Breathing is one of the most important things that a person has to do and it is also one of the five principles of yoga, known as pranayama yoga or breathing exercise. The main point is to promote proper breathing. This way it is possible to bring enough oxygen to the brain and the blood and so to control the Prana or the vital life energy.
The pranayama kind of yoga goes hand in hand with Asanas and the union of these two principles is considered to be the highest form of purification and self-discipline, engaging both the body and soul.
What is the pranayama type of yoga?
This is the science of breath control. It is made of a series of exercises that are supposed to meet the needs of the body to keep it healthy.
The word pranayama comes from ‘Prana’ meaning ‘life energy’ or ‘life force’, Yama meaning ‘control’ or ‘discipline’ and Ayama meaning ‘non-restraint’, ‘expansion’ or ‘extension’.
Although it may seem at first that the main point of the pranayama type of yoga is to achieve correct breathing, it is more than that. The entire process has been created for yoga practitioners to prepare them for meditation.
Through respiration we inhale oxygen that goes through the body parts and that is meant to charge the body parts. After this we exhale the carbon dioxide and with it, the toxins from our body. Through pranayama yoga the practitioners are able to achieve the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Since life is full of stress and worries, people don’t really care about their breathing and so it becomes fast and shallow. Only a part of the lungs is used thus resulting in lack of oxygen, causing different kinds of complications, such as sleep disorders, heart diseases and fatigue.
Stages of the pranayama type of yoga
There are four stages. The first one is Arambha. In this stage the interest for pranayama is awakened in the person in question. The second one is Ghata and in this stage the sarias merge to envelope the soul and these are subtle, gross and casual. The third stage is Parichay when the practitioner experiences the knowledge of the breathing technique. The last stage is known as Nispatti and during this the yoga practitioner goes beyond the physical body and he or she gets united with the supreme.
Benefits of pranayama yoga
Through the pranayama kind of yoga we learn the right way to breathe. As it has been mentioned, usually we use only a part of our lungs and we get used to this unhealthy and unnatural habit. Through this breathing technique we can increase the capacity of the lungs and so it will be possible for the body to function better.
In the same time this yoga also reduces the toxins and wastes inside the body, thus preventing people from getting sick. One of the most important advantages of the pranayama yoga is that it also helps the digestion improving the metabolism.
