by Simply Put, we inhale and exhale. When life and emotions allow free expression of life’s processes and emotions, my breath should flow freely with each exhale or inhale. But when anxiety or uneasy emotions remain on a deeper level than usual, my diaphragm tightens, restricting breathing. Our breath is known as prana (Vital Force), it allows us to assess intellectually as well as emotionally where things stand within ourselves – once I realized this power behind breathing, I realized just how disconnected from life I felt from life itself – until now that is was finally clear to me how connected my breath felt with my physical existence!
At my initial experimentation of pranayama, I was instructed to perform six sets of nadi-shodhana. Additionally, breathing through each nostril alternately seemed straightforward enough – until inhaling and exhaling became so focused upon that recording every round with my fingers became essential – at which point, it seemed as though all of us used our fingers simply as counting devices since simultaneously tracking multiple things was impractical.
After about one month of practicing Pranayama for daily breathing exercises and counting the round mentally instead of with my fingers, things began to shift significantly. While initially I thought tracking multiple things simultaneously would be impossible for my overwhelmed mind to focus on anything other than fear, anxiety and thoughts; Pranayama helped quiet my brain while connecting me back with breathing again – giving me back my focus! (scroll down for video instructional)
Strangely enough, when I began pranayama exercises I was unaware of all of the mental clutter within me. Depression wasn’t necessary part of my normal state and anger wasn’t leading to stress-inducing situations in life – my fears weren’t shaping decisions either! Four years later I hadn’t realized my world could change, yet. Today I still practice pranayama regularly with no regrets whatsoever and can think more clearly while moving smoothly through my emotions. Pranayama has enabled me to be more present and mindful during daily activities and appreciate everything life offers me. Pranayama not only broadened my breathing capacity but has expanded my capacity for living an abundant existence.
A Pranayama Disaster Story and The Amazing Inside of Your Nose
An acupuncturist was massaging my feet with needles while an RN monitored my pulse – all while others looked on with disdainful smiles.
An intense pranayama class taught by an incredible instructor with very kind and skilled students was creating an atmosphere conducive to learning all sorts of complex pranayama practices; yet I found myself physically exhausted as well as mentally exhausted by this endeavor.
Over the past minutes, we had just finished another extensive and complex pranayama exercise.
After my session had concluded, I got up and headed toward another room for a break when I noticed I was experiencing dizziness due to an elevated heartbeat; furthermore, nausea set in and I began feeling disoriented and dizzy.
I had set off an internal fire.
As I settled into my recliner, someone brought a glass of water. But people began shouting at me.
Within minutes, I felt at ease (and relaxed – there’s nothing quite so soothing as having an entire class dedicated to taking care of their students!) My exhaustion became increasingly obvious and so instead of participating in more pranayama breathing techniques to stimulate my nervous system further, I chose instead to skip class for now in order to rest rather than push through to keep stimulating it further through pranayama breathing techniques.
My experience helped me recognize the risks involved with pranayama practice.
Anything which could significantly and directly alter your autonomic nervous systems requires special consideration and regard.
As a student in India, I heard tales about the dangers associated with pranayama. After meeting one of the yoga yoginis from an ashram who told me she experienced episodes where pranayama “made her go crazy”, other ladies in her ashram brought her before their guru who then corrected any mistakes when doing pranayama exercises and she returned back to normal practice – now back doing regular workouts as planned!
In the US, these stories about yoga-related hyperbole were widely dismissed. Many American instructors spread word of Nadi Shodana in many forms – some offered curative benefits on all ailments while some touted its health-boosting properties; as for me personally, my previous pranayama experience never showed negative side-effects when breathing deeply within minutes!
After experiencing pranayama training, I quickly came to understand that my path lay within myself – what I needed from pranayama as well as what it could offer other people. Gary Kraftsow provided helpful insight which enabled me to begin this path towards self discovery.
Message of this video was simple: Take deep, conscious breaths when needed and don’t hold back on breathing.
