Q.List any four asanas recommended for the prevention and control of asthma.

Pranayama in the Yogic Management of Lifestyle Disease

Pranayama — the practice of consciously regulating the breath — is one of the tools this unit uses alongside asanas to manage lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, bronchial asthma, hypertension, and low back pain. Understanding what pranayama actually does, and being honest about where it fits, is more useful than treating it as a stand-alone cure for any single condition, including obesity.

What Pranayama Does

The word breaks into prana (breath, or vital energy) and ayama (extension, regulation). Pranayama is the deliberate control of the rate, depth, and rhythm of breathing, practised through specific techniques. Several genuine, well-documented effects follow from sustained practice:

• Better oxygenation. Slow, full breathing draws more air into the lungs than the shallow breathing most people default to, supporting the body's normal energy-releasing processes.
• Calming the nervous system. Steady, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") branch of the nervous system, which counteracts the stress response. Since chronic stress is itself linked to poor eating habits, disturbed sleep, and weight gain, this calming effect is relevant to overall lifestyle-disease management.
• Supporting digestion. Deep diaphragmatic breathing gently massages the abdominal organs with every breath, which can support digestive function.
• Building awareness. A regular pranayama practice trains attention and self-regulation — qualities that also help a person notice and moderate habits like overeating or inactivity.

The Common Techniques

This unit's own yogic-management approach to the various lifestyle diseases draws on a small set of named pranayama practices — among them Nadishuddhi (alternate nostril breathing, used to balance and calm), Bhastrika (a vigorous bellows-style breath), and Bhramari (a humming breath used for calming). These same breathing practices, alongside the asanas specific to each condition, form the chapter's overall yogic-management toolkit.

Being Honest About the Link to Obesity …