PRANAYAMA
What is Pranayama?
Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen. Prana is the vital energy needed by our physical and subtle layers, without which the body would perish. It is what keeps us alive. Pranayama is the control of prana through the breath. These techniques rely on breathing through the nostrils.
Prana flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called ‘nadis’ and energy centers called ‘chakras’. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind. If the Prana level is high and its flow is continuous, smooth and steady, the mind remains calm, positive and enthusiastic. However, due to lack of knowledge and attention to one’s breath,the nadis and chakras in the
average person may be partially or fully blocked leading to jerky and broken flow. As a result one experiences increased worries, fear, uncertainty, tensions, conflict and other negative qualities.The ancient sages of India realized these breathing techniques. Some common pranayamas include Bhastrika, Kapalabhati, and Nadi Shodhana pranayama. Regular practice increases and enhances the quantity and quality of prana,clears blocked nadis and chakras, and results in the practitioner feeling energetic, enthusiastic and positive. Practiced correctly under the right supervision pranayama brings harmony between the body, mind and spirit, making one physically, mentally and spiritually strong.
Benefits of doing pranayama
Pranayama or breath control is an important bridge between the outward practices of yoga, like the asanas, and the inward surrendering yogic practices. It is a link between the mind and body; between the conscious and unconscious. By focusing on the breath the mind becomes calm and balanced.Practice of Pranayama controls the mind and slows the breath so that the higher life-force can manifest. It consists of deepening and extending the prana or life-force until it leads to a condition of peace.The longevity the body increases as the rate of breathing reduces. In the animal world, there is a strong correlation between the number of breaths and life span. For example, the giant tortoise, which takes three breaths a minute, can live about 180 years,whereas a monkey, which takes thirty breaths a minute, has a lifespan of about twenty to thirty years.