Air quality in northern and eastern India is among the worst in the world. Kolkata regularly exceeds World Health Organization guideline levels for fine particulate matter, sometimes by a wide margin. This is not a distant environmental concern; it is a direct and measured cause of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
Most adults breathe shallowly, from the upper chest, particularly under stress. Slow breathing using the diaphragm has real and measurable effects: it raises heart rate variability, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and lowers blood pressure modestly over time.
The simplest practice. Sit upright. One hand on the chest, one on the belly. Breathe in through the nose for a count of four so that the lower hand moves and the upper stays still. Out through the nose for six. Ten minutes. That is the whole thing, and it does more than most people expect.
The yogic tradition builds on this at length — anulom vilom, bhramari, kapalbhati. Learn the stronger practices from a teacher in person rather than from a screen. Kapalbhati and breath retention are not suitable for everyone, and are best avoided if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, or a hernia.
This site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice, shared for information. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease. I am not a doctor.
If you are unwell — and especially if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified physician. Nothing here should replace or delay that care.