Pranayama
What is Pranayama ?
Pranayamas are breathing exercises developed by the ancient yogis. They are used to purify the Pranic nadis in the Pranamaya Kosha by controlling, regulating, and channelizing the Prana in the body. Prana is taken in through the air we breathe, and since the breathing exercises increase the amount of air we take in, they also increase our intake of Prana. In Sanskrit Prana means energy or vital force and yama means control. So, in English this would translate into control of the vital breath. However, there�s much more to Pranayama than just control of the vital force. Pranayama essentially involves three things: regulating the breath, controlling the vital force and chanalizing the Pranas in the right directions.
The Art of Pranayama
Pranayama is both the science and art of purifying the nadis in the Pranamaya Kosha. Through regulated breathing i.e. altering the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation, it is possible to control the prana, vital force in the body. Pranayama is the process by which such conscious control is achieved through synchronized breathing. Purifying the channels along which the life stream of �prana� flows, helps prevent and even cure a variety of physical and mental ailments. In the process, it also increases one�s overall immunity and resistance to disease.
The best position to be assumed for these practices is sukhasana or the easy pose it also happens to be the most comfortable. The critical thing to bear in mind, however, is posture. The back, neck and head should be kept erect, i.e. in a straight line. And yet, the body should not be stiff. It should be in its natural relaxed condition. You can prepare for this by practicing shavasan, the corpse pose, for a few minutes. To prepare for pranayama it is first better to breathe relaxed in the abovementioned ratio. Do this a few rounds, for a few days. The next step is to learn the knack of full yogic breathing. This is also called Dirga Pranayama the three part breath. Known as the “complete” or “three-part” breath, Dirga Pranayama teaches you how to fill the three regions of the body with Oxygen.
� The first is the belly (on top of or just below the navel),
� The second is the chest (the thorax or rib cage), and
� The third is the clavicular region (or upper chest, near the sternum).
Proponents of the use of Surya namaskara as part of the modern yoga tradition prefer to perform it at sunrise, which the orthodox consider to be the most ‘spiritually favourable’ time of the day.
Some benefits of Pranayama
Breathing is a normal part of our life, though we fail to pay attention to it. It is an autonomic function of the body that we perform even without concentrating on it. Why then do we have to learn yoga breathing? Here are some reasons why Pranayama is important:
* Pranayama teaches us the proper way to breathe. We became used to breathing from our chest, using only a fraction of the lungs, not knowing that this unhealthy and unnatural way of inhaling may lead to several complications. With yoga breathing, we increase the capacity of our lungs, bringing more oxygen supply to the body to function well. We learn how to breathe slowly and deeply – the right way.
* Pranayama reduces the toxins and body wastes from within our body. It prevents one from acquiring diseases.
* Pranayama helps in one’s digestion. With the proper way of breathing, one’s metabolism and health condition will start to improve.
* Pranayama develops our concentration and focus. It fights away stress and relaxes the body. Controlling one’s breathing also results to serenity and peace of mind.
* Pranayama offers a better self-control. Through concentration, one can better handle temper and reactions. Mind can function clearly, avoiding arguments and wrong decisions. Moreover, self-control also involves control over one’s physical body.
* Pranayama leads to spiritual journey through a relaxed body and mind.
Origins
Yoga has much to offer to you. It teaches you how to breathe correctly, correct breathing refreshes you both in body and mind. It teaches you how to relax completely, complete relaxation restores your vitality. It teaches you how to practise Asanas which, if properly done, protect you against cold, fever, constipation, headache and other troubles. It teaches you what to eat and what not to eat and judicious eating preserves your health. It teaches you how to meditate and meticulous meditation keeps your mind calm, collected and well balanced. Finally, it teaches you what to do in order to remain younger and live longer, regardless of your calendar age.
Yoga pays particular care and attention to the purification of the body. It is often asked, why Yoga bestows so much attention on the body, when its aim is the spiritual union with the Divine. Yoga regards the body as a vehicle through which the spirit manifests itself. Just as a violinist takes care of his violin without which he would not be able to express his art, so a Yogi takes care of his body as the only instrument through which he can express his spiritual powers.
To keep the body fit and free of disease, it needs a certain amount of fresh air, rest and exercise. Why does the body need exercise? Because without exercise the body loses its elasticity and youthfulness, grows stiff and heavy, accumulates fat and toxins and rapidly gets old and worn out. Of course there are a number of exercises such as games, sports, walking, riding, swimming, dancing etc. Every form of exercise is good to a certain extent, but the ideal form of exercise is the practice of Yoga Asanas. They tone up the activities of the brain, glands, nerves, tissues and cells. They are both curative and recuperative in action. They are designed to bring the body into a condition where the healing forces of nature are able to do their work.
