Proper functioning of the lungs is quintessential for the human body to remain healthy and sound. Your breath and your breathing process are what controls the body’s functioning in various aspects and yoga is one great process that can be your rescue. If your lungs aren’t healthy, there is even a great chance for you to develop quite several diseases and infections of the respiratory tract. 

The great benefits of yoga are widely known and are appreciated all around the world. Gifts of yoga-like pranayama are known to have a great command over one’s breathing process. However, the actual control of breathing begins with some postures that you must try if you want healthy lungs for yourself. 

Best Yoga Asanas for Healthier Lungs

Let us have a look at the top yoga postures or asanas that can have a great impact on the better functioning of the lungs, and hence, the entire body.

1. Tadasana (Mountain pose)

This posture is aimed at expanding the ribs and the abdomen to let in enough fresh air. When this is done, all the alveoli in the lungs get filled with extra oxygen, and hence affects the lung functioning. 

Steps to perform:

• Start by standing straight and place both your feet around 2 inches apart.
• Raise both your arms over your head while deeply inhaling through the nose.
• Keep your palms facing upward direction and interlock your fingers.
• Try to raise your entire body upwards in the direction of your arms. You can also slightly lift your heels from the ground to do this.
• Now you will have to balance all your body weight on your toes.
• Inhale and exhale a few times, while maintaining this posture.
• Maintain the posture for a few seconds and then gently lower down your hands and heels to exhale and come to rest.

2. Sukhasana (cross-legged sitting pose)

Sukhasana is an important entry in the list of yoga asanas for healthier lungs. It increases the flow of blood to your lungs while also helping to remove any harmful toxins that might be present in the lung muscles.

Practicing this asana regularly can help reduce stress and anxiety to great levels, and help with respiratory disorders including common cough and cold.

Steps to perform:

• Get seated in a normal meditation position.
• Take your hands behind your back, and hold your left wrist with your right hand behind your back.
• Expand your chest while holding your hands as explained, and continue to inhale while pulling your shoulders back.
• Exhale and bend in the forward direction. While bending, you can try to touch your right forehead to your right knee.
• Inhale and return to the position with which you started. Repeat on the other side.

3. Matsya asana (Fish pose)

The fish pose is quite popular among all yoga enthusiasts and helps with a lot of things in our bodies. Stretching and strengthening of the lung muscles enhance breathing and also helps with the circulation and distribution of blood throughout the body.

Steps to perform:

• Lie on your back.
• Underneath your body, fold both your arms.
• Inhale while lifting your head and chest, and then rest the crown of the head on the ground while arching your back.
• Use your elbows to balance your entire body strength.
• Open the chest to inhale and exhale deeply.

4. Trikonasana (Triangle pose)

How to perform:

• Stand straight and spread your legs 3-4 feet apart.
• Turn the right foot to make an angle of 90 degrees towards the right.
• Meanwhile, turn your left foot about 30 degrees inwards to the right.
• Raise both the arms up on the sides while also inhaling deeply.
• Now, slowly bend your body towards the right side while exhaling.
• Until your spine is straight and your body is parallel to the ground, try to touch your right foot with your right hand.
• Now, lift the left arm upward in line with the right arm.
• Look up at the tip of your left hand and maintain the same posture for a few seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.

This posture helps open up the chest cavity and is one of the best yoga asanas for better breathing.

5. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Along with the numerous benefits that the cobra pose has to offer for the body, one is expanding the chest to improve the lung capacity, thus promoting better breathing and healthier lungs. It is an easy posture and can be easily practiced daily. Let’s have a look at how to do it.

Steps to perform:

• Lie down with your feet placed together.
• Touch your forehead to the ground.
• Place both your arms on the sides of your shoulders.
• Tighten the hip and tailbone and inhale through your nose.
• Lift the upper body and draw the shoulders back to exhale out.
• In this position, your back and abdominal muscles are to be stretched.
• Hold the posture for a few seconds and exhale to move back to the rest position.

These given asanas come with numerous benefits for the body like improved metabolism, increase in flexibility, spinal health, etc. although these yoga asanas work well for most normal people, anybody with serious medical issues or back/spine issues are recommended to perform these asanas with proper guidance and after consulting their doctors. 

We are all aware of how important our lungs are for the body to function well. This pandemic and the spread of the fatal virus have all the more highlighted the importance of the immunity of the lungs and how they need to function well for the entire body to remain sound. Keeping this in mind, it’s time you begin caring about your lungs, and yoga can just be the best start in this direction.

Try out these 5 simple asanas and level up your lung game.

Also Read: 5 Yoga Asanas for Healthier Lungs