Top 10 Simple Methods to Help Ease Asthma

Asthma symptoms cause shortness of breath, chest tightness, congestion, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. This lung disease affects over 25 million Americans. There are many reasons like stress, dust, mold, pollen, and change of weather that can directly aggravate this condition; thus, leading to asthma attacks. Sometimes, it is genetic.

For asthma patients, Pranayam (breathing exercise) Anulom vilom is essential. This breathing exercise may cure 70% of your asthma. This yoga Kriya clears the air passages, strengthens the lungs so that lungs can pump in more oxygen, and hold air in. This allows the patient to breathe easily. This is a safe and stress reducing process. First couple of months, when you start this yoga Kriya, it will be a little uncomfortable because you already have a breathing problem. But once you get used to Pranayam, the breath will move freely throughout the body, providing adequate nourishment to the cells, organs, tissues and glands. This helps reduce chest pain and relieves you of congestion. Sometimes, when you are sick and cannot sit on the floor or on a chair, you may still practice Pranayam slowly while resting straight on your back, and it really helps.

Practice yoga postures slowly six days a week. Whichever postures you can easily do. This will help release mental stress and body tension. This also helps strengthen the body and mind power. Your body may produce more energy to fight and face your daily physical challenges.

1. Grind horseradish and refrigerate it. Mix a teaspoonful of it with one teaspoonful of honey, and swallow with warm water daily 30 minutes before lunch.

2. Keep a piece of clove in your mouth to sooth the throat. It helps mucus move easily.

3. Consume hot soups daily to soothe your throat and cleanse digestive system.

4. To relieve asthma, swallow a crushed garlic clove in the a.m. and p.m. with warm water.

5. Use a humidifier in the house to moisturize the environment. It helps calm wheezing.

6. Boil a handful of eucalyptus leaves in an uncovered pot and inhale the steam. This may prove to be calming and soothing and it helps to ease your breath.

7. For asthma patients, exercise and walking with short intervals of rest, is essential. Yoga Shavasan (dead body posture), is highly recommended to relax your mind and body completely after any exercising and/ or walking.

8. Consume the juice of one lemon, a teaspoon of honey, and a cup of warm water to calm asthma attack. You may repeat it as needed. If diabetic, then avoid honey and use a little jaggery.

9. Boil crushed ginger (about two-inches) and a piece of licorice in three cups of water. Drink half a cup of this hot ginger tea with a little honey or artificial sweetener if necessary. This helps calm asthma and moves the mucus.

10. Dissolve 2×3″ of jaggery in a quart of water and drink all day. This helps cleanse the throat. Avoid consuming ice and cold drinks.

Meditation for five minutes every day helps us to feel oneness with The Source from where we all come from, to play our role on this temporary stage (the world). Believe in miracles, and miracles do happen. When we meditate in solitude, we disassociate ourselves from the outside materialistic world. Focus on your breath as you repeat, “I am a peaceful soul and I am not this body”, and try to associate with “the source”. Once you perceive you are an immortal soul, you may awaken your awareness and find abundance.

In asthma, practicing Bhastrika and Sitali breathing exercises for one minute everyday is useful to help our body produce more energy. It maybe a little difficult to take a deep breath, hold, and then release. If you can, take short breaths. Keep inhaling and exhaling vigorously, because practicing breathing exercises every day helps in clearing the air passage and it strengthens the lungs for pumping in more air. Your lungs may start retaining air for a couple seconds more. When we breathe deeply, the air dives deep down in the body, and energizes the dying cells; thus, making us healthy and energetic.

In asthma, Kapalbhati (breathing exercise) for five minutes really helps. Focus on exhaling rapidly and continuously. Take one breath per second, with a little force by contracting the abdominal muscles, and you may feel a little push in your lower back. Once you learn, then increase this to ten minutes. Be patient and slow. Give it some time, and your efforts will bring you great rewards.