Pranayama
'Pranayama'
is a compound term ('prana'
and 'yama') meaning the
maintenance of prana in
a healthy throughout one's
life. More than a breath-control
exercise, pranayama is all
about controlling the life
force or prana. Ancient
yogis, who understood the
essence of prana, studied
it and devised methods and
practices to master it.
These practices are better
known as pranayama. Since
breath or prana is basic
to life, the practice of
pranayama helps in harnessing
the prana in and around
us, and by deepening and
extending it, pranayama
leads to a state of inner
peace.
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According
to Hatha Yoga, pranayamas can
be classified under:
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1 |
Sahita
Kumbhaka, |
5 |
Bhastrika, |
2 |
Surya
Bhedi, |
6 |
Bhramari |
3 |
Ujjayi, |
7 |
Murchha
and |
4 |
Sitali, |
8 |
Kewali.
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The first
is a breath retention technique,
which gives agility, strength
and flexibility to the body.
They also quieten the mind
and the sense organs besides
enabling the meditator to
control his hunger and thirst.
The Surya
Bhedi pranayama consists of
inhaling through the right
nostril and exhaling through
the left. This practice promotes
good digestion and through
perspiration, it purges the
body of all its impurities.
Ujjayi pranayama
involves the travel of breath
between the nose and the heart
only. It acts like an expectorant
and increases digestion together
with removing all impurities
of nerves as well as thoughts.
Bhramari
pranayama involves a very
concentrated and fixed breathing
exercise. It helps in strengthening
one's breath besides quietening
the mind and increasing the
powers of concentration. This
breathing technique is very
helpful in the last meditative
stage of samadhi.
Murchha pranayama
is an extreme form of breath
retention, which only experienced
yogis can achieve. This practice
quietens the mind and helps
it to reach the near-unconscious
state.
The last
technique of Kewali pranayama,
is a breath retention technique
in which, the yogi stops both
inhalation as well as exhalation.
This form balances inhalation
and exhalation besides helping
the mind to concentrate better.
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Benefits
of Pranayama
The
practices of pranayama—the
correct breathing technique
helps to manipulate our energies.
Most of us breathe incorrectly,
using only half of our lung
capacity. Pranayama is a technique,
which re-educates our breathing
process, helps us to release
tensions and develop a relaxed
state of mind. It also balances
our nervous system and encourages
creative thinking. In addition,
by increasing the amount of
oxygen to our brain it improves
mental clarity, alertness
and physical well being.
When
practiced along with yogasanas
the benefits of pranayama
are more pronounced. According
to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra,
pranayama enables the mind
to acquire the capacity to
concentrate on any given object
of attention. It also says
that scientific breathing
helps in unveiling true knowledge
from the darkness of ignorance.
But it is eminently advisable
to be aware of all the do's
and don'ts of pranayama before
practicing them.
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Various
Stages of Pranayama |
| The following
are the stages of pranayama: |
1 |
inhalation
or puraka, |
3 |
Stambhavritti
pranayama and |
| 2 |
Exhalation
or rechaka, |
4 |
Bahyabhyantarakshepi
pranayama. |
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Puraka
or inhalation techniques are
about regular and controlled
inhalation. It also teaches
regulating the entire breathing
process and reducing the number
of inhalations per minute.
Rechaka or exhalation exercises
teach slow and ordered breathing
besides reducing the number
of inhalations and exhalations
per minute. The third stage
consists of retaining the
breath after stopping natural
inhalation and exhalation.
The last stage of pranayama
is about converting both exhalation
and inhalation into retention
and storing the retained breathe
in various internal organs
for various lengths of time. |
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