“Pushing my breath” meant something different to each individual I encountered; my awareness was gained only with practiced pranayama techniques regularly throughout each day, until eventually pranayama practices became part of a daily habit for me and this became an exercise to explore interoceptive sensations – how was my breathing, what message it sent the nervous system, my mood or physical physiology, as well as its goal and was I able to let that take its natural course without intervening too heavily?
Over time and through regular observation of my breath and related sensations, I gradually came to appreciate the benefits of practicing. While formal pranayama remains important to me, this discovery proved more profound to me than anything I tried in over thirty years of formal practices.
As I am so fascinated with interoceptive breathing, the majority of my teaching involves interoceptively exploring respiratory tract anatomy with numbers as an accompaniment.
As soon as I read through this research, my excitement soared when they proposed that pranayama and yoga’s power lies in paying attention to sensations inside your nostrils while breathing.
Your brain contains something known as an “olfactory bulb.” This area connects directly with nasal cavities via nerve fibers.
According to this research study, slow breathing may increase autonomic nervous system flexibility as well as brain and psychological flexibility by paying close attention to sensations associated with your breathing as well as nose receptors which register slow breathing signals directly to the brain, creating an autonomic (relaxation reaction).
Researchers have further demonstrated that air entering nerve fibers connecting your nose with Olfactory bulb at 5-6 times per minute, can increase vagal tone – effectively activating relaxation reactions – leading to improved vagal tone levels, or vagus nerve tone, activating relaxation responses, as seen in various studies; roughly 5 counts in and 5 counts out on breathing for every 5 count in/out cycle.
This concept helps us understand why yoga requires us to breathe through the nose when practicing pranayama or asana, and why slow breathing with focus on breathing deeply is so vital.
Also, pranayama can offer relief. No complex pranayama practices need be learned or practiced – simply taking time to explore and love one’s breath is enough!
How Pranayama Transformed My Life: 7 Key Points
Introduction: How Pranayama Transformed My Life
Are You Feeling Overburdened and Exhausted (Litterally and Figuratively)? If that describes how you’re feeling then don’t fret; we all experience that sensation sometimes! In today’s fast-paced society it can be easy to become lost in our hectic daily routine, leaving people exhausted and disengaged from life altogether.
Pranayama, an ancient yoga practice focused on breathing control, offers you just such an easy yet powerful solution to help reduce stress, increase vitality and create peace and serenity in your life.
Pranayama has changed my life in many ways; not just through breathing exercises but as an exploration into oneself and transformation. Below I outline how Pranayama has brought joy into my life as well as benefits you could enjoy from practicing it as well.
Unveiling The Power Of Breath
What is Pranayama?
Before I elaborate on how pranayama transformed my life, have you an understanding of its definition?
Pranayama, or Pranic Control and Extension Yoga in Sanskrit, refers to both “Life Force” (prana) as well as its extension (ayama). Pranayama is an approach used for controlling one’s breath to facilitate circulation of Prana within your body and alter various psychological and physiological processes through conscious breath control.
A Brief History of Pranayama
Pranayama, or pranayam, dates back thousands of years to ancient India. Today it forms an essential component of yoga philosophy as well as numerous Eastern practices; believed to open energy channels of subconscious (nadis), improve overall health of its practitioner, and open new possibilities in one’s life.
My Journey With Pranayama: A Before And After
My Life Before Pranayama
My experience of pranayama’s impact can best be shown if I consider what happened prior to being introduced to it.
Prior to Pranayama, my life was marked by anxiety and stress. Deadlines loomed large while insomnia caused fluctuating energy levels – almost like I was living out life on autopilot with minimal mindfulness in each moment; not fully present to life or thought for that matter! I simply did things automatically without paying much mind to how they affect or impact me personally!
The Turning Point: How I Discovered Pranayama
My friend suggested I read Sawmi Ramdev’s “Pranayama Rahasya”, an English translation of his “Pranayama Secret”, for pranayama practice and breathing exercise. After perusing it I became fascinated with pranayama breathing exercises as an integral component to yoga instruction in India and discovered pranayama as one of its forms.
Initial discomfort aside, I soon became fascinated with the possibility of finding inner calm and inner peace through yoga practice.
