The Science Behind Yoga
Yoga is based on Hinduism and Buddhism practices that date back to ancient India during the 11th century. It’s a set of mental and physical exercises, movements, and breathing techniques that not only benefit you physically but mentally. Yoga directs the mind to focus on specific body moments and breathing patterns in order to relax, strengthen, and sculpt the respiratory and nervous systems, as well as muscles in your body. Yoga is often performed for its health benefits and relieves stress and anxiety. Yoga exercises and breathing routines can result in a reduction or elimination of snoring.
How Yoga Stops Snoring
There are several reasons why snoring occurs. One reason is that you may experience nasal or respiratory congestion. If you have asthma problems or sinus issues, the probability that you snore is very likely. Certain yoga poses below target respiratory problems and can significantly help with airflow in order to reduce your snoring.
The Bow Pose
Another reason you may snore is the fact that your throat and neck tissues are inflamed and are actually limiting the amount of airflow to your lungs. When this occurs, your tissues start to vibrate. This vibration then results in a noise, which is the sound of snoring. These breathing exercises and yoga poses below can decrease inflammation in the body, resulting in opening up your airway and reducing or eliminating snoring.
Yoga Poses for Snoring
The Bow Pose – Dhanurasana
The bow pose targets respiratory ailments and normalizes breathing. It also helps with fatigue and anxiety. The bow pose can help with snoring because it opens your airways and allows you to experience deeper and fuller breathes. Dhanurasana is achieved by laying on your stomach and pulling your legs and arms up towards the center of your back until you can grab your feet. You can perform this pose for 25-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
Bhujangasan – Cobra Pose for Snoring
The Cobra pose is another yoga stretch that helps to diminish snoring. The pose stretches out your spine and in doing so, opens up your airway to the lungs. It’s often performed by people with asthma issues and respiratory ailments. One cause of snoring is by a blockage in your airway. When your airway is partially blocked, the flow of air passes through the fatty tissues of the mouth and throat which cause a loud vibration sound – snoring. By doing the cobra pose, you can open up your airway and promote the flow of oxygen. This pose will not only help treat your snoring, but it’s also known to alleviate stress and tension.
The cobra pose is achieved by laying on your belly and placing your palms (fingertips forward) at your side and in line with your shoulder blades. Lift your chest up and head upwards without placing much weight on your hands. When your elbow reaches a 90-degree angle, this is Low Cobra. If you can fully extend your arms, without straining your spine, then this is called High Cobra. Both low cobra and high cobra poses are great for treating snoring. Hold the pose for 25-30 seconds. You can repeat the pose up to 5 times.
The Cobra Pose
Chanting Om to Stop Snoring
Chanting the om mantra clears your mind and promotes calmness. Om is an actual vibration you create by chanting the four syllables of Om which are A, U, M, and the silent syllable. The syllables are pronounced as follows:
A – “awwe”
U- “ohhh”
M- “mmmm”
Silent – the transition and fading away from “mmm” to silence
The mantra is said to bring a relaxing feeling to your entire body as your chest vibrates from making the sounds. Om vibrates at the same frequency as everything in nature and the universe – 432 hertz. It’s not only a spiritual connection to the earth but mental and physical as well. Some people snore because they enter such a deep sleep from stress and anxiety, that their throat muscles relax too much and actually block their airway – which causes snoring. If you chant the om on a regular basis, it will decrease your tension and clear your mind, thus creating less stress in your life, normal sleeping patterns, and no snoring.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama – Nostril Breathing for Snoring
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Nadi Shodhana is another great yoga exercise you can perform to eliminate snoring. It focuses on promoting oxygen flow throughout the body and targets your respiratory and nervous systems. It’s practiced by many people who suffer from allergies, wheezing, stress, and anxiety. We know that snoring can be caused by nasal and respiratory congestion, so practicing Nadi Shodhana, or nasal breathing, can significantly help with treating your snoring.
Nadi shodhana is best performed in the early morning on an empty stomach. It is practiced while sitting upright in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. It’s a series of deep breaths that are taken through one nostril at a time, both inhaling and exhaling. The breathes are meant to be exhaled from deep within the body, mentally navigating the air down through the head, into the face, throat, spine, heart, lung, spleen, kidney, reproduction organs, and down through the pelvis. The process of inhalation navigates upward through those same organs again and out through only one nostril.
This nostril breathing exercise provides great rewards if practiced for five minutes daily. The breathing routine can be repeated 4-5 times and can reduce snoring once a routine breathing exercise habit is achieved. It also helps with throat swelling and irritation and promotes circulation in the body.
Kapalbhati Pranayama – Skull Shining Breathing
Kapalbhati pranayama is another breathing technique that can reduce or eliminate snoring. It is said to be a natural weight loss stimulate as it increases the metabolic rate. The focus of these breathing exercises is to exhale and throw the breath out.
Sit with your legs crossed and your hands on your knees, palm side up. Take a deep breathe while pulling your navel back to the spine and pulling your stomach back also. Remember to stay relaxed and not to strain your spine or abdomen. Breathing in should come naturally, but remain focused on the powerful exhales. Repeat this type of breathing 15-20 times. This is one full round. Relax with closed eyes and enjoy the open airway and calmness of the body. Repeat for 2 additional rounds. This breathing exercise like many other yoga breathing practices helps with sleep and insomnia too. It promotes circulation and clears the lungs.
How Often Should you do Yoga to Prevent Snoring
Yoga poses and breathing exercises should be practiced on a regular basis. If you can sculpt out a certain time of day that is reserved just for yoga and breathing, then that will be the most effective way to stay in a routine. Many people practice yoga first thing in the morning in order to clear their mind for the day. It’s best to perform yoga and breathing exercises on an empty stomach as well.
Yoga is not for everyone and it should be gradually introduced into your daily routine. If you are looking for a natural remedy to stop your snoring, you should start with the breathing exercises above. If you enjoy them and feel rejuvenated after practicing them for a few days, then add in the other yoga poses. It will be worth the effort, especially when you notice your snoring drastically decreases. Yoga will not only help your snoring, but will also give you a peaceful mind, relieve stress, and reduce tension in the body.
Share This Post:
