Breathing is an involuntary function of the brain stem. You don’t have to think about it. You just do it. That may be why so many of us do it mindlessly. The yoga breath, or pranayama yoga, aims to bring mindfulness to your breathing.
The aim of pranayama yoga is, first, to become conscious of your breath and, then, to gain control over it. For that reason, I would say that the yoga breath is all in your head. Your breath affects your entire being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. And as your breath improves through the practice of pranayama yoga, all these areas of your being improve. The practice of pranayama yoga can have an effect on your respiration, heart rate and blood pressure, causing an improvement in health. It can focus your concentration and mental acuity, causing an improvement in your school or career performance. And it can have an effect on your subjective feelings of relaxation and well-being, causing an improvement in your emotional state.
Pranayama yoga starts with physical breathing exercises, which cleanse the respiratory system and increase oxygen to the blood stream and then to the body’s internal organs. With pranayama yoga, we learn to breathe more deeply, avoiding the shallow, chest-breathing that most people use. By breathing correctly, we allow the breath to do what is is designed by nature to do: remove toxins and body wastes from our body. This improves health. It can also aid in digestion as the metabolism improves.
The yoga breath goes beyond the physical to the mental. It develops concentration and aids us to focus. Removing stress helps to remove preoccupations that interfere with our mental discipline. When we have greater peace of mind, and can relax instead of stewing over our troubles, our self-control improves. When we can react to life’s situations from a place of calm instead of a place of agitation, our reactions are usually more mature and based on our life’s principles.
Then, as we continue to practice pranayama yoga, we improve our union with the life force.
The yoga breath is part of a process in yoga. It should be accompanied by yoga asanas. The asanas and the yoga breath together strengthen the practitioner’s body, mind and spirit and prepares the practitioner for meditation.
Start by listening to your breath. You will start on a journey to greater health, peace and well-being. Embrace the yoga breath.
Posts