‘Pranayama Yoga‘ is a Sanskrit term referring to the well-researched yoga tactics to control breathing.
What Exactly is Breathing?
The breathing process is a combination of the inhalation process which uses the ingressive (breathing in) air as well as the exhalation (breathing out) process which includes the egressive air.
Just think for a while. How many people really consciously bring about a synthesis between his physical activities and his mind? Very few! They do their day-to-day chores â breathing in and breathing out. This is because without breathing or without taking oxygen we cannot live.
But the moot point is: Do we control breathing?
No, we don’t!
The next poser: Can we at all control breathing?
Yes, we can!
The next natural queries should be: Why should we control breathing? Or for that matter, how do we control breathing?
Controlling Breathing
A yoga practitioner (yogi) of Pranayama yoga has total control over his breathing process. What’s more, such a practitioner can use his breath to do wonders for his body. By performing the Pranayama yoga tactics, he/she makes use of deliberate and conscious attempts to bring about a synthesis of the human body and the mind.
Yoga Versus Other Exercises
Yoga pranayama tactics would appear to be certain physical movements or postures to the uninitiated. Hence, many erroneously assume that pranayama yoga is akin to other physical exercises.
However, the fact remains that yoga is not merely gymnastics, nor is it simply a set of exercises to stretch the body. Yoga is a way of life, and Pranayama yoga is the catalyst that makes the mind and body of the practitioner immune to attacks â psychologically as well as physically.
Pranayama yoga is a set of age-old proven tactics to stimulate the body and mind of the Kundalini yoga practitioner.
The yoga techniques require total concentration of the yogi. Such dedication is brought about through controlled breathing and chanting of mantras to bring about a focal point.
Word of Caution
The yoga Pranayama asanas complement regular treatments. Yoga is not a substitute for any medical schedules.
To gain the maximum benefits from the regular practice of yoga, you must reveal to the yoga trainer or ‘guru’ the physical antecedents or the history of diseases in your family. Certain illnesses are hereditary. Hence you should take care.
The yoga asanas should be done only after you take the advice of an expert yogi practitioner.
None of the yoga asanas is a substitute for medical advice or care. It is important to remember this primarily because certain yoga postures are not meant for some people suffering from particular ailments.
