Pranayama deals with the subtle life force. Prana essentially means the energy that is needed to sustain our physical body and in the absence of which our body would perish. It is this prana that nourishes the mind and keeps our body alive. This prana creates the aura around our body and flows through thousands of nadis in our body and also the various chakras of the body. The quality and the quantity of the prana that flows into our body determines the state of our body. With pranayama, both the quality as well as the quantity of the prana improves and thus one’s physical health, as well as a mental state, is improved, and one becomes very calm and peaceful. Hence, it is essential that one practices pranayama Yoga.

What is Pranayama Yoga?

Pranayama name has a Sanskrit origin and is a combination of 2 words Prana, which means breath and Ayama, which means the suspension of breathing. According to the technical definition by Bhattacharyya, pranayama yoga is a 3-step model which contains Purak – which means breathe in, Kumbhak, which means to retain the breath and Rechak, which means discharging the breath. There is a mention of Pranayama in Bhagavad Gita also which means ‘trance induced by stopping all breathing.’ The traditional Hatha Yoga makes use of various pranayama techniques and thus is a very vital step for the spiritual development of a person.

What Should You Know Before You Do Pranayama?

Before you know how to do pranayama yoga, first notice what you should know about this yoga asanas. Understanding of the prana is essential before you do Pranayama. It is prana that creates the aura or the energy body of a person and adds the life force to the person. Hence by practising Pranayama the quality, as well as the quantity of this prana, is improved to a great extent. However, one cannot see the changes overnight, nor can these types of breathing be mastered in a single day. Practice, they say, makes a man perfect, and thus, you need to practice these breathing techniques to master them as well to be able to reap the maximum benefits out of the same.