Pranayama - The Practice of Yoga Breathing

Yoga places great emphasis on breathing. The breathing exercise is called pranayama. Prana means energy or breath and yama means discipline. It promotes proper breathing through breath control.

Yoga breathing is slow and free flowing. In today's busy lifestyle, we take more breaths, mostly short, shallow and hurried. Yogis believe that this shortens life. This is why yoga breathing is slow, deep, not forced and not controlled. It is done alongside yoga movements and is a way to open and expand the body rather than restrict it. Slow, relaxed breathing increases longevity and helps revitalize the mind and body. Think of how some people would tell themselves to take deep, slow breaths when stressed. Breathing slowly and deeply relieves tension.

With the practice of pranayama, oxygen is supplied adequately to the vital organs and joints in the body. It pacifies the nervous system, strengthens the respiratory system and helps blood circulation. Yoga breathing also trains the mind and body to reduce all sorts of craving. By focusing on one's breath, one can dismiss the craving as just a distraction that one can choose not to have. It does help some people from reaching for another doughnut, as an example.

Pranayama also develops stillness, which as you know, is not easy for most of us. We tend to hurry and worry because of our everyday stresses. But with yoga breathing and yoga exercises, we can train ourselves to focus on our breathing and be aware of our mind and body instead of our surroundings.

Yoga breathing also helps prevent diseases and even aid in curing some minor health problems. It helps remove the toxins from the body. It rejuvenates the skin and purifies the blood. All of these health benefits come from the oxygen that flows freely in the body.

The first thing that most likely comes to your mind when thinking of yoga is the positions or asanas. In yoga videos, yoga books, and even in movies, people who do yoga are shown doing the Sun Salutation, for example. However, pranayama is as important in the practice of yoga. Without knowing how to breathe properly, it would be hard, and even impossible, to achieve the stillness and relaxing aspects of yoga.

Deep and slow breathing is the way yogis prepare for meditation. Here's a yoga breathing exercise you can do daily. It is called Nadi-Sodhana.

Nadi-Sodhana is breathing on alternate nostrils. In a comfortable sitting position, place your right index and middle fingers on the middle of your two eyebrows. Press your right nostril with your thumb while lightly resting your ring and little fingers on your left nostril. Inhale slowly through your left nostril. Press your left nostril then lift your right thumb, releasing and exhaling through the right. You will then inhale through the right and exhale through the left nostril. You should feel the coolness of the breath during the inhale and the warmth of the breath during the exhale. Switch nostrils again and do this several times.

With this breathing exercise, you allow the physical and mental tension to counteract. By shifting from one nostril to the other, the nerve currents are purified and the energy flows. This type of breathing will calm the mind and relax your body. You will notice that your breathing will be even, slow, deep and does calm you down.

Continue to practise yoga breathing every day and feel the tension dissipate and your ailments easier to handle.

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