Bhastrika Pranayam is a yoga posture that takes care of the internal condition of the body and the mind. It is a rejuvenating exercise, which relaxes mind, body and soul.

Meaning :

Bhastrika means to bellow, prana means vital force, and ayama means to stretch. So Bhastrika Pranayam means to stretch the vital force and energy within with a bellow.

Significance :

The yoga pose mainly is done in the meditation posture and is concentrated on the Manipura chakra. There is a rule that if you are doing this yogasana then you should have practised the four levels of the Nadi Shodhana Pranayam before this for at least around four months.

Technique :

Keep the body still and feel the breath flowing in and out.
Now lift the hand, close the right nostril with the thumb, and breathe in air.
Now breather out air in continuous succession around twenty times through the left nostril.
At this time, the walls of the abdomen move in and out and produce a bellowing sound.
Continue this with the right nostril.
Relax for some time and breathe normally.
Now again begin the left nostril and the right nostril round.
Alternate between both the nostrils and continue the routine.

Benefits :

Aids in keeping the body and the mind fresh.
It is a rejuvenating experience for the doer and improves concentration and memory.
It stimulates overall circulation.
There is an increase supply of blood to the head and this increase hearing and eyesight.
The capacity of the lungs becomes stronger and thus all ailments related to lungs like bronchitis, asthma are easily controlled.
Metabolism improves thus improving the Digestive System.

Bhastrika Pranayam should be practised in a limited manner initially and is a proven good yoga form for asthma. After practising well, it could be done for as much number of times as is possible.