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Pranayama - The Art of Breathing
Pranayama means controlled breathing. It is the very basis and the foundation of yogic principals. Loosely translated from Sanskrit, Pranayama is described as the breath control. The term when broken up reveals the word, ‘Prana' which means the very breath of life or also known as crucial life energy; while ‘ayama' stands for power to direct or determine. Hence when the words are conjoined it stands for breath control. It is possible that an individual who practices Pranayama is able to sway control over the cycles of pranic enlightenment and eventually attain a healthy physical structure and mental thinking. There five known forms of prana that are held accountable for the numerous pranic processes in the physical self. These are Prana, Vyan, Apana, Samana, and Udana.
While performing Pranayama, as the individual breathes in the air in a deep manner the breath of air induces the upper respiratory system and satisfies the lungs with clean air. As the clean air is retained in the lungs it helps to raise the bodily temperature and helps the body to increase the assimilation of oxygen. During the process of exhaling the air, the diaphragm returns to the normal position and the exhaled air that contains harmful impurities is removed as the inter-costal muscles contract.
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