What is Pranayama?

Find out what pranayama is and how it can improve the quality of your life.

Everyone talks about pranayama. The great health and wellness professionals have incorporated it into their daily routine. Scientific studies accredit its transformative and healing effects.

But what is pranayama? Where does your name come from and what is your philosophy?

What is Pranayama?

The word "pranayama" comes from Sanskrit, as it is a tool that was devised thousands of years ago by the great sages and yogis of India.

"Prana" means vital energy: it is present at all times and in any place, it is what allows things, animate and inanimate, to be and develop.

Pranayama is, therefore, the control, mastery, and study of prana. It is the art of breathing consciously and with a particular intention. There are different types of pranayamas, with their own particularities and functions. Pranayama is using the breath with an intention. It is also connecting with the purest and most primitive source of life . With the latent potential of our conscious being.

Through pranayama we can drink from the magic that resides within us and that dissolves any pain.

What are the benefits of pranayama?

There are different types of pranyama: nadhi sodhana, chandra bedhana, surya bedhana, sitaly pranayama, kapalabhati… the list is very long. Each of them presents different aspects and has different effects on the body.

Therefore, today we will not talk about the benefits of each pranayama, but about the benefits of practicing pranayama.

• It connects us with the breath , vital energy that sustains all physiological, mental and emotional processes.
• It allows us to anchor ourselves in the present : the space and time where real life unfolds.
• It allows us to manage emotions , because through breathing we can understand and regulate our state of mind.
• It fills us with energy , since oxygen is the main food of the physical body.
• It allows us to develop self-discipline , concentration, mental focus and observation, essential qualities for our day to day.
• It offers us a moment of peace , solitude and silence, perfect to give our brain a break (neural silence is essential to have more creativity, feel inspired and motivated, alive and in good spirits…)…

These are some of the wonderful effects of pranayama practice. In future articles we will talk to you in a more concrete and specific way about each of them.

How can it improve my quality of life?

Without a doubt, the practice of pranayama can exponentially improve your quality of life.

It is a technique that allows you to shape and transform your state of mind : through different breathing exercises you can reduce and even dissolve stress, anxiety, panic attacks or apathetic moments.

In addition, pranayama also allows you to regulate the physiology of your body : you can change its internal temperature, stabilize the hormonal system, improve the quality of your sleep, develop concentration and mental focus, increase resilience and adaptation capacity...

The way you breathe defines your quality of life . If you learn to own your breath, you can become a great creator. You will react to external events and unforeseen events from self-control and self-control. That will give you peace and well-being, inner calm and confidence in your heart.

Tips to incorporate it into my day to day.

Pranyama is a practice that requires a lot of discipline and repetition. That's why it's better to start little by little.

The success of this modality does not lie in quantity, but in quality : one minute of conscious breathing is much more effective than 10 minutes of unconscious breathing.

If you realize, a deep and heartfelt exhalation, one of those you do after a long day at work, a hard workout or an afternoon playing with your children, is a great pleasure. Imagine what ten good inhalations and exhalations can do for you.

Another important factor is that you feel comfortable with the technique you choose : there are some pranayamas that are completely inadvisable for beginners. Focus on easy breathing techniques such as full yogic breathing, nadhi sodhana, surya bedhana, chandra bedhana… At first it will be difficult; It is normal.

Your lung capacity will increase as you practice: don't be in a hurry to find the best result.

Long-term habits are harvested in small but daily steps.

Look for a yoga center or an online platform and start trying and experimenting. Nothing bad can happen to you if you choose the beginner modalities: be kind to your body and respect it at all times.

Mae Knapnougel