Yoga Techniques to Cure Snoring
Most people like to travel a lot. If you are one among them, you would have noticed some people snore while on the journey.
It might be in a plane, train, bus, or whatever, due to tiredness or motion sickness, some people fall asleep with their mouth open and with funny facial expressions. The sound of the saw-tooth blade is just irritating. Really, it is awkward to snore while traveling.
Snoring is a medical condition and it is often left untreated. Having sound sleep doesn’t mean that to make noises while asleep. Such sleep is shallow and leads to lethargy, feeling sleepy, and irritation during the day.
There are natural ways to cure snoring. As the cause of this problem arises in unsmooth respiration, certain breathing techniques can cure it completely. Yoga is a preferable choice.
I have listed a few of the significant effective techniques that are capable of alleviating this issue. For faster relief, it is better to use a suitable snoring mouthpiece along with the yoga. This would yield a tremendous result.
You may choose the appropriate breathing techniques or yoga exercises from the list. I have tried to include each of them that are most effective in controlling it.
Breathing Techniques for Snoring
1. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Difficulty level: easy
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 20 – 30 minutes
Steps
Stage – 1
- Close the right nostril using the right-hand thumb and take a deep breath through the left nostril.
- Release the breath through the right nostril instantly without holding the breath. Do it slowly as you close the left nostril using the index finger.
- Now inhale through the right nostril and continue with the above procedure.
Repeat it 7 – 10 times.
Stage – 2
- Inhale deeply through both the nostrils and exhale forcefully without holding it.
- Repeat this technique 7 – 10 times.
Stage – 3
- Inhale deeply and exhale slowly after holding your breath for 15 – 20 seconds.
- Repeat it 7 – 10 times.
2. Kapalbhathi Pranayama Breathing Exercise
Difficulty: easy
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 5 minutes
Steps
- Inhale and exhale through the right nostril without holding your breath. Use your right thumb to close the left nostril while breathing.
- Without any lag, simultaneously close the right nostril using the index finger and continue the breathing technique.
- Continue the breathing by opening and closing the nostrils for consecutive 10 breaths.
- Repeat the procedure 5 times. Check here for more details about Kapalbahti Pranayama.
3. Simple Pranayama Deep Breathing
Difficulty level: easy
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 10 – 15 minutes
Steps
- Inhale and exhale deeply by covering the left chest using the folded left arm such that the palm covers the right ear.
- Inhale and exhale 5 times without holding your breath.
- Continue with the right chest.
- Next level, use your both folded arms to cover the chest and breathe deeply five times.
- Fold your arms as aligned with the horizontal line of the shoulder. Cover both the ears using the palms where fingers extending towards the back of your head. Inhale and exhale 5 times.
- Later, cover your face using the palms where both hands lay folded over the chest. Cover the face such that the right palm over the right side of the face and the left palm on the other side. Read more about simple pranayama breathing techniques.
4. Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath)
Difficulty level: medium
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 10 – 15 minutes
Steps
- Sit in a comfortable posture with eyes closed. Padmasana is better.
- Place your teeth apart without opening the mouth in a normal way.
- Keep your index finger in the cartridge of the ear. It is the protruding portion of the ear adjacent to the cheek.
- Maintain a normal slow deep breath.
- Inhale gently without pressing the cartridge.
- Exhale slowly by making a high pitch humming sound in the throat continuously until you breathe out completely. Make sure to press the cartridge at that time.
- The vibration of the sound should be felt in your head.
- Do it four 4 times.
- This breathing technique is effective in curing vocal cord problems and snoring. This helps singers to improve their voice clarity.
5. Ujjayi Pranayama Technique
Difficulty level: medium
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 10 – 15 minutes
Steps
- Sit in padmasana with the closed eyes.
- Inhale slowly and deeply.
- Constrict the flow of breath through the throat making a shh sound.
- Exhale in the same way making an sssh sound. The tone of sound in exhale and inhale is different.
- Don’t force your breath. Exhale and inhale gently by regulating it with the throat.
- Repeat the techniques 5 times.
- Creating tension as well as loosening the tissues in the throat, nasal and respiratory tract helps to reduce snoring.
6. Surya Bheda Pranayama
Difficulty level: hard
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 15 – 20 minutes
Steps
- Choose a meditative posture. Padmasana or sidhasana is preferable.
- Inhale through the right nostril by closing the left nostril using the thumb.
- The index finger and middle finger should touch the forehead. The ring finger rests on the right nostril.
- Hold the breath to the possible extent without hurting yourself.
- Lock it with jalandhara bandha and mula bandha.
- Release the bandhas.
- Exhale through the left nostril by releasing the thumb and pressing the ring finger.
- Repeat the procedure 5 times.
- The inhalation, exhalation, and retention are in the ratio of 2: 8: 4 for the beginners.
- Make sure not to make noise while practicing. Breathe silently.
Yoga Asana for Snoring
7. Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
Difficulty level: easy
Effectiveness: high
Duration: less than a minute
Steps
- Lie on your stomach by keeping the legs together.
- Place your hands in such a way that it extends along with the length of the body beyond the head.
- Now firmly place your palm with a slight bend at the elbow on the floor and lift your head and trunk as you exhale.
- Arch your neck and raise your head like the cobra hood.
- Remain in this position for 10 – 15 seconds. Breathe normally at this position.
- Come back to the normal state by folding the arms. Let your head rest on your arms.
- The expansion of throat muscles helps to reduce snoring.
8. Simhasana
Difficulty level: medium
Effectiveness: high
Duration: 5 – 10 minutes
Steps
- Sit in vajrasana or with the knees kept wide apart. Support the body weight with the hands and the fingers spread out pointing inwards.
- Wide open your mouth and extend your tongue towards the chin.
- Fix your gaze on the tip of the nose or on the third eye.
- Inhale slowly while leaning forward a little.
- Hold the breath for a moment.
- Return to normal while exhaling with a ha sound. Remember the lion’s roar.
- The rigorous exhalation that induces vibration in the throat and nasal is a good treatment for snoring.
- Repeat it for 5 times.
9. Salabhasana
Difficulty level: hard
Effectiveness: medium
Duration: 10 – 20 minutes
Steps
- Lie down on your stomach and place the closed fists adjacent to the thighs facing upwards.
- Balance your head on the chin.
- Lift your legs, thighs, and abdomen by firmly placing the trunk and head on the floor.
- Do it for 5 times.
10. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Difficult level: hard
Effectiveness: moderate
Duration: 3- 5 minutes
Steps
- Continue with the salabhasana by holding the legs at the angle using the hands.
- Exhale slowly and push your head back as much as you can.
11. Trikonasana
Difficulty level: hard
Effectiveness: moderate
Duration: 3 – 5 minutes.
Steps
- Stand erect and place your legs one and half feet apart.
- Lift both hands sideways horizontally while inhaling slowly.
- Bend your hip sideways left until the tip of the fingers touches the left foot. Exhale slowly while doing this.
- Try to see the right palm by turning the face upwards without breathing.
- The right hand will be extending towards your left side.
- Remain in this posture for few moments and return to the normal state by inhaling slowly.
- Be relaxed in the normal state and breathe deeply. (Read also Simple Yoga Exercises for Back Pain Relief)
