2. Pranayam the Power of Breath
‘Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘ayama’ means to
regulate or lengthen.
Prana is the vital energy needed by our physical and subtle layers,
without which the body would perish.
It is what keeps us alive. Pranayama is the control of prana through
the breath. These techniques rely on breathing through the nostrils.
3. Pranayama and its benefits
Physically, Pranayama appears to be a systematic exercise of
respiration, which makes the lungs stronger, improves blood
circulation, makes the man healthier and bestows upon him the boon
of a long life.
Pranayama does not mean just breathing in, keeping the breathed air
in and exhaling it. It also means establishing control on the entire
breathing process, and maintaining mental equilibrium, and
concentration of mind.
Most of the people do not have the habit of breathing deeply with the
result that only one-fourth part of the lungs is brought into action and
75 percent remains idle.
4. Pranayama and its benefits
The inefficient functioning of the lungs affects the process
of blood purification. It is for this reason that the
importance of Pranayama has come to be recognised, for a
healthy long life.
Several diseases can be averted by regular practice of
Pranayama. Mental disturbances like excitement, anxiety,
fear, anger, and disappointment can be calmed down by
regular practice of Pranayama.
Another benefit of Pranayama is that by its regular
practice, habit of deep breathing is developed which
results in several health benefits.
6. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
It has observed that the life span of an animal is
proportional to the rate of their breathing.
Tortoise which is known to live for more than
200 years breathes at the rate of 3-4 per minute.
Whale which breathes 6-7 times every minute
has an average life span of nearly 100 years.
In comparison, animals like rabbit or mice
which have faster respiratory rate have quite
shorter lifespan.
Practicing pranayama helps an individual
breathe regularly at a systematic pace, thus
increasing his/her lifespan.
Increases life span:
7. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
We do not use the whole of our lungs when
breathing normally. Instead of proper deep
breaths, we are accustomed to taking rapid
shallow breaths to meet our body’s requirement
of oxygen.
With regular practice of pranayama, more and
more of the lungs are used, which leads to more
pure oxygen entering our blood stream,
improving overall good health.
Constant practitioners of pranayama are known
to utilize nearly 80% of their lungs for
breathing.
Increased absorption of Oxygen:
8. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Respiration is directly linked to your emotions.
The more disturbances you have in your
emotional stability, the rapid will be your
breathing. In fact rapid breathing gives cues to
change of emotion in a person.
Thus it is believed that by controlling our
breathing, we can have control of our anger,
restlessness and other negative emotions.
Deep and regulated breathing often helps us to
rein and guide our wild emotions to a great
extent..
Control of emotions:
9. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Often we fail to control our fearful and negative
thoughts ruins our peace of mind.
Pranayama helps in gaining control over not just
the physical body but also over wandering
unnecessary thoughts.
Negative, worrisome and fearful thoughts can
make a person nervous and stressed. It can
interfere with our lives in more ways than we
actually realize.
Regular pranayama helps us to focus our thoughts.
Even in case we have a problem, we can analyze
and solve it instead of allowing it play havoc with
our minds.
Gain control over unnecessary thoughts:
10. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition in
which the arteries have steadily elevated blood
pressure than normally required for the healthy
functioning of heart.
Hypertension can be a silent killer dwelling in our
body, which can be tamed with lifestyle changes and
practicing of pranayama regularly.
The meditative posture allows the body to relax and
be free of stress and tensions. The calm mind also
contributes a lot to bringing down hypertension.
There have been cases of chronic patients of
hypertension, who have kept their blood pressure
under control by merely following some life styles
changes and doing yoga regularly. In addition it helps
in controlling other psychosomatic diseases like
diabetes, insomnia, depression and many more.
Reduces risk of hypertension:
11. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Regular practice of yoga and pranayama will help
you in improving your concentration, recent and
remote memory, besides strengthening your will
power.
If you are wondering how deep can breathe
technique improves concentration and memory,
than you must remember that pranayama increases
oxygen supply to the body, which includes the
brain.
It relieves distress, calming the mind to function
optimally. The deep breaths will ensure that every
cell in the brain has enough oxygen.
You will the effects of pranayama immediately, as
you feel a deep sense of peace and rejuvenation in
your mind immediately after doing it.
Improve concentration and memory:
12. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Pranayama improves your physical fitness
making your body lean, strong and healthy,
especially if you practice other asanas of
yoga.
It balances your digestive system and
appetite. The face will have a glow with
enough supply of oxygen to the skin tissue.
Those who are having problem with their
vocal chords can benefit a lot from
pranayama. People who practice pranayama
tend to become more cheerful and happy.
It increases the vigor and vitality of a person
to a great extent.
Physical fitness:
13. Amazinag Benefits Of Doing Pranayama
Pranayama is known to purify about 72,000
nerves in our body, in addition to strengthening
five pranas and balancing the energy flow in all
areas of body evenly.
Intellectual development is accelerated and
great improvement is seen in cognitive
functioning.
Medical practitioners recommend pranayama
to reduce signs of oxidative stress.
It helps in development sound judgment,
steady mind and keen sense of perception.
Last but not the least; pranayama helps you to
travel on the path of soul searching and
enlightenment.
General well being: