Breathing is life. Many complaints disappear during calm, rhythmic and deep breathing. Negative emotions that cause tension and a tense feeling have a direct effect on breathing by cramping the chest and abdominal muscles.
Conversely, breath control always has a preventive effect. In Indian yoga, breath control, or pranayama, is of great importance as a preparation for meditation, where rest is a prerequisite. Yoga postures and the subsequent breathing exercises calm the body and mind and are part of the ‘royal path’, or raja yoga.
This yoga path is all about self-development and the realization of the universal unity of things, so beautifully expressed by the famous Upanishad statement: ‘Tat tvam asi (‘I am that and that I am’). The Sanskrit word pranayama stands for the control (yama) of ‘prana’, also called cosmic energy, life force or psychic energy.
Contents
- Prana and pranayama
- Yoga path of Patanjali (raja yoga)
- Eight branches of yoga
- Subtle (ethereal) body
- Asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Time and place
- Clothing and food
- Best posture (asana) for pranayama
- Classical breathing exercises (pranayama) for beginners and advanced students
Prana and pranayama
The Sanskrit word ‘prana’ can best be translated as life force or cosmic energy. According to yoga philosophy, prana is the opposite of matter and they are inseparably linked. Thanks to prana, matter becomes dynamic and change is possible.
Padmasana (lotus position) with jnana mudra / Source: Drchirag, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
Life force
In accordance with this line of thought, prana is directly related to physical and mental processes, such as blood circulation , heart function and the nervous system, but also to consciousness as such. In short, it concerns all physiological processes that ensure that life in humans, animals and plants can develop. Pranayama means control of this life force (prana) which, according to classical yoga philosophy , is omnipresent and permeates everything, from the nerve cell to the grain of sand on the beach.
Yoga path of Patanjali (raja yoga)
Pranayama, like the yoga postures, is part of the eightfold yoga path of Patanjali, who was the first to systematically and methodically write down the
yoga technique as a whole and distinguished eight main sections, with pranayama or breath control being the fourth section.
Eight branches of yoga
In classical yoga, the yogi goes through eight phases or sections:
- Yama: ethical commandments, closely related to the Ten Commandments of Christianity.
- Niyama: including hygiene and nutritional requirements.
- Asana : yoga postures.
- Pranayama: breathing exercises, or control of prana.
- Pratyahara: control of the senses.
- Dharana: concentration, focusing one’s attention.
- Dhyana: uninterrupted concentration.
- Samadhi: the ultimate level of meditation. The realization of ‘ tat tvam asi ‘ or ‘I am that and that is me’, the feeling of unity with the universal forces around us, with all living things, whereby the realization dawns that dualistic thinking is an illusion. According to many, this is the goal of all religions, characterized among other things by compassion and love.
Subtle (ethereal) body
Yoga in general and hatha yoga in particular, in their orthodox form, are completely focused on the so-called subtle body, also called the etheric body , which is considered the double of the physical body. The subtle body consists of a network of non-anatomically identifiable energy flows/channels and energy centers that, according to yoga philosophy, ensure that the physical body can function.
Siddhasana (completed pose) with jnana mudra / Source: Jemasty, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
Chakras These channels and energy centers are called
nadis and chakras respectively . The main nadi ( sushumma ) runs through the spinal cord, with the ida and pingala being nadis that accompany the sushumma to its left and right and empty into the nostrils. In yoga one learns to ‘activate’ the chakras or to bring them to a higher functioning plan. Chakras symbolize and control the different (seven) levels of consciousness.
Asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises)
The Gheranda-samhita says about the practice of pranayama: ‘Whoever learns the rules of pranayama becomes like a god through its practice’. In orthodox yoga, the mentioned nadis and chakras, or the conductors and distributors of prana, are stimulated and controlled with the help of yoga exercises, breath control and mudras. The yogi then has supernatural powers, such as levitation and telepathy. However, the higher purpose of this personal power should only be a means to discover the more elevated levels of consciousness.
Control of breathing
Just as the body influences breathing, so does the control of breathing influence the physiological functioning of the body. This also harbors dangers, at least according to the Gheranda-samhita and other classical yoga manuals, because one ‘plays’ with an inexhaustible, divine power. That is why going through the first stages of raja yoga is so important before starting pranayama, such as adhering to ethical regulations, observing nutritional guidelines and training the physical body, or practicing asanas. In ‘the fire of yoga’, or the yoga postures of hatha yoga, the body is forged and made suitable to withstand the forces that are released with pranayama.
Time and place
Preferably do the breathing exercises in the early morning and in a fixed place, such as a clean, tidy meditation room or corner where you can practice undisturbed. Also ensure good ventilation. Over time you will experience a meditative atmosphere.
Clothing and food
Avoid constricting clothing. Always do the asanas and pranayama barefoot. The stomach should be empty, of course without feeling hungry.
Best posture (asana) for pranayama
Favorable body postures for practicing pranayama are padmasana (lotus pose), siddhasana (complete sitting pose) or virasana (hero pose). Before you start, relax all the muscles, close your eyes, think only about the breathing exercise you are about to do. Do only one pranayama in the beginning. Do not exaggerate.
OM symbol / Source: Brenkee, Pixabay
Classical breathing exercises (pranayama) for beginners and advanced students
Two of the most authoritative yoga manuals on hatha yoga are the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda-samhita . The latter scripture contains eight classical breathing exercises. The list below for beginners and advanced students includes breathing exercises that have found acceptance in many Western yoga courses.
Savasana (corpse pose)
Always do pranayama after performing the yoga postures, and after you are well rested in, for example, savasana (corpse pose). With the help of pranayama, performed according to the guidelines and without too much effort, you will harvest more vitality in daily life and prepare your body and mind for concentration and meditation exercises, in accordance with the royal path of raja yoga (Patanjali).
| Yoga (pranayama) for beginners | |||
| Ujjayi (triumphator) | Sitali (cooling) | Kapalabhati I | Nadi sodhana (cleansing yoga breathing |
| Murch (swoon) | Surya-bheda (sun piercing) | Bhramari (humming bee) | |
| Jalandhara bandha (chin lock) | Complete yoga breathing | Jnana mudra (symbol of wisdom) | Loosened breathing |
| Yoga (pranayama) for advanced students | |||
| Viloma | Anuloma | Pratiloma | Kevali |
| Kumbhaka (breath holding) | Bhastrika (bellows) | ||
read more
- History of yoga – hatha yoga
- Breathing exercises – ujjayi pranayama (the triumphant)
- Breathing exercises – holding the breath (kumbhaka pranayama)
- Pranayama – awareness of yogic breathing
- Yoga (asanas) for beginners and advanced