Date: 2020 (Pandemic era) | Source: Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
Tags: yoga practices, Shodhana Kriya, Yogasana, Kapalabhati, Pranayama, Nadishodhana, Ujjayi, Bhramari, Yoga Nidra, meditation, Common Yoga Protocol, 10-minute yoga, 20-minute yoga, 45-minute yoga, contraindications, do's and don'ts
This section covers the seven categories of yoga practice recommended by the AYUSH guidelines, with specific do's, don'ts, and evidence-based benefits for each. It also details the three timed Common Yoga Protocol sequences (10, 20, and 45 minutes), listing every posture and its allocated duration.
Shodhana Kriya
Yogic cleansing practices. Includes Jalaneti (nasal wash with lukewarm saline water) and Sutra Neti (nasal cleansing with a thread).
Kapalabhati
Rapid, forceful exhalations with passive inhalations, performed at 40–60 strokes per minute. Classified as a Kriya (cleansing practice), not a pranayama, though it serves as preparation for pranayama.
Nadishodhana Pranayama (aka Anuloma Viloma)
Alternate nostril breathing. Reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, stimulates vagal (parasympathetic) activity, and decreases stress and anxiety.
Ujjayi Pranayama
A breathing technique producing a soft hissing or ocean-like sound. Increases oxygen saturation in the body.
Bhramari Pranayama
Bee-sound breathing (humming on the exhale). May increase nasal Nitric Oxide, which has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Pratyahara
Withdrawal of the senses. Yoga Nidra falls under this limb of yoga.
Shavasana
The corpse posture. A supine relaxation pose typically used at the end of an asana sequence.
Includes Jalaneti and Sutra Neti.
Do: Use lukewarm water for cleansing. Follow Jalneti with Kapalabhati to remove all water from the nasal passage. Practise weekly, once or twice.
Avoid: Cases of epistaxis (nosebleed), middle ear infection, and recent ENT surgery.
Benefits: Cleanses sinuses, beneficial in allergic conditions, reduces upper airway reactivity.
The Pawanamuktasana series: neck movements, shoulder rotation, trunk movement, knee movement, ankle rotation.
Do: Move the joints as far as possible. Perform slowly with breath awareness.
Avoid: Cases of severe joint pain and illness. Do not over-strain.
Benefits: Increases blood circulation, reduces stiffness, enhances joint flexibility. Serves as preparation for asana practice.
Standing, sitting, prone, and supine positions. Key postures named: Ushtrasana, Utthana Mandukasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Vakrasana, Bhujangasana, Sarala Matsyasana.
Do: Practise with breath awareness. Prefer asanas that involve chest expansion. Beginners and elderly should follow simplified versions. Cardiac patients should practise with care as advised by yoga experts.
Avoid: Cardiac disorders, abdominal hernia, inflammation, ulcers, recent abdominal surgery, vertigo. Hypertensive patients should bend with care. Do not exceed your limits or overdo lateral stretches.
Benefits: Improves chest expansion and cardiopulmonary functions.
Do: 40–60 strokes per minute. Best practised early in the morning on an empty stomach.
Avoid: Hypertension, cardiac problems, respiratory distress, slipped disc.
Benefits: Improves pulmonary functions, reduces secretions, cleanses frontal sinuses. Serves as a preparatory practice for pranayama.
Includes sectional breathing, Nadishodhana, Ujjayi, and Bhramari.
Do: Breath should be slow, steady, and controlled. Start with few repetitions and gradually increase. If possible, maintain a 1:2 ratio for inhalation to exhalation.
Avoid: In cardiac disorders, start with very few repetitions and build gradually. Do not practise breath retention or holds at the initial stage. Never force or restrict the breath.
Benefits:
Nadishodhana reduces sympathetic activity, stimulates parasympathetic (vagal) activity, decreases stress and anxiety
Ujjayi increases oxygen saturation
Bhramari (humming) may increase nasal Nitric Oxide, improving blood flow to ciliary epithelium with anti-inflammatory action
Do: Follow mentally with awareness as per instructions. Keep eyes closed and avoid body movements. Gradually increase the duration.
Avoid: Opening eyes until asked. Sleeping during the practice. Asking questions during the session, even mentally. Moving the body.
Benefits: Reduces sympathetic arousal, reduces emotional distress, improves sleep quality. Rejuvenates the body and calms the mind.
Do: Beginners may use soothing background music or simply observe the breath. Practise for as long as you can.
Avoid: Opening eyes. Shaking the body. Being judgemental with thoughts.
Benefits: Reduces anxiety and stress by lowering cortisol and enhancing alpha brain wave activity. Stabilises the body and calms the mind. Balances neuroendocrine function, which supports the immune system.
Total duration: 10 minutes. Structure:
A – Starting: Prayer (30 seconds)
B – Loosening Practices: Neck Bending, Shoulder Movement, Trunk Movement (2 minutes)
C – Yoga Practices:
Standing: Tadasana (Palm Tree), Ardha Chakrasana (Half Wheel) – 1 minute each
Sitting: Sasakasana (Hare) – 1 minute
Prone: Bhujangasana (Cobra) – 1 minute
Supine: Pawana Muktasana (Wind Releasing) – 1 minute
D – Pranayama: Anuloma Viloma / Nadishodhana, 2 rounds (1 minute)
E – Dhyana: Meditation (1 minute)
Closing: Sankalpa / Shanti Patha (30 seconds)
Total duration: 20 minutes. Adds more asanas, a Kriya, and a second pranayama to the 10-minute version.
