What is pranayama?
According to Ayurveda
“Breathing may be the physical part of thinking and thinking may be the psychological part of breathing.\”
For people who are not aware, Pranayama is a vital part of Yoga, a component that teaches you how to lengthen your inhale numerous ways. The art of pranayama helps guide you you can skillfully inhale, retain and exhale your breath to improve the level of oxygen absorbed by your blood and organs. Pranayama may be the skill of altering the deepness, amount and pattern of one's breathing.
The word pranayama comes from the Sanskrit. It literally means, \”extension of breath\”. Prana is life-force, which supplies us with the energy that permeates our body. Prana forms an association between mind and consciousness.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
\”When the Breath wanders, your brain is unsteady, but when the Breath is still, so is the mind.\”
Breathing well is the essential step towards not only survival, but also self-healing. Learning the right breathing techniques affects the body, and our mind by positively influencing our thoughts and actions. Not many know this, but each thought that we think alters the rhythm in our breath. When one is happy and content, their breathing is rhythmic. However when one is stressed and unhappy, their breathing gets interrupted. So, you can change the course of your thoughts and emotions by changing the pattern of the breath, which can be achieved by practicing pranayama.
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Benefits of Pranayama
Pranayama has several benefits, but the most important of those advantages are:
- The art of breathing right which pranayama teaches helps treat a number of illnesses and disorders that are related to stress.
- Autonomic functions of the body are enhanced by pranayama.
- Symptoms that are associated with asthma are cured by pranayama breathing techniques.
- If the body is showing signs of oxidative stress, then you should practice pranayama to treat the disorder.
- People who practice pranayama on a regular basis are seen to have better concentration, a sharper mind, a greater will power and better judgement ability compared to those who do not practice the art.
- Pranayama when practiced every day, helps not just extend one's life, but additionally improves the quality of life.
- According to research, the cardio respiratory system of the body can be enhanced with the regular practice of pranayama. It is because pranayama helps keep blood pressure under control.
- Pranayama assists within the efforts of weight loss.
Benefits of Pranayama at length
There can be no other exercise better than Pranayama for the enhancement of physical, emotional and mental health. The breathing exercise helps treat problems of gas, nausea, phlegm and illnesses associated with these.
Let us find out with what was pranayama can benefit us.
Prana, the vital force of life
A human being's three basic necessities are air, food and water, of which we give supreme importance to water and food, while taking the air we breathe as a given. This is absolutely foolish because while a person can survive for at least a few days with food and water, he or she cannot spend even a few minutes without air.
The air we breathe plays an important role in strengthening our body. Experts say, it is the foundation of the human body. There's even a popular saying that goes like, the air we breathe is better than a hundred medicines.
Starting your day by inhaling fresh air can ensure that your lungs get healthy and strong, which, in turn, makes certain that your lifespan increases.
I happen to be practicing the art of Pranayama from the time I was 13, and I can guarantee that this practice enables the body to be strong, active and mostly disease-free. It broadens our chest and increases its capacity. The abdomen becomes strong and tight. Even the face becomes so radiant and calm.
The purpose of any exercise is to fill your body with energy. As the energy in our body increases, we begin to perspire. Perspiration is important to get rid of impurities and toxins in the body. Pranayama guarantees this, without hurting you unlike sports.
Also, to perform pranayama one does not need any equipment or gear of any kind. It is something everybody can practice. You don't even need a companion to practice pranayama or have to spend a penny to perform it.
According to the old texts of yoga, using the proviso that air, which is the vital force of life, is dynamic and well-maintained, one will not fall sick.
Pranayama to increase energy levels in the body
Oxygen is necessary for the process of combustion. Oxygen makes up for 20 per cent of the earth's atmosphere. The oxygen content in the air is greater during sunrise and around green areas. The body cells absorb the necessary oxygen from the air we breathe. When the oxygen is absorbed by our blood, energy is produced. Pranayama, by increasing the flow of oxygen towards the blood vessels, increase the amount of energy produced in the body.
Pranayama for blood purification
Pranayama helps purify our blood. Everyone knows that if the blood is oxygenated and clean, you don't experience blood clots or swelling or headaches or pain and burning sensation in the abdomen area.
Pranayama ensures that oxygenated blood is circulated through the body. This helps prevent illnesses, such as anemia, jaundice, asthma, paralysis, cough, disorders from the eyes, blindness etc.
The air that certain breathes in while performing pranayama circulates through our body and warms the gastric juices. This can help in relieving constipation and other digestive system-related issues. This air also warms our arteries, thus helping release toxins from our organs through the exhaled air.
Our blood absorbs oxygen in the air we breathe. The nitrogen and co2 present in that air, which makes up for about 80 per cent of that air, is then exhaled. While performing pranayama, we hold the breath. The air then absorbs all of the impurities which is then exhaled using the air we breathe out.
When our blood is correctly oxygenated, our body gets heated up from inside, which helps in the opening of follicles. As a result, we start perspiring, which is the best way to get rid of the impurities from the body.
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Who is Pranayama not great for?
Pranayama can be practiced by anyone, and that is its beauty. However, as it is such a powerful technique, it is suggested you learn it from the proper teacher and at least inside your initial days, practice only under the supervision of an expert.
Also, under few conditions pranayama should not be practiced. These are:
- During periods and pregnancy avoid pranayama.
- If you've got a heart condition (especially if you have had cardiac arrest recently), you should not perform pranayama.
- People who have low blood pressure should practice the skill of pranayama under the guidance of an expert or teacher.
- During fever, pneumonia and/or bronchitis, do not perform pranayama.
- People going through chemotherapy should not be practicing yoga. The same is true for individuals going through any kind of radiation therapy.
- Pranayama isn't recommended for people who are going through a psychological and psychological condition like depression, anxiety and/or suicidal feelings.
What is Anulom Viloma Pranayama?
According to Sarvyoga,
\”Anulom Vilom Pranayama ( ) is among several Pranayama or breathing exercise used in the practice of Hatha yoga. At first you need to understand the meaning of Anuloma and Viloma .In this the first word Anu roughly means \”with\”, and the word Loma means \”hair\” implying \”with the grain\” or \”natural\”. And meaning of Viloma is \”against the grain.\” Anuloma may be the opposite of Viloma. It is very helpful in respiratory system related diseases like Asthama.
Anulom Vilom Pranayama is the best way to balancing the Tri dosas in our body. Our body gets ill when Tri dosas are not in balancing position. Vaat, Pitta, and Kaffa are classified as Tri dosas, Tri means \”three\” and the meaning of dosas is \”impurities\”. All these are contained in body of every people. If a person of them is imbalance than we suffer from different diseases. All of three are the cause of all diseases. So it's vital that you balance these tri dosas. If you really want to balance these Tri dosas than do Anulom vilom pranayam regularly. It is the simplest and finest way for this.\”
Benefits of Anulom Viloma
The benefits of anulom viloma are, according to Sarvyoga,
\”Anulom Vilom Pranayama is the ideal pranayama for a healthy heart. Anulom Vilom Pranayama is also known as Nadi shodhana pranayam (alternate nostril breathing). It is next level of Anulom Vilom. In Anulom Vilom Pranayama we breathe in and out, but in Nadi shodhana pranayam we hold (kumbhaka or retention) our breath for a second or minute than exhale.\”
This art of anulom viloma also helps in improving our level of concentration and ability to live in the moment.
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That is really a wrap on today's post on the benefits of pranayama. Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comment section below.
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