Try alternate breathing below, also known as sun moon breathing.
Don’t be afraid of funny words, ‘Prana’ is simply the life force that surrounds us, which is divided into ‘Pingala’, its positive side, and ‘Ida’, its negative side. One of the objectives of Yoga is to balance its opposite currents in the body, which produces a state of perfect spiritual and mental balance. When you breathe through the right side of the nose it is called sun breathing, if it is through the left side it is called moon breathing.
Alternate breathing is the steady holding of breath through each nostril step by step. Sit cross-legged on a seat or floor with your back straight and your head level. Close your eyes, then close your left nostril with your left thumb as you inhale slowly and deeply through your right nostril. Take a deep breath and hold it for two seconds. Place the last two fingers of the left hand, and then slowly exhale through the left nostril. Part of this exercise is to take a natural breath break and when the urge to inhale occurs, keep your right nostril closed and breathe through your left nostril only. Take a deep breath and hold it for two seconds.
Close your left nostril, and then exhale slowly through your right. Now a cycle has been completed. Those new to Pranayama should start slowly with two rounds and work up to 6 rounds per day adding one per week. When doing this exercise at different times of the day, always try to adjust your posture to face the direction of the sun. This routine should be done early in the morning looking east, then at noon looking towards the median, when the sun goes down looking west and then at night looking north.
Begin with SUN AND MOON BREATH and then go for three or four full breaths to create the space that will give you peace and quiet in both mind and body.
Although I have mentioned here the physical aspects of yoga, you must remember that all yoga exercises will always affect all parts: physical, spiritual and mental.
Once you’ve done the sun and moon breath and have some rhythm and balance, move on to the next step, which is to increase your exhalations to double the length of your inhalations. If you inhale for a count of four, exhale for a count of eight. Four is just an example for your inhalation count, as your inhalation count should be about your own individual needs, ability, and comfort level. If you feel the tension receding, you’re pushing yourself too hard. Do not demand yourself when performing this or other Yoga exercises. It’s useless at best, but also possibly harmful. After a few days of practice in controlling the breath, the next phase is to constantly extend the breath hold until it reaches the level of panting. You should inhale for four, hold for four, then exhale for a count of eight.
Again, you have to calibrate this count according to your own abilities.
This is Sun Moon Breathing in its simplest form with which we bring calm to both mind and body. Almost superhuman discipline is needed for the advanced forms of this particular exercise, which are practiced in connection with the awakening of a strange bodily force called Kundalini, the Serpent Power. This can be briefly described as the Divine Power of Knowledge and Wisdom from which, through civilization, Man has separated himself.
Every man has the potential for divinity within him, no matter how far he has strayed from the Divine path for the Kundalini lies coiled at the base of the spine, numb but not dead.