following steps with closed eyes 



Step1: Ujjayi 

Ujjayi involves experiencing the conscious sensation of the breath touching the throat. This slow breath technique is performed at a rate of 2–4 breaths per minute (bpm). 


Step2: Bhastrika

During Bhastrika, the air is rapidly inhaled and forcefully exhaled at a rate of 30 bpm. Three 1-min rounds of Bhastrika are followed by a few minutes of normal breathing. 


Step 3: Om chanting

Next, Om is chanted 3 times with very prolonged expiration. 


Step 4: Sudarshan Kriya

Sudarshan Kriya’s rhythmic breathing is done with slow (20 bpm), medium (40–50 bpm), and fast (60–80 bpm) breathing.


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