"Can yoga breathing exercises help asthma?"

The key with breathing if you have asthma is to inhale less. You want shorter inhales, longer holds, and longer exhales.

"Can Yoga cure asthma?"

Asthma is a long-term disease that has no cure. The goal of yoga for asthma is to control the disease. Yoga can help ease chronic and troublesome symptoms such as attacks, coughing and shortness of breath. A few minutes spent meditating also helps calming the mind.

"Can I practice yoga if I have severe asthma?"

For many asthma sufferers, physical exertion and vigorous exercise can trigger asthma symptoms. But lack of exercise is not good for anyone. If you have severe asthma you can practice gentle yoga (slow movements or yin).

"Can Yoga cause exercise induced asthma?"

If you have severe asthma and practice advanced vinyasa yoga such as Ashtanga yoga, you have a higher chance of experiencing exercised-induced asthma. Exercised-induced asthma is a narrowing of the airways in the lungs that is triggered by strenuous exercise. It causes shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and other symptoms during or after exercise. If you have moderate to severe asthma, it's best to practice a more gentle form of yoga.

"How long should I practice yoga for?"

That depends on what type of asthma you have (intermittent, mild, moderate or severe). A daily 15 minute yoga practice will reduce your chances of an asthma attack. And if you feel OK after 15 minutes, you can gradually add more minutes to your practice.

"What are the best poses for asthma?"

A gentle yoga practice with slow movements that help open your chest (which helps breathing) such as: Abdominal Breath, Bow Pose, Camel Pose, Savasana, Downward Facing Dog Pose, Fish Pose, Upward Salute Pose, Sphinx Pose, Cobra Pose, and Upward Facing Dog.