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up to five percent (maximum), the average being two percent - a significant percentage clinically.
Ujjayi pranayama creates positive airway pressure due to constant partial contraction of the glottis and prevents closure of smaller bronchi towards the end of exhalation. This is especially helpful in asthmatics to improve oxygenation and empty the lungs more fully (minimizing air trapping), thus allowing the next inhalation to be more effective. The slower rate of breathing encourages laminar or steady flow in contrast to the turbulent flow during a bronchospasm, reducing airway resistance to the airflow so there is less work for the respiratory muscles. The asthmatic has to spend less energy for the act of breathing and the level of fatigue experienced during acute asthma is reduced. For these reasons, ujjayi is very useful during an actual attack of asthma.
For the hypertensives, practice of ujjayi resulted in a significant fall in systolic BP (by 20 mmHg) and diastolic BP (5 mmHg) which continued for two minutes after the end of practice.
Research on bhramari Bhramari provided the basis for a clinical research project carried out in 1993 by Munger Hospital, India, in cooperation with Bihar School of Yoga. Dr. Vibha Singh examined 448 pregnant women over one year. All underwent the same treatment (medical check-ups, dietary advice, prebirth instruction, etc.) with the exception of 112 women, who practised bhramari 1-2 times a day for 5-10 minutes during their entire pregnancy and continued to do so in the first phase of the actual birth. The report produced the following results for the bhramari group: • Normal blood pressure for all, compared to 25% in the
control group with high blood pressure (high blood
pressure is a normal occurrence during pregnancy) • Lower number of miscarriages (2% compared to 8%)
Fewer premature births (2.6% compared to 5%) • 25% shorter labour • Generally little pain during labour
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