What exactly is Pranayama?

Pranayama is a fundamental aspect of yoga that involves controlling your breath to direct the life force energy, or "prana," that flows through all living things. The goal of this age-old practice is to improve your energy and concentration via the controlled release of pent-up energy (prana) through the body's respiratory muscles.

There is a wide range of Pranayama techniques, each tailored to a specific purpose and set of abilities. Breathing exercises can range from simply becoming more attuned to your breath to more complex manipulations of your breathing rate, depth, and even holding your breath for brief intervals. These techniques aim to bring the breath into harmony with the energy systems of the body, rather than merely regulating the intake of air or the respiratory process.

Ujjayi and Nadi Shodhana are two famous Pranayama techniques. To bring harmony to the body's energy pathways, practitioners of Nadi Shodhana (also known as alternate nostril breathing) take deep breaths in and out of each nostril in turn. Ujjayi is a breathing technique used in Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga that helps concentrate the mind and keep the rhythm in tune with the body's motions. It's a gentle hissing sound.

Pranayama has several positive effects on health when practiced regularly. Breathing exercises can increase lung capacity and efficiency, which improves respiratory functions. In addition to calming the central nervous system, it has a calming effect on the autonomic nervous system. In addition, pranayama is said to enhance focus and clarity of thought by increasing oxygen flow to the brain.