The temperatures in Riyadh during early mornings is presently hovering around 12 degree centigrade. Everything is so cold in the morning. The floor, the clothes, the utensils in the kitchen... brrrr... even with hot water in the wash basin, once you dry your hand, they become cold almost immediately.
But there is relief. When I was doing bahya pranayam the other day, I got sudden and lasting relief from the cold. My palms warmed up immediately and I felt the warmth spreading through my body. You have to try this. So what exactly do you do in Bahya Pranayam?
Sit on the floor, in sukhasan, siddhasan or padmasan. This is a given. Check out basic asanas if you like.
Step 1. Breath in normal
Step 2. Breath out forcefully to exhale all air from lungs and abdomen.
Step 3. Then apply the three bandhas as follows.
a. Jaalandhar Bandha - Press your chin to your throat so that the throat cavity is closed
b. Uddiyana Bandha - Pulling the stomach inwards as much as you can
c. Moola Bandha - Muscular action of pulling the anus and lower abdomen inwards
Step 4. Hold in this exhaled position as long as you can hold the breath.
Step 5. Release the three Bandhas one by one [Jaalandhar, Uddiyan, Moola] in that order.
This may read as many complicated steps. Believe me, it is not all that difficult. You can get the technique with a bit of practice, in a week or so many times. Then it is the matter of doing it regularly to perfect it.
So now, to drive away the early morning cold, try bahya pranayam a few times, of course along with the other pranayam. :)
