PRANAYAMA – YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES FOR HEALTH AND SELF-AWARENESS
In simple terms, pranayama is breathing exercises. Pranayama is a conscious perception and mastery of the vital energy inherent in the psychophysical system of every living being. Pranayama is something more than a breath control system. Pranayama has several aspects – in the gross and subtle material bodies, in the directly sensed and secretly hidden bodies.
“Prana” in Sanskrit translates into a subtle vital energy or force that is everywhere around us: in space, in food, in water, etc.
Pranayama (Sanskrit: pranayama) is a Sanskrit word meaning “expansion of the Prana or breath,” or “expansion of the vital force.” The word consists of two Sanskrit words, Pran, life force, or vital energy, in particular, breathing, and “Ayama” – means elongation, increase, stretching, thinning, control. Thus, the meaning of the word pranayama is the extension of pranic energy. On the other hand, in translation from Sanskrit, “Yama” means not only “death, the god of death,” but also “cessation, stop, delay.” Hence “Pranayama” is translated as death (conquest, curbing) uncontrolled, chaotic distribution of prana. In other words, it is control over the energy of a person. Another option for translation is “stopping breathing”, “holding your breath” the brain.
According to Patanjali, pranayama represents the retention of breathing (kumbhaka): “Pranayama is the cessation of the movement of inhalation and exhalation” – Yoga Sutra 49. Kumbhaka provides a longer period for the assimilation of prana, as well as a longer time for gas exchange in cells, as a result of which oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide is released.
The very breathing gymnastics in Indian or Pranayama In a literal translation this means “holding your breath” Whatever yogis do with their breath, their ultimate goal is to curb, hold back, reach lifelessness or immortality. And those who did not read well, understood poorly, introduced this confusion, that supposedly deep breathing is the breath of the yogis.
There is no need to confuse the utter breathing of the yogis with deep breathing. Advocates of deep breathing confuse these two concepts, and in their justification they say: “Yogis breathe deeply for thousands of years. They are over and above people! “All the opposite is true.
Full breathing of the yogis is a shallow breathing .
It is done very slowly, with maximum breath retardation after inhalations and exhalations. If you register lung ventilation and the level of carbon dioxide, you can see that with this training, lung ventilation decreases, and carbon dioxide increases. Therefore, the complete breathing of the yogis in terms of its physiological parameters is analogous to surface breathing.
Yoga for thousands of years looking for “prana”, and this, it turns out, is carbon dioxide! The main source of life … Accumulate it – you will become a “superman”, you will lose – you will perish! With a decrease in breathing, with an increase in CO2. All naturally .. .
The whole art of breathing is to almost not exhale carbon dioxide, to lose it as little as possible. The breathing of the Yogis just meets this requirement. And the breath of ordinary people is chronic hyperventilation of the lungs, excessive removal of carbon dioxide from the body, which causes the emergence of about 150 severe diseases, often called diseases of civilization. Among them, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, bronchial asthma and others.
Most people in the world lack proper breathing skills. People breathe superficially and rapidly, without performing breathing delays. But it is the delay in breathing that brings tremendous benefit to the body, since it allows accumulating carbon dioxide in the blood and cells of the tissues of the organs of the human body. Without carbon dioxide, the vital activity of the whole organism is disrupted. Carbon dioxide maintains the level of metabolic processes in the body, participates in the synthesis of amino acids. Carbon dioxide excites the respiratory center and makes it work in the optimal regime. Finally, carbon dioxide well calms the nervous system and dilates the blood vessels.
Many Yoga enthusiasts misconstrue the physiology of breathing and, having studied the “Full Breath” of Indian Yogis, try to breathe the whole day through this method, causing themselves great harm.
If you turn to the experience of Yoga, then the basic breathing exercise is done so – 1: 4: 2. Where 1 – time of inspiration; 4 – breath holding on inhalation, 4 times longer inspiration time; 2 – expiration time is 2 times longer than the inspiratory time. There is no delay in the output. It takes a full slow exhalation and immediately inhales it. All physiologically from and to. Working in the rhythm of breathing 1: 4: 2, the yogis only increase the time and go through three kinds of pranayama. Pranayama, in which the inhalation, retention and exhalation are 12, 48 and 24 seconds, respectively, is the lowest kind of pranayama. The result of such a breath is the sweating of the body and the removal from the body of impurities. When the time of inspiration, the delay in exhalation reaches 24, 96 and 48 seconds respectively, it is called the middle form of pranayama. As a result of this breathing, the body begins to tremble from the passage of mighty energies. And, finally, the highest form of pranayama provides the greatest time of inspiration, delay and exhalation, equal to 36, 144 and 72 seconds, respectively. Thanks to the practice of the highest kind of pranayama, a person feels the levitation of the body and the tide of the Great Bliss.
It must be firmly understood: hyperventilation at rest is harmful! It is necessary to try to breathe all the time shallow (that breathing was neither noticeable nor audible) and rarely, trying to maximally stretch automatic pauses after each exhalation. Only in some exercises of Pranayama and with physical exertion breathing sometimes has to be deepened somewhat. Yogis say that a certain number of breaths have been released from birth for each person and it is necessary to protect this stock. In such an original form, they urge to reduce the frequency of breathing. Indeed, every organ, every cell has its own life reserve, a genetically engineered work program with a certain limit. Optimal, the implementation of this program will bring people health and longevity (as far as the genetic code will allow). Disregard of it,
THE IMPACT OF PRANAYAMA.
