Introduction to Pranayama and its benefits

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What is Pranayama?

Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, “Prāṇāyāma”) is the yogic practice of breath. Prana (Sankskrit: प्राण, prāṇa) is the word for breath, “life force”, or “vital principle” in living beings. It is the essential life force. Without breath a living being cannot exist. Yāma means control. Therefore, Pranayama is literally translates to “breath control”. It has been an essential part in the Yogic tradition for thousands of years. Breath control practice can have a positive effect on our busy lives by reducing stress and making us more mindful. It also helps with anxiety.

One of the main concepts in Pranayama is Kumbhaka or the retention of the breath. There are four phases in Kumbhaka:

Four phases of Kumbhaka in Pranayama (breath retention)
  1. Puraka (Inhalation)
  2. Antara Kumbhaka (Full breath retention)
  3. Rechaka (Exhalation)
  4. Bahya Kumbhaka (Empty breath retention)

Advice on practicing

  1. Practice on an empty stomach
  2. The best time is early in the morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset. It is recommended to practice 2 times a day for 15min each.
  3. Most of the times Pranayama is done only through the nose except Sitali and Sitakari Pranayama.
  4. It should be practiced while seated on the floor or on a blanket (cushion). Suitable postures are:
    • Siddhasana
    • Virasana
    • Padmasana
    • Baddha Konasana
  5. Any other posture is also fine as long as the back remains straight. Some Pranayamas can be practiced in the reclined position.
  6. Keep the tongue passive and swallow just before exhalation (not when holding the breath)
  7. The rib cage should expand forward and to the sides during inhalation. If you want to know more about rib cage breathing, read my post
  8. When practicing seated, the chin should be pointing down in the Chin Lock (Jalandhara Bandha)
  9. Keep the eyes closed
  10. Use Jnana Mudra (Chin Mudra). The left forefinger is touching the tip of the thumb. Depending on which Pranayama you are doing there are different positions for the right hand. Usually the right hand rests on the knees like the left hand. But the right hand can also be on the nose controlling the left and right nostrils. The thumb controls the left nostril, while the ring or pinky finger controls the right nostril. For more details on how to do Mudras read my post

Precautions

  1. Wrong Pranayama practice can lead to respiratory and nervous system damage. Always listen to your body when practicing. If you feel like it becomes uncomfortable or too much, back off and for example, hold the breath for a shorter time or stop practicing and come back when you feel better.
  2. If you cannot keep breathing with long and steady breaths all the time rhythmically, stop practicing and come back when you can breath in rhythm. You should hear your breath: the “sssa” nostril sound when inhaling and the “huuum” sound when exhaling. If you stop hearing these sounds, stop your practice.
  3. Asanas should not be practiced immediately after Pranayama. If you do Pranayama first, let an hour pass before you practice Asana. Pranayama can be done after light Asana practice (e.g. Yin). Ashtanga or other vigorous Asana practice can cause tiredness and is therefore not recommended before Pranayama. If your back cannot stay straight, do not practice. Only reclining Pranayama should be practiced in this case.
  4. Maintain an even ratio between inhalation and exhalation. Inhaling for 5 seconds means you should also be exhaling for 5 seconds. If you cannot keep this ratio, stop. Start with a smaller count like 3 and only increase the count only slowly with time.
  5. śavāsana can be practiced after Pranayama to relax the body and mind.

Why is Pranayama important?

  1. Prolongates breath. The ancient Indian tradition believes that Pranayama prolongates the breath duration and thus decreases your breath frequency, meaning you need less breaths per minute. You begin breathing deeper and slower. The Yogi doesn’t measure the length of their life in years, but in breaths.
  2. Increases lung capacity. The lungs function improves and you are able to take in and hold more breath. Most people breathe only with their chests, whereby they don’t utilize the full lung capacity taking only very short and shallow breaths. Pranayama can help with various lung related diseases.
  3. Reduce stress. Pranayama has a positive effect on your nervous system. It can aid the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. This paper describes the 12 week practice of 2 different Pranayama exercise groups and shows the change in their PSS scores (Perceived Stress Scale).
  4. Mental clarity. Practicing Pranayama helps with clearing the mind and attaining a meditative state. It also helps with concentration and mindfulness.
  5. Preparation for meditation. Pranayama is the 4th limb according to Ashtanga Yoga. It comes after Asana which is the 3rd limb. This suggests that the physical practice comes before the mental one. Pranayama prepares the mind for the next stage of the 8th limbs: concentration. A full description of the 8th limbs of Ashtanga Yoga can be found here.
  6. Improves sleep. Practicing soothing Pranayama in the evening before sleep can help you prepare your mind and body for relaxation and sleep. Reducing the number of breaths with soothing Pranayamas can help you fall asleep faster and have a more sound sleep.

Kumbhaka (retention)

  1. Puraka and Rechaka need to be mastered first before trying to learn Antara Kumbhaka (internal breath retention). Only after Antara Kumbhaka has become easy and natural for you, should you try Bahya Kumbhaka (external breath retention).
  2. If when trying to hold the breath in Kumbhaka you feel that you are tightening the diaphragm and the internal organs in order to retain more breath, immediately try to avoid this tightening. This often happens unintentionally and without notice. Retaining the breath should feel natural. If at any point it time you feel tightness in your heart or chest region stop!
  3. In the beginning when practicing Kumbhaka might feel very difficult or impossible. After mastering inhalation and exhalation in cycles, try for example to do 3 cycles of breath without retention and 1 cycle of breath with retention. Slowly increase the count of retentions.
  4. If your count of inhalations or exhalations is decreases because you are trying to to hold the breath, hold it for a shorter count (less than the inhalation and exhalation count)
  5. All three Bandhas (Jalandhara, Uddiyana and Mula Bandha) should be observed and kept shut during kumbhaka.
  6. The normal breath rate of humans is 15. When we are sick, have a cough or a cold this rate increases. The same happens when we are facing strong emotions like anger or fear.
  7. Nadi is the channel in the body where energy is flowing
  8. Prolonged expiration compared to inspiration may increase parasympathetic nervous system activity

8 Pranayamas as in Hatha Yoga Pradipika

  1. There are two groups of Pranayama: heating and cooling. Heating Pranayamas are used to energize the body and create heat inside. For example, Ujjayi or Kapalabhati Pranayama generates heat, while Sitali and Sitkari cool down the body.
  2. Kumbhaka (retention)
    • The 8 Pranayamas according to Hatha Yoga Pradipika are:
    • Surya Bhedana Pranayama (Right Nostril Breathing)
    • Ujjayi Pranayama (Ocean Breath)
    • Sitkari Pranayama (Hissing Breath)
    • Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath)
    • Bhramar Pranayama (Bee Breath)
    • Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath)
    • Murccha Pranayama (Swooning Breath)
    • Plavini Pranayama (Floating breath)

To conclude, these are only two of many papers about the different neurological effects of Pranayama:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276038868_Pranayama_The_power_of_breath

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7735501/