Yoga Pranayama

Pranayama - The Gift of Nature

 "Pranayama is control of Breath". "Prana" is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and "ayama" means control. So Pranayama is "Control of Breath". One can control the rhythms of pranic energy with pranayama and achieve healthy body and mind.
       Patanjali in his text of Yoga Sutras mentioned pranayama as means of attaining higher states of awareness, he mentions the holding of breath as important practice of reaching Samadhi. Hatha Yoga also talks about 8 types of pranayama which will make the body and mind healthy.














 


Types of Pranayama

  1. Bhastrika Pranayama

The word ‘Bhastrika’ is a Sanskrit word which means leather bellow, which was used in the olden times to blow furnaces, where air is forcibly drawn in and out. This pranayama increases the fire in the body. In this type of pranayama, the diaphragm movement is used for the internal fire creating physical, Pranic and psychic heat. Bhastrika constitutes as a very powerful pranayam. Basically, a combination of Kapalbhati and Ujjaye Pranayam makes one Bhastrika. One who starts practice of Kapalbhati or Ujjaye finds it very easy to do the Bhastrika.

Steps in Bhastrika Pranayama

1). Firstly, sit in Padmasana, Siddhasana or Sukhasana with tends on knees and eyes closed. These postures lock the body into a stable position and permit freedom of abdominal movement. Also these postures are firm and strong which is a strong requirement for this pranayama in which rapid breathing is required.

2) Secondly, breathe in vigorously but deeply through both the nostrils and then breath out or exhale forcefully through both the nostrils. One such vigorous, forceful inhalation and exhalation with out any strain constitute one cycle of Bhastrika. It should be remembered that the inhalation should be with the same and uniform force and vigour. Please ensure that both nostrils are clear and blowing freely. The intensity or frequency of breathing should be very mild, without any undue force. It should be like an amplified form of normal breathing.

2. Ujjayi Breath

The Ujjayi technique is a very soothing technique which can be applied to sectional breathing or used while holding Yoga postures. This type of breathing helps to increase the lung capacity (and more oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream), energy levels, and also achieves a state of calmness and mental clarity. In this technique, partially close the back of your throat, which cover the windpipe, so that as you inhale and exhale through your nose, the air passes through a narrower air passage in your throat, creating the sound made by your breathing while you are in a state of deep sleep. This sound can be likened to the whispering of the letters “hhhhh” expressed on inhalation and exhalation.

3. Bhramri

Bhramri is known as the bee breath. Bhramri helps to clear and strengthen the respiratory system and improve vocal resonance. It has a calming effect on the body that uplifts the spirit, and clears and invigorates the mind. In this pranayama, keep your lips gently closed throughout, inhale deeply, then hum as you exhale, extending the exhalation as long as possible. Use your abdominal muscles to control the evenness of your breath on exhalation. Repeat this once more. If you wish to stimulate your lung cells to further invigorate the vocal resonance and your body, tap your chest with your fists or fingertips as you hum on the out breath.

4. Sitali and Sitkari

Sitali and Sitkari are the two breathing techniques which have a cooling effect on the body. This technique is very useful during the hot months of the year. They also calm the nervous system. Sitali, particularly, can alleviate nausea and the symptoms of asthma.
    In Sitali on inhalation, curl your tongue so that the sides fold up, forming a tube, with your tongue protruding from you lips. Raise your chin as you inhale through your tongue (like a straw), feeling the cool air over the tongue. On exhalation, slightly lower your chin, place the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth, close your lips, and exhale through your nose.
   In Sitkari part your jaw slightly, so that your upper and lower teeth are a small distance apart. Your tongue rests at the base of your mouth, and the corners of your mouth are opened out as if in a wide smile. Inhale and exhale through your teeth, with the air passing over your tongue. The air should feel cool as it moves over the surface of your tongue during inhalation.

5. Anuloma Viloma

Anuloma means with the natural order and Viloma means going against the order. This technique helps to balance and harmonize the functioning of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. It has a soothing effect on the nervous system and calms the mind. Because exhalations are longer than inhalation, it encourages the removal of state air and toxins.


