Pranayama
The Importance of Pranayama in Yoga Practice
Pranayama is a significant part of yoga and involves specific breathing techniques and exercises. The word Pranayama has been derived from two Sanskrit words, “Prana” and “Ayama”, where “Prana” means “life force” or “life energy” and “Ayama” means “control of”. So then, the term Pranayama communicates to us control and expansion of prana. Pranayama is the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga, the structural framework of yoga practice as laid down by Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras.
Benefits of pranayama
Reduced breathing rate. With yoga breathing, you can train yourself to breathe more slowly and more deeply. You can reduce your breathing rate from fifteen breathes a minute to 5- 6 breaths a minute, which amounts to reducing the breathing rate by one third. Reduced breathing rate leads to slowing down the heart rate as more oxygen can be pumped even with less number of breaths. Follow the ratio of 1:2 for inhalation: exhalation. Blood circulation improves. As a result of breathing, the freshly oxygenated blood (during exhalation) travels from lungs to the heart. The heart pumps it via arteries and blood vessels to every part of the body and cell. This improves the blood circulation and more oxygen or cosmic energy reaches all parts of our body. Benefits of pranayama for functioning of body organs: Better functioning of autonomic nervous system improves the working of lungs, heart, diaphragm, abdomen intestines, kidneys and pancreas. It improves the digestive system and diseases pertaining to digestive organs are cured.
Better mental health
Pranayama practice provides freedom from negative and harmful mental conditions like anger, depression, greed for money, arrogance etc. With pranayama fluctuations of the mind are controlled and it prepares the mind for meditations. With practice of pranayama, you will start experience lightness of the body, feeling of inner peace, better sleep, better memory and better concentration whereby improving the spiritual powers/skills. Better breathing improves the quality of life in old age As a person with sedentary life style reaches middle age, lung tissues tend to grow less and less elastic and lung capacity decreases. Pranayama can help to reduce the following old age problems which are loss of vitality, backaches, headaches, stiffening of muscles and joints.
Some other benefits of pranayama
- It removes sensory distraction of mind.
- It is used to energy the mind for mental work, to sleepiness and to prepare to the mind for meditation.
- It makes the mind more alert and perceptive and is an excellent pre—meditation.
- It’s also useful in the treatment of low blood pressure, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
- Pranayama relieves stress and cerebral tension alleviating anger, anxiety, insomnia.
- It speeds up the healing of body tissues.
- It gives control over hunger and thirst, and generates a feeling of satisfaction.
- It clears pranic blockages causing sushumna nadi to flow which leads to deep states of meditation and spiritual awakening.
- Regular practice of pranayama helps in the elimination of waste materials from the body, which is normally carried out by digestive, respiratory and urinary systems and of course through skin.
- The intestines and kidneys benefits in the same way as do the other abdominal viscera, by pressure changes in pranayama and by improvement of circulation.
- Pranayama helps in elimination of carbon dioxide and water vapour properly.
- Elimination of excess salts in the form of sweat is promoted by pranayama. This is because pranayama stimulates the sweat glands through its influence on the hypothalamus.
- The basic idea of pranayama is that by purifying the whole of nervous system including the brain, it ultimately leads to the removal of ignorance and to stability and peace of mind. These are the qualities, which every one of us desires to have but very few do actually possess.
Special instructions for Pranayama
Most important point to note that never try these practices by yourself, watching YouTube or with the help of any social media. Always do these practices in the guidance of certified trained yoga instructor.
In the early morning, answer the nature calls of nature and sit for the practice. Practice pranayama, in a dry well-ventilated room. Pranayama requires deep concentration and attention. It is always better to have the practice in a steady sitting posture. Do not keep anyone by your side to avoid distraction of your mind. Before you sit for pranayama practice, thoroughly clean the nostrils well. You can take a small quantity of fruit juice or a small cup of milk or coffee even before the practice.
