.Pranayama; Extension of The Pran or Breath

Prānayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the pran or breath" or, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prana, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and, to extend or draw out The origins of this yogic discipline lies in ancient India and what is known as present day Hindunisum. 

Pranayama aims at bringing the involuntary functions of the respiratory mechanism within human control. The term pranayama has been constituted by two words: Prana + Ayama. Prana is the vital force which pervades the whole cosmos. Prana is more subtle than air and can be defined as the energy essence that is within everything in the universe. Prana is the principle of development and sustenance both of the nervous and cellular tissues of the body and the mind.

In the process of breathing when the prana air is inhaled, definite action takes place. One is related to the ingestion of oxygen into the alveoli and the other to the ingestion of the nervous energy into the brain system. 

Ayama means to control or to give a rhythm or a definite flow. In this sense Pranayama may be defined as a process and technique through which vital energy can be stimulated and increased: and this brings about perfect control over the flow of Prana within the body. 

 IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRANAYAMA

1. Place for pranayama should be clean, peaceful and airy.
2. Pranayama should not be performed under a fan on full speed.
3. Pranayama should be done in morning hours preferably before the dawn.
4. Body must be cleansed before sitting for Pranayama.
5. Duration of Pranayama should be increased gradually and gradually.
6. One should not sit for Pranayama after meals. At least a gap of 3-4 hours is essential.
7. Pranayama should be practiced after Asans and before Meditation.
8. One should not strain the body. 

                     

         PRANAYAMA: HOW TO DO IT

PRANAYAM; A

Sit in Sukha Asana and take deep breathe so that your lungs are full with fresh air. Hold the air for a few seconds and release it through nose. Repeat this for 5-10 times till your breathing system is perfect

PRANAYAM; B

Sit in Sukha Asana and take a deep breathe. Exhale the air by pushing the stomach inside and let the process of fresh air inhalation be done with least effort. Repeat this process of exhaling the air by pushing the stomach inside and inhaling fresh air with least efforts atleast 200 times or say for about 10 minutes.

PRANAYAM: C

Sit in Sukha Asana and exhale the air to the maximum possible level and try to move your stomach inside by pressure. Hold it for a few seconds then inhale fresh air. Again exhale the air as above and repeat the process for 10-15 times. 
By doing this Baghi pranayam you can cure all problems relating to abdominal and intestine. 

PRANAYAM; D

A person should sit in Sukha Asana or dhyan asan , close his eyes , keep his fingers in such a way that three fingers cover the eyes and one finger gives a little pressure on the forehead . The thumb should cover the ears by giving the little pressure. Now he has to take deep breathe and release the air slowly through nose so that a sound similar to the humming of bees comes out . Repeat the process for about 10 minutes.

PRANAYAM; E

A person should sit in Sukha Asana or dhyan asan, close his eyes, take deep breathe and release the air through mouth slowly that the sound of “OM” is pronounced. Repeat the process for about 10 minutes.

        BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA

He who practices Pranayama will have good appetite, cheerfulness, handsome figure, good strength, courage, and enthusiasm, a high standard of health, vigor and vitality and good concentration of mind. Pranayama is quite suitable for the Westerners also. A Yogi measures the span of his life not by the number of years but by the number of his breaths. You can take in a certain amount of energy or Prana from the atmospheric air along with each breath. Vital capacity is the capacity shown by the largest quantity of air a man can inhale after the deepest possible exhalation. A man takes fifteen breaths in a minute. The total number of breaths comes to 21,600 times per day. 

Breathing is life. It is one of our most vital functions. One of the Five Principles of Yoga is Pranayama or Breathing Exercise which promotes proper breathing. In a Yogic point of view, proper breathing is to bring more oxygen to the blood and to the brain, and to control Prana or the vital life energy. Pranayama Yoga also goes hand in hand with the Asanas. The union of these two Yogic Principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline, covering both mind and body. Know more about Pranayama techniques in the following sections: More about Pranayama go on Health n Wealth web site.

         Breath, respiration

• The breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of)
• Energy, vigor
• The spirit or soul