Pranayama, bandhas and dhyana

Pranayama controls prana through the breath. Phases: puraka (slow deep inhalation), kumbhaka (holding the breath in or out) and rechaka (slow exhalation, about twice as long as puraka).

Yogic deep breathing combines abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing: fill the abdomen, then the chest, then the collar-bone region; empty in reverse; four or five rounds.

Nadishodhana (anuloma-viloma): alternate-nostril breathing with a 1:1 ratio, slow and silent; calms the mind. Ujjayi: inhale through both nostrils with the glottis partly closed, making a soft even sound; clears the throat.

Bandhas are locks: Jalandhara bandha, chin lowered to the chest notch while holding the breath (throat region; avoid with heart disease and cervical spondylitis); Uddiyana bandha, abdomen pulled in and up after full exhalation (abdominal region; avoid with heart disease).

Dhyana (meditation): sit still, hands in jnana mudra, watch the breath for 5-7 minutes. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helps control blood pressure and heart rate, and reduces anxiety.