Pranayama – breath control

During our yoga holidays and retreats there will be a free session on pranayama (breathing techniques.)

Pranayama is an enormously important part of any yoga practice, yet many yogi’s do not persist or consistently practice pranayama – concentrating instead on their physical asana practice.

This page briefly outlines what Pranayama is and touches on some different pranayama techniques.

What is Pranayama?

Pranayama’ is the fourth limb of Patanjali’s eight stage Yoga path. Two Sanskrit words are combined in the word ‘Pranayama’ – Prana and yama. ‘Prana’ means life or life force. ‘yama’ means development or control. Therefore Pranayama is the development and control of the breath or life force.

Breath is more important than water or food to sustain life. Nobody can survive more than a few minutes without air. When the breath stops, life ends. Normal breathing use only a fraction of our potential respiratory capacity. Pranayama helps to develop our lung capacity and increase the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream in a far superior way.

There are various types of Pranayama. Some of the popular forms are Ujaii, Shitali, Viloma, Alternate Nostril, Kapalbhati, Anuloma, Suryabhedana & Bhastrika.

Breathing is important for two basic reasons:

• It is the only means of supplying our organs with oxygen which is vital for our health.
• Breathing is one of the ways to get rid of waste products and toxins from our body.

Why Oxygen is so vital?

• Oxygen is the most vital nutrient in our bodies.
• It is essential for the proper and efficient functioning of the brain, nerves, glands and other internal organs.
• If the brain does not get proper supply of this essential nutrient, it will cause degradation of all the vital organs of the body.
• The brain requires more oxygen than any other organ. If it doesn’t get enough, the result is mental sluggishness, negative thoughts, depression and, eventually, vision and hearing declines. Oxygen supply in our body, however, declines as we get older and if we live a poor lifestyle.

Oxygen purifies the blood stream

One of the major secrets of energy and rejuvenation is a purified blood stream. The quickest and most effective way to purify the blood stream is by taking in extra supplies of oxygen from the air we breathe. Pranayama or Breathing Exercises are the most effective methods ever devised for saturating the blood with extra oxygen.

So here are a few things about what oxygen does to our body:

• Oxygen burns the waste products (toxins) in the body, as well as recharge the body’s “batteries”.
• By purifying the blood stream, every part of the body benefits, as well as the mind.
• Rejuvination of the skin will start to occur.
• Yoga breathing – pranayama – permits us to tap into this vital nutrient.

Importance of Healthy Breathing

We know how to breathe. It is something that occurs automatically, spontaneously, and naturally. We are breathing even when we are not aware of it. So it seems foolish to think that we need to told how to breathe. Yet, breathing becomes modified and restricted in various ways, not just momentarily but habitually. We develop unhealthy habits without being aware of it. For example:

• We tend to slouch that diminishes lung capacity to function properly, which result to shortened breaths.
• Many of us live in cities or social conditions with high levels of pollution which is not good for the health of the Respiratory System.
• A normally sedentary person, when confronted with a perplexing problem, tends to lean forward, draw his arms together, and bend his head down.
• All these body postures result to reduced lung capacity. However, we also tend to have some bad habits that affect our breathing and here are a few reasons.
• As our duties, responsibilities and their attendant problems become more demanding; we develop habits of forgetting to breathe.
• The more we concentrate on something, the tenser the muscles become. This leads to the contraction of the muscles in your arms, neck and chest.