We do not pay any serious attention to breathing, the most important of all our bodily functions. It has never occurred to many of us that a great deal of our physical and mental troubles are due to the fact that we do not breathe correctly. Life and breath are synonymous. We live as long as we breathe. We start our life with the first breath and end it with the last breath. We never stop breathing whether we are awake or asleep. We can exist without food for weeks and without water for few days but without air we cannot exist even for a few minutes. Air is the most important nourishment for our blood. All the activities of the body from digestion to creative thinking depend upon the oxygen supply through breathing; yet we treat breathing with utter indifference. If there is a deficiency in the supply of oxygen, the process of ionization will be incomplete and the food is partially assimilated. Nearly 50 percent of delinquency in minors is due to oxygen starvation which is the result of shallow breathing and lack of fresh air.
The habit of shallow breathing is one of many unnatural habits that modern civilization has forced upon us. It has been proved that in the civilized world only babies breathe in a natural way. In order to enjoy good health a person needs approximately 60 deep breaths in a day. Shallow breathing is directly or indirectly responsible for a number of physical and mental diseases ranging from nervous disorders to common cold. To function properly the brain requires three times more oxygen than the rest of the body. If it does not get its due allotment, it extracts it from the body supply. That is why brainworkers often possess a poor physic and bad health. Deep breathing not only nourishes the whole system but also cleanses it.
We pay a dear price for having forgotten that we are an integral part of nature. In spite of all our inventions and achievements in the field of mechanics, we are not mere machines. If we are really anxious to keep physically fit and mentally alert, we should begin to reeducate ourselves in the ways of living as taught by Yoga.
Prana is not mere breath but it is cosmic energy. It is a life-giving principle which pervades the whole atmosphere. It is manifested in every form of existence – organic and inorganic. By breathing exercises it is possible to raise the degree of circulation of Prana in the body. The surplus of Prana is stored in the solar plexus which is the battery of the human body. We breathe better during night when we are asleep. The breath of a sleeping man is much deeper and is often accompanied by a mild, hissing sound. We must remember that we breathe through the pores of our skin, hence light cloths are to be worn at bed time.
The process of breathing is much more wide-spread than we generally suppose. We are told that the creation of the world began when the Creator breathed upon the waters. It has been proved that plants and metals also breathe. Astronomers tell us that even the sun breathes regularly, each breath taking eleven years and causing at its fullness the appearance of the sun’s spots upon the surface.
Man must contain a definite amount of air to counteract the law of gravitation which pulls him to the earth. At sea level the pressure is about 16 pounds per square inch. This must be equalized by the intake of air. That is why the lungs never empty all the air they contain. Their total capacity is said to be 250 cubic inches but they only empty 150 so that there always remains 100 cubic inches of air within them. To cleanse and refresh lungs, prolonged exhalation or Rechaka is the most efficacious.
Generally man breathes from 13 to 15 times per minute. If the rate of breathing is changed to 24 per minute, the breathing then becomes so quick that one does not feel pain. That is why in the heat of battle terrible wounds can be received without feeling them at all. Many great feats are accomplished under the stress of excitement. Martial music is designed to quicken the breath and the emotions, so is the colour red on flag and uniform. By quickening the breath the body loses its power of self-protection and injures itself. Benefits will accrue from slow breathing. By slowing the breath to 10 per minute, one does not feel excited or irritable. If the breathing is reduced to 5 per minute the brain becomes clear and ready for work. If the breathing is reduced to 3 per minute inspiration wells out from within. Yogis are able to suspend the breathing altogether and allow themselves to enter into trance. Slow, deep and gentle breathing will cure insomnia, blood-pressure, brain fatigue and bad temper.
Technique
1. Sit in sukhasana or any other comfortable position with back, spine, and neck erect. Alternately you may even lie down on your back. Start by taking slow, long, and deep nasal breaths.
2. As you inhale, let your abdomen fill with air. As you exhale, let your belly deflate like a balloon. Repeat the exercise a few times, keeping your breath smooth and relaxed. Never strain.
3. Breathe into your belly as in Step 2, but also inflate your thoracic region by letting your rib cage open up. Exhale and repeat the exercise a few times.
4. Follow steps 2 and 3 and continue inhaling by opening the clavicle region or upper chest. Exhale and repeat the exercise a few times.
5. Combine all three steps into one continuous or complete flow.
Once you have got a good feel for this style of breathing, start practicing without the aid of your hands. Finally, relax and breathe in the three positions quietly feeling the waves of breath move in and out, up and down the body.
The 8 Pranamayas are:
1. Kapalabhati
2. Anuloma Viloma
3. Ujjayi
4. Bhastrika
5. Shitali
6. Sitkari
7. Suryabhedana
8. Bhramari
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY
References
[1] H.H.Mahatapsvi Shri Kumarswamiji, “Teachings of Yoga” – http://www.shivayoga.net/literature/ys/teachings-of-yoga.html
[2] Breathing Exercises – What is Pranayama? – http://www.yogawiz.com/breathing-exercises.html
[3] “Pranayama” – http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=pranayama+ramdev&aq=2&oq=pranayama