A – Starting: Prayer (30 seconds)
B – Loosening Practices: Neck Bending, Shoulder Movement, Trunk Movement (2.5 minutes)
C – Yoga Practices:
Standing: Tadasana, Pada Hastasana (Hands to Feet) or Ardha Chakrasana, Trikonasana (Triangle) – 4 minutes total
Sitting: Bhadrasana (Firm/Auspicious), Ardha Ushtrasana (Half Camel), Sasakasana, Vakrasana (Seated Twist) – 4 minutes total
Prone: Bhujangasana – 1 minute
Supine: Pawana Muktasana – 1 minute
D – Kriya: Kapalabhati, 1 round of 30 cycles (1 minute)
E – Pranayama: Anuloma Viloma, 5 rounds (2 minutes) + Bhramari, 3 rounds (1.5 minutes)
F – Dhyana: Meditation (2 minutes)
Closing: Sankalpa / Shanti Patha (30 seconds)
Total duration: 45 minutes. The full protocol. Includes the widest range of postures, longer meditation, and three types of pranayama.
A – Starting: Prayer (1 minute)
B – Loosening Practices: Neck Bending (2 min), Shoulder Movement (2 min), Trunk Movement (1 min), Knee Movement (1 min) – 6 minutes total
C – Yoga Practices (23 minutes total):
Standing: Tadasana (1), Vrikshasana/Tree (2), Pada-hastasana (1), Ardha Chakrasana (1), Trikonasana (2) – 7 minutes
Sitting: Bhadrasana (1), Vajrasana/Thunderbolt (1), Ardha Ushtrasana (1), Ushtrasana/Camel (1), Sasakasana (1), Utthana Mandukasana/Stretched-up Frog (1), Vakrasana (2) – 8 minutes
Prone: Makarasana/Crocodile (1), Bhujangasana (1), Shalabhasana/Locust (1) – 3 minutes
Supine: Setubandhasana/Bridge (1), Utthanapadasana/Raised Leg (0.5), Ardha Halasana/Half Plough (0.5), Pawana Muktasana (2), Shavasana/Corpse (2) – 6 minutes (note: includes final relaxation within this section, not separately)
D – Kriya: Kapalabhati (2 minutes)
E – Pranayama: Anuloma Viloma (2 min), Ujjayi (2 min, 5 rounds), Bhramari (2 min, 5 rounds) – 6 minutes total
F – Dhyana: Meditation (5 minutes)
Closing: Sankalpa Shanti Patha (1 minute)
Additional notes for the 45-minute protocol:
Yoga Nidra for 20 minutes is advised two or three times per week (separate from the 45-minute session)
Jalaneti and Sutraneti may be practised once or twice per week
⚠️ Kapalabhati is classified as a Kriya (cleansing practice), not a Pranayama, even though it involves breathing. This distinction matters in yogic taxonomy.
⚠️ The 1:2 inhalation-to-exhalation ratio is the target for pranayama, but only "if possible" – it is a goal, not a starting requirement.
⚠️ Breath retention (kumbhaka) is explicitly excluded at the initial stage of pranayama practice. This is a safety point the guidelines stress.
⚠️ For hospitalised patients, the guidelines specifically exclude breath-awareness meditation. Only meditative practices without a breath-focus component are recommended. This is a subtle but important distinction.
⚠️ Contraindications vary by practice. Key ones to remember: Kapalabhati is contraindicated in hypertension and respiratory distress. Yogasanas involving forward bends are contraindicated in abdominal hernia and recent surgery. Neti is contraindicated in epistaxis and middle ear infection.
⚠️ The three CYP tiers (10, 20, 45 minutes) are cumulative. Each longer version contains everything in the shorter one plus additional practices. The 20-minute version adds Kriya and Bhramari. The 45-minute version adds Ujjayi, more asanas, and longer meditation.
Q: At what rate should Kapalabhati be performed, and what are its main contraindications?
A: 40–60 strokes per minute. Contraindicated in hypertension, cardiac problems, respiratory distress, and slipped disc.
Q: What is the recommended inhalation-to-exhalation ratio for pranayama practice in these guidelines?
A: 1:2 (inhalation to exhalation), if possible. This is a target, not a mandatory starting ratio.
Q: Why is Bhramari pranayama considered relevant to respiratory immune defence?
A: The humming exhalation may increase nasal Nitric Oxide (NO), which improves blood flow to the ciliary epithelium and has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action.
Q: What distinguishes the 20-minute CYP from the 10-minute version?
A: The 20-minute version adds Kapalabhati as a Kriya, Bhramari as a second pranayama alongside Anuloma Viloma, additional asanas (Bhadrasana, Ardha Ushtrasana, Vakrasana, Trikonasana, Pada Hastasana), and increases meditation from 1 to 2 minutes.
Q: Name three contraindications for yogasana practice according to the AYUSH guidelines.
A: Cardiac disorders, abdominal hernia, and recent abdominal surgery. (Also acceptable: vertigo, inflammation, ulcers.)
Q: What is the key safety instruction regarding pranayama for beginners with cardiac conditions?
A: Start with very few repetitions and increase gradually. Do not practise breath retention or holds at the initial stage.
Shodhana Kriya, Jalaneti, Sutra Neti, Sukshmavyayama, Pawanamuktasana, joint loosening, Yogasana, Ushtrasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Bhujangasana, Kapalabhati, skull shining breath, Pranayama, Nadishodhana, alternate nostril breathing, Anuloma Viloma, Ujjayi, Bhramari, bee-sound breathing, Yoga Nidra, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, meditation, Common Yoga Protocol, CYP, 10-minute yoga, 20-minute yoga, 45-minute yoga, contraindications yoga, yoga safety, breath retention kumbhaka, nasal nitric oxide, cortisol reduction, alpha brain waves, neuroendocrine immune system