‘Prana’ means the breath or vital energy of the body. ‘Ayama’ means to control. Pranayam means control of breath. Prana is not oxygen or physical breathing. Prana represents the subtle pranic energy responsible for the life force in our body. The movement of pranic energy in our body can be controlled and regulated through the specific patterns of physical breathing. This is Pranayam. By doing Pranayam, we can control the pranic energy in our body and achieve a healthy body and mind.
There are five types of prana which control the pranic activities in our body. They are Prana, Apana, Vyan, Udana & Samana.
Prana- This moves upward in the body.
Apana- helps in the ejection of unassimilated food and drinks. This moves downward in the body.
Vyana - moves in all direction and pervades the entire body as nervous current.
Udana -Which operates in the throat, is to help the soul and subtle body pass out at the time of death.
Samana - Helps in digestion; it also carries nutrition through the body.
Out of these Prana and Apana are most important. Practice of Pranayama achieves the balance in the activities of these pranas, which results in healthy body and mind.
It is necessary to understand the process of breathing before learning Pranayama. The breathing process involves two activities, viz., inhaling and exhaling. Inhaling is called "Puraka" and exhaling is "Rechaka". We inhale and exhale non-stop right from the birth to our death. When we consciously halt our breath in between inhaling and exhaling it is called ‘Kumbhaka’. The halt of breath after inhaling - Puraka is called "Abhyantara Kumbhaka" and after exhaling- Rechaka is called "Bahya Kumbhaka".
Breathing is also classified into different types according to the speed of breathing: The smooth breathing that continues naturally without any effort -Quiet Breathing; The extending breathing which is caused by deliberate slowing down of the breathing -Deep Breathing; The quick breathing which is caused by deliberate increase in the speed of breathing -Fast Breathing.
Different types of Pranayams are: Quiet Breathing; Deep Breathing; Fast Breathing; Tribandha and Pranayama; Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama or Anuloma - Viloma (Alternate nostril breathing) ; Suryan Bhedan Pranayama (Right Nostril Breathing);Ujjayi Pranayama; Bhramari Pranayama; Surya Bhedan; Bhasrika; Ujjayi; Shitali ; Sitkari; Bhramari; Murchh; Plavini Pranayama etc.
A very important note of warning regarding Pranayam – it must be learnt and practiced under a teacher who can teach it scientifically. If it is practised without proper guidance, it can harm our body and systems. Pranayam is not difficult and can be easily learnt and practiced under an expert yoga teacher and we take the benefit of its wonderful blessings.
Breath and mind are interconnected. When the breathing is fast, the mind is disturbed and when the breathing is slow and deliberate, the mind calms down. The speed of breath and life span are also interconnected. The normal human breathes 15 times a minute and has a life span of 60-70 years. The restless monkey breathes about 50 times a minute and has a life span of less than 20 years. The whale breathes at rate of 3 times per minute and lives for more than a hundred years. With regular practice of systematic Pranayam, the breath can be regulated and slowed down. This increases the life span of the person.
Patanjali mentions that pranayama is a means of attaining higher states of awareness. During meditation our breath slows down unconsciously and in deep meditation it becomes very slow. In the state of Samadhi, the yogi breathes 1-2 times a minute. This refreshes and restores the system and rejuvenates the yogi. With proper breathing, we receive sufficient oxygen and all the toxins in our body are thrown out. This refreshes our body and mind and helps us to function better. Hence Pranayama is very important.