Early Challenges and Overcoming Them
Before I could even begin answering how pranayama had changed my life, however, there were numerous obstacles along my journey.
Being a student of Pranayama did not come without its difficulties. Focusing my breathing felt daunting at times; my mind wandered, leading me down a frustrating path of discovery and frustration. With gradual guidance and regular repetition however, my focus gradually changed for the better.
7 Key Ways: How Pranayama Transformed My Life
As I begin my explanation of how pranayama changed my life, its benefits are undeniable and have had an immediate and noticeable effect. Here are seven main ways it has enhanced my overall wellbeing:
- Improved Concentration and Focus A few minutes of Pranayama exercise can significantly enhance my concentration abilities, clearing away distractions so I can complete projects more effectively with increased concentration and focus.
- Reduce Anxiety and Stress Through Pranayama I have learned to activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous systems – our bodies’ natural relax response – which have become my go-to method for relieving my anxiety in difficult circumstances and dealing with other stressors.
- Improve Sleep Quality If you are having difficulty falling asleep, Pranayama and relaxation techniques could provide assistance and enable faster, deeper restful slumber.
- Increased Energy Levels and Endurance: Pranayama helps the body increase oxygen intake as well as enhance circulation for increased levels of energy throughout the day without becoming exhausted. I find it helps me carry out tasks more easily without feeling fatigued by performing pranayama practices daily.
- Increased Immunity and Wellbeing Research has suggested that Pranayama could positively influence immunity by making people less prone to illness, while at the same time providing stress reduction benefits which contribute towards an enhanced sense of well-being throughout each day.
- Connectedness between Self and Present Moment: Pranayama enhances meditation by drawing my awareness back into the present, providing me with an opportunity to notice my thoughts and emotions without judgment, deepening my sense of inner tranquility and increasing the depth of connection I feel between me and me.
- Path to Spiritual Development (Optional): For certain individuals, Pranayama serves as a method to develop spiritually. When linking breathing with consciousness, Pranayama allows individuals to access meditation as well as experience connection to something greater than themselves.
Though this aspect might not apply to everyone, it should still be brought up when discussing Pranayama in depth.
Getting Started With Pranayama: A Beginner’s Guide
Now I will outline seven aspects of how pranayama has enhanced my life – but don’t take my word for it; try it for yourself too!
Are You Beginning Your Pranayama Adventure? This Primer Will Help Launch it All:
Choosing the Right Technique:
Pranayama practices offer many distinct benefits. Popular choices for beginners to yoga may include:
Dirga Swasham (Three-Part Breath): This simple yet effective technique involves breathing through your nose while inhaling to fill chest, belly and clavicles with air before gradually exhaling through your nostrils.
Kapalbhati (Bellows Breath): An engaging practice which alternates intense exhalations with gentle inhalations to produce stimulating breathing cycles.
Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing): To practice Anuloma Viloma, participants breathe through one nostril while closing off and blocking off the opposite nostril, exhaling through both nostrils before finally exhaling out through either one of them.
Importance of Proper Posture and Breath Control:
Proper practice of Pranayama will yield optimal results, so ensure you sit with an upright spine comfortably to receive its benefits. Focus on controlling breaths that flow slowly without forceful exhalations or inhalation of air.
Consistency is Key: Building a Sustainable Practice
As with any skill, learning Pranayama takes time and constant repetition. Start small sessions (5-10 minutes), gradually lengthen them until you feel more at home doing Pranayama, then add it into your everyday schedule either early in the morning or before going to sleep – something I’ve made part of my routine since writing an essay about its life-altering benefits! It has certainly changed mine!
The Gift Of Breath: How Pranayama Transformed My Life
Pranayama has become an indispensable component of my everyday routine, providing numerous mental, physical, and emotional advantages.
Pranayama is an exercise anyone, regardless of age or fitness level, can learn. If you’re searching for ways to reduce stress levels and enhance quality of life while becoming deeper with yourself try Pranayama for yourself; you might just be amazed at what dramatic transformation it could bring into daily life!
Let’s celebrate your success together! Let us join in recognizing all that you have accomplished.
