Prana And Pranayama

Today I want to teach a simple breath awareness  technique. Breath practices are called pranayama in Yoga. Let's take a minute to better understand the word pranayama. Pranayama is the next rung of the ladder of Raja Yoga coming after asana or posture. Often pranayama is referred to as simple breathing practices but it is actually much more. According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which as far as I’m concerned, any serious student of yoga needs as a reference book, prana denotes constancy, a force in constant motion. Prana is the life force and pranayama is the way you increase your internal supply of this life force. Pranayama is therefore a technique through which the quantity of prana in the body is activated to a higher frequency. 

Pranayama is practiced so that you can understand and control the pranic process in the body. Breathing is a direct means of absorbing prana and the way we breathe affects our entire being. 

Eating is also a direct means of absorbing prana which is another reason why the food we eat is so very important. 

Prana and the mind are intricately connected meaning that fluctuations in one will create fluctuations in the other. When nervous impulses are steady and rhythmic the brain functions are regulated and the brain waves become rhythmic. This is a good thing! 

The breathing process is directly connected to the brain and central nervous system and is one of the most vital processes in the body. It is also connected to the hypothalamus which controls emotional response. 

By becoming aware of the nature of your breath and also by holding it, the whole system becomes controlled. When you hold the breath you are stopping nervous impulses in different parts of the body and harmonizing brain wave patterns. Please do not start holding your breath! This is not something that you do without the guidance of a qualified teacher. 

Prana is the basis of life and can be directly controlled through the breath. Through the breath, prana and consciousness are essentially linked. 

So let's start the practice. Lie down on your back in the corpse pose and relax the whole body. Bring awareness to the breath moving in through the nostrils, down the trachea and into the lungs. 

Feel the lungs expand with inhalation, the stomach rise and a slight tension in the area of the chest.

While exhaling, feel the stomach drop, the lungs contract and the whole body relax as the air passes up to the nose and out through the nostrils. 

Let the breath be natural and listen as you breathe to the breath.

Please continue this a little longer. 

Many people have the tendency to take shallow breaths without filling their lungs to capacity. WHen you breathe in, the lungs should fully expand and the stomach should extend outwards. During the exhalation the stomach should relax completely and the lungs should expel as much air as possible. 

What I notice over and over again with many students, even those who have been practicing for many years, is that the breath is not complete and there is a lot more breathing through the mouth than they realize. In the three part breath for instance, they stop short of actually making the collarbones rise on the inhale. 

Mouth breathing is far more common than you think especially with the older population. One of the things that I consistently taught when working with seniors was proper breathing with the mouth closed. Mouth breathing isn’t a problem when they are sitting still but as soon as they start to move the mouth opens. We absorb carbon dioxide on the exhale and if we aren;t doing a good job of breathing meaning we are breathing too quickly, mouth breathing, noisy breathing, excessive upper chest movement and shoulders rising and falling with the breath there can be a lack of carbon dioxide. A lack of carbon dioxide can cause dizziness and palpitations. Too little oxygen in the blood that can occur during exercise or shallow breathing can cause cramps. 

Bringing more awareness to your breath is always a positive thing. Remember that breath has a direct effect on your mind. You can even induce meditative states using the breath so this is no small thing. I hope you found something I shared interesting or helpful.