Pranayam

You must have heard about the practice of pranayam in yoga. Have you ever experienced the powerful feeling of controlling your breath in order to enhance the flow of energy in your body? If not, then you must do it right away and know for yourself what pranayama is all about.

What is Pranayam?

Pranayam is a yoga practice that deals with the control of your breathing. The term “pranayam” is made up of two Sanskrit words - “prana” which means “energy or life force” and “yama” which means “control”.

It helps in clearing the obstacles that hinder the energy flow of the body and ensures that we exhale out the negative energy and inhale the positive energy of the outside world. Through this process, our life force - the vital energy component of our body gets activated and releases tremendous energy that goes up our spine and enlightens our sixth chakra so that we feel at peace with our body. 

There are many types of pranayama that cover the various aspects of your breathing. These are specifically practiced for attaining certain end results. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Kumbhaka Pranayama - It helps in the retention of the breath.Nadi Shodhana

• Pranayama  -It helps in clearing the blockages of the various channels of the body.

• Ujjayi Pranayama - It helps in conquering the breath by making a soft sound while inhaling and exhaling and forms the basis of many other types of pranayama.

• Surya/Chandra Bhedna Pranayama - Breathing only through a single nostril at a time where the right nostril represents the sun and the heating energy of the body while the left nostril represents the moon and the cooling energy of the body. 

• Svara Yoga Pranayama - It increases the awareness of the breath and enhances its control.

There are many other pranayama as well that can help you gain better control over your breathing. Also, doing pranayam clears away your nasal and respiratory passages so that any breathing difficulty can be easily overcome with this breathing technique. This is how it works on your physical fitness, your mental well-being and enhances your spiritual self.

The Science of Pranayam

It can be said that the science of pranayam is directly related to the science of breath. Unfortunately, we are unable to understand the immense power that our breath holds for us and often take it for granted. But did you know that your breath can give you lifelong peace and happiness?

Yes, through the medium of pranayam, you can get a control over your breath and this will in turn boost up your immune system, clear off your respiratory tracts and elevate your level of consciousness. 

What exactly happens when you breathe in a particular manner is that the vital energy of your body reaches those parts that were not yet energized. It stimulates certain organs that release particular chemicals that lead to an upsurge in the bodily energy and makes you feel powerful and active. 

This exercise helps in manipulating your breath in such a manner that it brings your nervous system directly under your control. You become the master of your emotions and attitudes and your concentration power is also increased. And thus, you become more aware of your consciousness and can utilize it for the betterment of your mind, body and soul. 

How Can You Perform Pranayam?

There are many types of pranayam exercises that you can perform to relieve yourself of stress and depression. The main thing that must be kept in mind while performing pranayam is to focus on your breathing pattern.

While doing pranayam, remember that  the process of inhaling is associated with happiness and enthusiasm as you are inviting new opportunities from the outside world while that of exhaling is associated with dejection and defeat as you are expelling out the problems and negatives of your system.

All the pranayam techniques revolve around the concept of inhaling and exhaling so that your breath works in your favor and brings you all the pleasures of the world. Therefore, the main point of focus while performing pranayam is your breathing process. 

Benefits of Pranayam

There are numerous benefits of pranayam that can help you physically, emotionally and spiritually. A few of them  are mentioned below:

1. Practicing pranayama on a regular basis can help reduce hypertension by controlling your blood pressure.

2. It can improve upon your digestion by regulating the organs related to the digestive system.

3. It can boost up your immunity and strengthen your respiratory system as well.

4. Pranayam is an effective technique that can help you shed the extra kilos and also relieve you from stressful situations.

Apart from these, there are many other benefits of pranayama that can fuse into your body the vital force of life and supercharge to prepare you for the hindrances that obstruct your mental or physical well-being.