Diabetes management made simple with three breaths!

Breathing practices and diabetes. The two seem like a weird combo. It is as strange as pineapple 🍍and pizza 🍕 coming together🚫. 

But did you know that breathing right 😮‍💨can drastically change your lifestyle as a diabetic? 

Stress is not getting diagnosed with diabetes but managing it 😥.One has to be extremely cautious of the sugar spikes🍰 going high 🌡️. For the same everyday compromises are made. This included- strict diets, regular exercise, and a lot of pills and injections. 

There are a lot of losses to bear when you get diabetes. 

The easy yet safe way out of this tiring loop is Yoga! More specifically, Pranayama 🧘. 

What is Pranayama? 

Pranayama means stimulating the pranas in our body. What is prana? Prana refers to the energy force inside the body. This energy keeps us alive. 

How does Pranayama aid diabetes? 

• Reduces stress. 😫 

Stress is a primary cause of type 2 diabetes. When your body is under stress, it enters a fight-or-flight mode. This redirects energy (in the form of glucose) to your muscles and limbs to take action. Unfortunately, extreme stress can lead to sugar (glucose) spikes. This creates a serious diabetic situation. Fortunately, pranayama can help reduce stress and improve the quality of life. How? By regulating your breath. Regulating your breath can help you calm your wandering mind and allow relaxation to take over your body. 

Conscious breathing also increases focus, enhances bodily functions, and improves well-being.

• Lowers blood pressure 🌡️

Lowering stress levels automatically leads to lower blood pressure. Practicing pranayama regularly can help improve circulation. Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to high blood pressure, so practicing pranayama regularly can help you maintain balanced blood levels.

• Improves Digestion 🥗

Diabetes is often associated with slow digestion, constipation, and other digestive issues. Fortunately, certain breathing exercises, such as bellow breathing, can help stimulate the digestive tract and improve nutrient absorption and assimilation. Thus, pranayama allows for diabetes management and eases its associated symptoms.

To know more about your gut and ways to enhance your digestion, click here!

• Improves concentration 🤓

High stress and anxiety can drastically diminish our focus capacity. The brain requires approximately 25% of the body energy. If glucose levels are high, this can have a detrimental effect on the brain. This includes cognitive impairments related to memory, learning, and concentration. Yoga can help to sharpen our focus by calming our minds, promoting blood flow, and restoring balance.

• Rejuvenates pancreatic cells 🩹

In type 2 diabetes, your body has become resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas. Breathing exercises work to massage the abdomen and stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin. Additionally, the endocrine glands are often targeted during regular yoga practice, which can help the body make more efficient use of insulin. As a result, the system receives more insulin, helping diabetics with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to revitalize their insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. 

• Strengthens muscles 💪🏽

When cortisol (hormone that regulates body response to stress) levels are elevated, blood flow is impeded, making it difficult for essential nutrients to reach the muscles in a timely fashion. This can lead to slower recovery from injuries, muscle atrophy, and cellular damage. However, when pranayama is incorporated regularly, it can help to bolster muscle strength, enhance circulation, and promote a sense of equilibrium in the body.

Three effective Pranayama to help manage diabetes: 

Bellow Breathing – Bastrika Pranayama 🌬️

Bellow breathing involves rapid inhalation and exhalation. This allows you to pump more oxygen into your body than you would normally need. This influx of oxygen gives your body an instant boost, improving circulation and banishing fatigue.

• Bellow breathing also reduces stress levels, which is especially important for diabetics which would otherwise lead to dangerous sugar spikes. 

• Rapid inhalation and exhalation also massage the brain and stimulates the hypothalamus. It also stimulates the endocrine of the pancreas which regulates insulin activity. 

• Bellow breathing, when practiced regularly, keeps you stress-free and also helps manage diabetes.

How to Practice? 

• Find a quiet and well-ventilated space. 
• Sit in any comfortable seated pose and close your eyes. 
• Make a fist with your palms. 
• Inhale, and slowly raise your arms. Open your fist.
• As you exhale, forcefully pull your arms down and close your fist.
• Continue this practice ten times. 
• Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Observe your breath. 
• Slowly open your eyes. 

Humming Bee Breathing – Bhramari Pranayama 🐝

Humming bee practice is a breathing technique that aids in physical and mental imbalances caused by stress.

• The sound we generate when we exhale reverberates through our throat cartilage and has a calming effect on both our minds and body. This sound is like a balm, soothing your senses and providing a sense of tranquility.

• The sound generated during the practice stimulates the thyroid gland, which is responsible for producing the hormone thyroxine. This hormone helps to maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI), which in turn reduces the risk of diabetes due to its influence on body weight. By engaging in this practice, individuals enjoy improved thyroid functioning. Thus, decreasing the risk of diabetes.

• The practice stimulates the nervous system and leaves a calming effect on the nervous system. This reduces cortisol levels and promotes an overall sense of well-being. 

How to Practice? 

• Find a quiet and well-ventilated space. 
• Sit in any comfortable seated pose and close your eyes. 
• Place your index fingers on the cartilage in your ears. 
• Slowly, breathe in deeply. 
• Gently press the cartilage and breath out slowly. As you breathe out, make a gentle bee-humming sound 
• Breathe in again and continue the practice three to four times.
• Release your palms. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. 
• Slowly, open your eyes. 

Skull Shining Breath- Kapalbhati Pranayama 💆‍♂️

skull-shining breath is an incredible form of breathing exercise prevailing for centuries in India. 

• In skull-shining breath, rapid abdominal movements push the internal organs in and out, including the pancreas. This massage-like action further stimulates the secretion of insulin.

• Skull shining breath enhances the circulation of blood to the cellular tissues, thereby boosting metabolism.

• Due to its vigorous physical activity, skull shining breath helps to burn excess fat in the form of calories, aiding in reducing the BMI range of those who are overweight. 

• This practice also helps to eliminate toxins that are responsible for insulin inactivity, as practitioners perspire during exercise.

How to Practice? 

• Find a quiet and well-ventilated space. 
• Sit in any comfortable seated pose and close your eyes. 
• Exhale and pull your stomach inside, towards your spine. 
• As you relax your stomach, observe the air flowing into your lungs. 
• Repeat this practice ten times. 
• Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Observe your breath.
• Slowly, open your eyes. 

Conclusion

Practicing pranayama is an amazing way to keep your diabetes in check and promote good health! 

This ancient breathing practice is thought to boost energy, balance the body, and improve heart rate variability and oxygenation. By controlling the breath, you can directly influence insulin levels, helping to regulate blood sugar levels. 

Pranayama also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to relax you and provides a sense of calm in your day-to-day life. 

What more? Regular practice enhances focus, and boosts alertness and concentration so you can reach peak performance both mentally and physically! So, why not give it a go? Try pranayama today for improved diabetes control and better overall health– what have you got to lose?

If you are excited to start your pranayama practice today, try YogiFi! 

The perfect partner for your wellness journey! YogiFi provides guided mediations with easy-to-follow instructions and a large variety of meditation and breathing practices to choose from! It makes it simple to learn how to take deep breaths and initiate calming mindfulness! Are you ready? Let’s get started with YogiFi! For more details, click on the link- https://yogifi.co.in/