Pranayama yoga - breathing technique

Dear folks, proper breathing is very important for our health. I have written numerous article on this subject in my blog and during my last Friday lunch conversation with Sife sw,he brought up the subject of pranayama meditation. A beautiful breath breeds a beautiful body and mind. It is only a simple technique but there are so many variations and no one method is the best for everyone.

First, you will need to start the practice and then, your body will signal you to vary the breathing lenght of each breath to cater for your body's need. You will maximize your benefits from your beathing if you exercise your breathing regularly.

Start with your breathing from the left and alternate the breathing to the left and right. The impact of this pranayama yoga have the same benefit as qigong and Tai Chi. All these exercise is to manage the breathing and bring Chi or energy into the body and feed the mind. The benefits of all these exercsie again needs constant practice and discipline.

Scientific survey have shown us that sometimes, we stop breathing especially during stress and when you are angry. Such behaviour will hurt your heath, your body and your mind. Keep a constant flow of th energy and you will find that you are more in control of yourself and your breathing will continuous.

Try it out. It is a very simple exerics ewhich do need money and alot of space but do it where there is availability of clean air. A free dlow of freah and clean air is highly recommended when you are practising this exercise.

Namaste.


A simple explanation of pranayama yoga:

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.

Five types of prana are responsible for various pranic activities in the body, they are Prana, Apana, Vyan, Udana & Samana. Out of these Prana and Apana are most important. Prana is upward flowing and Apana is downward flowing. Practice of Pranayama achieves the balance in the activities of these pranas, which results in healthy body and mind.