Pranayama & Yogic Breathing
The Power of Effective Breathing
Pranayama forms a vital step in the path to ascendancy through Yoga.
Pranayama is derived from 2 Sanskrit words - Prana (life force) and Ayama (control).
Therefore, in its broadest description, Prananyama would mean the
control of the flow of life force.
To get a deeper understanding of Pranayama, please sample the following articles:
Understanding Pranayama - Part I
Understanding Pranayama - Part II
One of the initiation techniques into Prananyama is through the practice of Yogic Breathing or Yoga
Breathing. Yogic Breathing helps us break down and understand our breathing better as being composed
of diaphragmatic and thoracic breathing. Although this breathing technique forms a basis to advanced
Pranayama techniques, it leads to important benefits of its own and provides us a glimpse of what we are
capable of reaching through Pranayama.
To read a detailed overview of this yoga breathing technique, Click here
Yoga breathing can be carried out by lying down on your yoga mat. The "Twintex" yoga mats provide the right snug to give a comfortable yet firm feel that is desirable. Click here to know more.
Breathing Components that form the basis of Pranayama
During breathing for Pranayama inhalation (puraka) stimulates the system and fills the lungs with fresh air; retention (kumbhaka) raises the internal temperature and plays an important part in increasing the absorption of oxygen; exhalation (rechak) causes the diaphragm to return to the original position and air full of toxins and impurities is forced out by the contraction of inter-costal muscles. These are the main components leading to Pranayama which massage the abdominal muscles and tone up the working of various organs of the body. Due to the proper functions of these organs , vital energy flows to all the systems. The success of Pranayama depends on proper ratios being maintained between inhalation, exhalation and retention.