Pranayama Meaning
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word, which is made of two words “Prana” and “Ayama”. In Pranayama, “Prana” means breath or vital energy in the body, and “Ayama” means control. Hence, the meaning of Pranayama is “Control of Breath”.
What is Pranayama?
Pranayama is the prehistoric practice of getting control of your breath with various breathing techniques and exercises. It involves controlling your breath for various times, lengths, and frequencies.
The origin of Pranayam comes from the various yoga practices developed in the India around sixth and fifth centuries BCE. Also, Pranayama is the 4th limb of yoga, according to Patanjali.
The breath is considered as the core of each and every living being’s existence in Yoga. Hence, Pranayam is the first step that you need to master to become a yogi.
Key principle of practicing Pranayama-
The key principle of practicing Pranayama is that everyone holds emotional and physical blocks in their bodies, which hinders the continuous flow of prana or breath in our bodies. This results in various unwanted thoughts and problems, like feeling unwell and stuck.
Therefore, performing Pranayam becomes necessary to remove these hindering blocks from our bodies, for the free flow of breath and prana. This results in the proper functioning of our bodies and helps in keeping our minds at peace.
Pranayam techniques primarily focus on one or more of the four parts of the breath-
- Inhalation (Puraka)
- Internal retention (Antara-khumbaka)
- Exhalation (Rechaka)
- External retention (Bahya-khumbaka)
The first step of pranayama is to sit with an erect spine with correct posture. This can be practiced in various forms like in Sukhasana (Cross-legged Pose), Virasana (Hero’s Pose) or Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
Top 7 Benefits of Pranayama
The ancient technique of Yoga works in enormous ways to help us keep a healthy body and peaceful mind. Here we will learn the various benefits of pranayama if performed regularly-
1. Increases mindfulness
Breathing, for most people, is an involuntary action, we don’t think or put any effort while doing that. But during Pranayama you need to be aware or mindful of your breath and how it feels, as it involves breathing with various forms, lengths, and frequencies. Hence, it helps us to increase awareness of the breath and mindfulness.
This ancient practice of yoga also teaches us to focus on the present moment rather than the past or future. Hence may help people to get control of their thoughts and emotions.
According to researchers, Pranayam also increases the oxygen level and removes carbon dioxide, which helps in fueling brain cells. This may result in mindfulness, as it increases focus and concentration.
2. Improves lung function
Pranayama plays a vital role in improving lung health. The process of this ancient yoga breathing technique focuses more on your lungs, thus increasing lungs health and capacity.
Regular practice of it can increase the chest wall expansion and various lung functions.
It may also help in curing various lungs related problems like allergic bronchitis, asthma, and for recovery from pneumonia and tuberculosis
3. Reduces Stress
In today’s world, stress has become a major issue that further leads to anxiety and depression.
Studies have shown that regular practice of various pranayama yoga may help in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
As the oxygen uptake increases during the pranayam, this can be linked to a reduction in stress. Because oxygen is the vital source of energy for various organs like nerves and the brain. Hence, when the absorption of oxygen increases, stress may reduce.
4. Improves sleep quality
As you have read above, practicing pranayam may reduce stress, hence it can also help you improve your sleep quality.
Problems like insomnia can also be treated by various slow and deep pranayamas when performed daily throughout the day and especially before bed.
Also, studies show that performing pranayama yoga daily leads to a decrease in snoring and daytime sleepiness, hence better sleep quality..
5. Reduces high blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension can lead to various chronic health problems like heart diseases and strokes. It occurs when the blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels.
Thus, performing pranayama daily may help minimize the risk of hypertension, as it makes the body achieve a relaxed and calm state.
Also, pranayam focuses on mindfulness which helps calm the nervous system, reducing stress and hypertension.
6. Enhances cognitive performance
Regular practice of Pranayama benefits by increasing memory, cognitive flexibility, and reasoning skills.
As we have read before, pranayam helps us to reduce stress, which is considered as the major reason behind the improvement of these executive functions and brain response time.
7. Improve digestion and strengthens immune system
Pranayama also helps in the proper functioning of the digestive system. Pranayama yoga performed with breathing exercises results in the activation of the diaphragm.
The process of breathing makes the diaphragm move up and down, thus creating a massage-like moment for the digestive organs. Therefore, resulting in better digestion.
Good digestion strengthens the immune system. Also, the diaphragmic movement stimulates the movement of lymph – fluid containing white blood cells, hence boosting the immune system.
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