 

BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA

He who practices Pranayama will have good appetite, cheerfulness, handsome figure, good strength, courage, and enthusiasm, a high standard of health, vigor and vitality and good concentration of mind. Pranayama is quite suitable for the Westerners also. A Yogi measures the span of his life not by the number of years but by the number of his breaths. You can take in a certain amount of energy or Prana from the atmospheric air along with each breath. Vital capacity is the capacity shown by the largest quantity of air a man can inhale after the deepest possible exhalation. A man takes fifteen breaths in a minute. The total number of breaths comes to 21,600 times per day.
Other benefits are as follows:-

1. It makes the life meaningful and social. 
2.  It keeps the man balanced in all the conditions and situations.
3. It helps in understanding the real nature of man and its relationships with the community.
4. It manages psycho physical diseases.
5. It put chain on the senses.

Effects of Pranayama

Physical Effects

• Preservation of the body’s health
  
• Purification of the blood
  
• Improvement in the absorption of oxygen
  
• Strengthening the lungs and heart
  
• Regulation of blood pressure
  
• Regulation of the nervous system
  
• Supporting the healing process and healing therapies
  
• Increasing resistance to infection
  

Mental Effects

• Elimination of stress, nervousness and depression
  
• Quietening of thoughts and emotions
  
• Inner balance
  
• Release of energy blockages
  

Spiritual Effects

• Deepening of meditation
  
• Awakening and purification of the Chakras (energy centres)
  
• Expansion of consciousness
  

The Most Visible and Comprehensible Benefits of Pranayama


Prevents aging

   Many anti-aging creams and pills available in the market at platinum price, Pranayama practice is the free medicine available to avert aging. It is evident that longevity depends upon your breathing rate. If it is faster, you have fewer years to live. Pranayama helps you reduce the breathing rate to a great extent and gives you extra life full of joy and inner happiness. Ask those who practice Pranayama regularly and have a look at their skin. Study has revealed that Pranayama regular practice keeps your skin wrinkle free and glowing.

Cardiovascular health

    With regular practice, you tend to inhale more and more oxygen and circulate it freely all over the body. All the body cells get rejuvenated and the blood circulation improves amazingly. The pumping action of heart gets stabilized and blood pressure gets controlled. There are thousands of people who have stopped all anti-hypertensive tablets after they started practicing Pranayama.

Breathing Rate is stabilized and reduced

   The way we breathe decides how our health is. It is said that as the meditation helps the person to calm down, Pranayama helps one control their respiration in a positive way and slow down the heart rate so that cardiac outflow is stabilized and no undue stress is laid on heart muscles.

Enhances mental acuity

   The study reveals that there has been marked improvement in a personal concentration power after he practices Pranayama. The changes are visible right from the first week and the person feels less distracted during work. The improvement in cognitive abilities and with memory power is additional plus. If instead of sending students to improve memory classes, parents insist on doing Pranayama once a day, it will be rewarding for sure!

Negative mental qualities diminish in course of time

    We all go through varied stress and strains. But as is aptly said, make stress work for you, Pranayama helps us achieve this. We can slowly but surely gain control over our anger, anguish, fears, phobias, anticipatory anxieties, greed, etc.
 
Enhances immunity

    All body parts get more oxygen and toxins are flushed out of the system with daily practice of Pranayama. The enhanced bodily resistance power due to rejuvenation of cells helps us conquer many diseases. No wonder Pranayama experts were striving for a mass attempt to perform Pranayama when we were hit by severe epidemic of swine flu. Digging well upon facing utter scarcity of water is never good than to be in a position to face anything. Immunity booster life force is instilled with every type of Pranayama, be it Kapalbhati or Anulom-Vilom.

Improves digestive system

    Pranayama does mild to moderate massage to entire gastrointestinal tract. The people suffering from any kind of gastric or intestinal disorder get benefited with Pranayama. People with constipation and hyperacidity never feel the need to take laxative or antacid once they start practicing Pranayama daily.

Brain Observation During Practice

The previous pranayama brain studies simply compare people who do and who do not practice pranayama. However, it is also interesting to observe brain activity while practicing pranayama. One study measured brain activity using an EEG. When practicers began their pranayama exercises, the EEG revealed an increase in both alpha and beta activity. What this means is that pranayama increases two kinds of brain activity, and what is so interesting about this is that these two types of brain activity are generally related to increased awareness and increased relaxation.
                Pranayama causes both types of activity to increase, which means that pranayama helps one become more alert, while simultaneously becoming more relaxed. Yogis see this as the ideal state of the mind.

Conclusion

In yoga communities, pranayama is believed to be an important component of overall health and well- being. It's only with the advent of technologies that can directly observe brain activity that scientists have been able to prove that pranayama has the physical effect that yogis have always claimed that it has.