Is bad breath the culprit behind your low confidence, poor social life, and hesitation to speak?
Clinically known as Halitosis, bad breath is a common occurrence among people everywhere. Stressful lifestyles, along with hectic work schedules disturb the body equilibrium, leading to problems such as bad breath. Most people believe that poor oral hygiene is the reason for bad breath. However, this may not be entirely true. Bad breath may be caused by:
Irregular food habits
Improper digestion
Less intake of water
Type of food consumed
Smoking and consumption of alcohol or tobacco
Dry mouth
White deposition on tongue, leading to bacteria
Though you could be giving oral hygiene a priority, bad breath could recur.
Here’s where yoga and pranayama will help. They help remove toxins from the body, regulate the digestive system and rejuvenate you from within.
Breathing exercises (Pranayama) to get rid of bad breath
Kapalbhati pranayama (Skull shining breathing technique)
Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Place your hands on the knees, palms open to the sky and breathe in. As you breathe out, pull your stomach in. As you relax the navel and abdomen, the breath flows back into your lungs automatically. Repeat this for 20 times.
Sheetali pranayama (Cooling breath)
Stick your tongue out and curl the sides of the tongue upward towards the center of the tongue. Breathe in through the mouth, hold the breath and slowly exhale through the nose. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Sheetkari pranayama (Cooling breath)
With mouth open, clench your teeth and press the tongue against the teeth. Breathe in. Close your mouth and breathe out normally through the nostrils. Repeat 5 to 10 times, inhaling from the left and exhaling from the right.
Yoga postures to beat bad breath
1. Simhasana (Lion pose)
Alleviates bad breath. Additionally, it relaxes the facial muscles and relieves it of tension.
2. Trikonasana (Triangle pose)
Stretches and opens the hips, groins, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest and spine and helps improve digestion.
3. Hastapaadasana (Standing forward bend yoga pose)
Brings the much-needed twist to the digestive organs, improving health and vitality.
4. Vajrasana (Adamintine pose)
Enhances blood circulation in the lower abdomen, improving digestion. Sitting in vajrasana post meal aids in digestion. Relieves any excessive gas trouble or pain.
5. Shishu asana (Child pose)
Relieves constipation and helps the digestive organs.
6. Yoga Mudra (Yogic sleep)
Sit in padmasana or sukhasana. Close your eyes and bend the body forward until the forehead touches the ground. Relax in this position and then return back to the starting position. Repeat this 5 to 10 times.
Try these effective solutions
Shankha Prakshalan
This will effectively cleanse your intestines. Learn the detox technique in the Sri Sri Yoga Level 2 program.
Padma Sadhana
Learn this in an advance meditation program.
Sudarshan Kriya
Bad breath can also occur when there is an imbalance in the three doshas of the body – vata, pitta, and kapha. Practicing Sudarshan Kriya daily brings a balance in all the three doshas.
Tips for optimum oral hygiene
Brush your teeth twice daily, preferably with a natural ingredient-based toothpaste.
Use a tongue cleaner to get rid of depositions on the tongue.
Clean your mouth with a few gargles after each meal.
Drink plenty of water.
Keep away from alcohol and tobacco.
Reduce meal size, chew properly.
Avoid eating food with excessive garlic or onions.
Avoid eating junk food.
Practice yoga regularly.
You can eliminate bad breath with these poses and breathing techniques. These practices will also additionally help you overcome many health issues and also boost your capabilities in all spheres of life.
For a more enhanced and safer yoga experience, it is advisable to learn yoga poses from a trained teacher. For beginners and intermediate practitioners, a Sri Sri Yoga program can provide the perfect experience.
With inputs from Meena Waghray, Yoga Faculty, The Art of Living