Pranayama is the way to purify the body, the senses, the soul and consciousness.
Mental purity, righteousness, selflessness are the basis of a person’s spiritual life. Only having pure consciousness, one can understand the higher knowledge. Pranayama is the means of achieving nirvana, the supreme goal of life. It is impossible to describe in a few words the importance of pranayama. But some facts are given below.
PRANAYAMA – COMPLETE PURIFICATION OF THE BODY.
Manu says that in this world, too focused on material values, both the body and the consciousness of a person are covered by illnesses. Various bodily diseases overpower a person today. Studies have shown that pranayamy really helps with heart disease, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, as well as with mental disorders.
With their help, you can easily establish a balance between the three doshas (qualities) of the body: cotton, pitta and kapha – and cope with the diseases caused by their imbalance, such as: anemia, varicose veins, rheumatism, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, cold, tonsillitis, sinusitis, headache, migraine, blurred vision, hair loss, premature graying.
A lot of people suffer from a metabolic disorder, which often leads to diabetes mellitus or obesity. But with the help of pranayama you can again become healthy. Pranayama acts as the best medicine for all problems associated with the digestive system, such as constipation, bloating, heartburn, indigestion.
This is an effective remedy for diseases of the respiratory system, such as: asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis. Pranayama is useful for various skin diseases: the appearance of pigment spots, allergies, rashes, eczema, acne, it also helps to fight wrinkles. Pranayama promotes blood purification, helps with blockage of arteries. The body is filled with fresh forces, the face begins to emit light. Thanks to regular pranayama lessons, heart work increases, heart pains go on, normal cholesterol levels, HDL and LDL in the blood are set, the pressure comes back to normal. Proved that pranayama is also an effective tool for treating diseases of the reproductive system, both in men and in women. If you regularly perform pranayama, improves the body’s ability to self-purification – easier to remove toxins, toxins, oxidants. Increases immunity.
Therefore, in “Hatha yoga pradipika” it is said that it is with the help of pranayama that the human body is completely purified. Some yoga teachers are of the opinion that the most important is pranayama, while not recognizing the need for other exercises.
PRANAYAMA – CONTROL OVER FEELINGS.
Man is endowed with five organs of action: arms, legs, tongue, genitals and anus – and five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. The role of these organs in human life is very great. Actually everything that a person does is possible only thanks to these organs. With the help of these organs, a person receives knowledge, both false and true. Using these organs, a person commits good and bad deeds. But there is one mistake that any person is exposed to: he makes himself a slave to his feelings and his body, striving for new and new pleasures. Being at the mercy of sensual pleasures, he thinks that it is very difficult or even impossible to control one’s feelings. To follow the path of yoga, one must be the master of one’s feelings and aspirations, and not a slave. The best means to master them,
Through the practice of pranayama, the worldview of a person changes, he begins to know himself and realizes that the senses are an instrument that can be controlled.
With daily lessons, there is the ability to break out of the bondage of one’s feelings. Then a person gets rid of all the illnesses that have tormented him. By the power of his consciousness, a person establishes control over the senses. This is one of the virtues of a yogi.
A person’s life passes in the struggle with his feelings. It is very important that with the help of consciousness you can establish control over any object. The fulfillment of pranayam just leads to an understanding of this, develops awareness in a person, mindfulness to oneself. Then the person sees that the senses are completely subordinated to him, that he can use them according to his purposes. Mastering the senses is a necessary step in the path of yoga.
PRANAYAMA – CLEARNESS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
Thanks to pranayama, consciousness becomes like a mirror. The rising waves gradually calm down.
Pranayama is the simplest way to cope with stress, insecurity, lust, anger, despair, a sense of contradiction, excessive pity, laziness, insomnia and other psychological problems.
For their reason, a person can develop cancer, asthma, stomach ulcer, constriction and blockage of the arteries. But you can cope with all the problems. Pranayama promotes that Yama-Niyama incarnate in life and a person is cured of all diseases.
Currently, studies confirm that 85 percent of diseases appear due to psychological abnormalities. If the mind is clear, clear, a person can get rid of all the diseases, but a person is usually engaged in the treatment of bodily diseases, he forgets about their causes, forgets about the purity of consciousness. Pranayama also eliminates the causes of diseases, and the body and mind become healthy at the same time, the senses are controlled by man.
Pranayama also brings physical benefits. The body is cleaned and control of the sense organs is established. Consciousness, like the surface of a mirror, becomes pure, calm, stable, and the mind gets the ability to subtle perception. For the sake of what all this? What should I do when I get all this? The goal – the acquisition of purity, liberation from all the bonds that bind man. To achieve this state, one should practice pranayama. The health of the body, the senses, the consciousness, the mind are necessary in order to remain oneself. Health means the awareness of your inner being and stay in it. Man forgets his purpose. He attaches the highest value to the health of the body. He identifies himself with his body and thereby deprives himself of higher happiness. The meaning of yoga is in acquiring the highest truth, the highest happiness.
Pranayama, when properly performed, should make breathing shallow, sparse (4-6 breaths per minute, followed by a decrease to 1-3 breaths per minute). This contributes to the normalization of the four most important systems of the body: a system of respiratory organs, cardiovascular system, nervous system and metabolism. This change in breathing, and with it the metabolism, allows Yogis to live on a low-protein diet, since the normal concentration of carbon dioxide in the body allows the synthesis of the necessary amino acids and protein, which is impossible for an ordinary person suffering from hyperventilation of the lungs, because his breathing is deep and frequent .
