Lauded for its benefits including effects on brain, circulation, respiration and other organ systems, people from all over the world try to learn and make it a part of their daily routines mainly for stress management, improved concentration, improved energy etc.
‘Prana’ means ‘life’ or the ‘life energy’ and also ‘prana vayu’ or the air which keeps us alive. ‘Ayamam’ means to control. So by pranayama we learn to control not only respiration, but the life energy in us.
In here we try to analyse the place and meaning of pranayama in the yoga classics and then how to impart it to our daily lives and its benefits.
Yoga is a way of life and practice which is meant to achieve eternal bliss through step by step modulation and control of life, most importantly the ‘activities of mind’. For this there are eight steps to go through.

1. Yamam – It is the modulation of words and thoughts to a moral lifestyle. It implies the control of mind which includes practices which seems easy when said, but not that easy to imply, like being ultimately honest, kind, empathetic and stable. Also frugal diet and activites are advised.
2. Niyamam – This can be loosely translated to the process of learning, and the habits which are essential for better learning like being polite and enthusiastic, keeping up concentration and intelligence etc.
3. Asanam – This as we know, includes the different postures and exercises of body. They actually aim to stimulate the vital points and organs of the body and strengthen them, than improving the flexibility of muscles as it may seem in the present day practice.
4. Pranayamam – Our topic of discussion is mentioned as the fourth step in yoga. As the name indicates it includes controlling the prana and there by regulating all the body activities to attain health.
These four steps of yoga are called ‘HATA YOGA’ which can be practiced by common man for better physical and mental health and well being.
The following four steps are called ‘RAJA YOGA’ which are meant to be practiced by ‘yogis’ or sages who try to attain ‘moksha’ or eternal bliss. They include:
5. Prathyahara – Which means retrieving and reclusion of mind from all desires and thoughts.
6. Dharana – Attaining concentration or focusing mind.
7. Dhyanam – This is extreme meditation which includes thinking about any one object or
thought and being one with it.
8. Samadhi – This is the supreme state in yoga, or the aim of yogis to attain. Being one with
the universe and attaining eternal bliss/

Coming to pranayama in detail, the classics describes the aim of pranayama is to bring ‘prana’ which moves all over the body to the spinal cord and allow it to ascend to the ‘sahasrara padma’ in the head and there by attain eternal bliss. This description is in fact
meant for yogis. For us, the mortal ordinary human beings, we can aim to attain better functioning of all organs.

Respiration is a spontaneous and natural process which is very basic for being alive. The air we breathe in reach all the cells and is used to produce energy for functioning andstorage. The air exhaled eliminates mainly carbon di oxide and other gases and also volatile
compounds like methanol, ketones etc. Exhalation is a longer process than inhalation. By pranayama, more oxygen is supplied to the cells without causing hyperoxia which is a bad condition in which too much oxygen is supplied which cannot be utilized by the body. And
more carbon di oxide and wastes are exhaled than normal. Thus the cells use the nutrients more effectively and produce more energy and function more efficiently.

Also, pranayama uses the muscles of respiration in a controlled way. The main muscle is diaphragm – the dome shaped muscle just below the rib cage. Its movement varies the pressure inside the body cavity. So engaging diaphragm in a controlled way can stimulate all
internal organs, stomach, intestines etc. Deep breathing also engages inter costal muscles, and other muscles of neck and chest.

The process of pranayam includes the processes – 1) pooraka or inhalation; 2) rechaka or exhalation and 3)kumbhaka or holding the brerath (holding after inhalation and holding after exhalation). Simply put it is breathing in a very controlled and rhythmic way and
holding the breath in between.

Practicing Pranayama:
To begin learning, it is better to start with simple breathing exercise. This is just inhaling slowly and fully in a duration of 5 seconds and exhaling completely and slowly taking 10 seconds. This is to be repeated about 60 times, that is about 15 minutes. The duration can
be gradually increased to 30 minutes in a span of one month. It is better to start pranayama exercises after one month of training in this controlled breathing. A yoga posture like padmasana or swastikasana or any comfortable and erect posture can be chosen for pranayama. Choose a posture which wont strain you while keeping for the long period.

Some pranayama exercises and their benefits:

1. Sooryabhedi:
Sit in a comfortable erect posture. Close the left nostril with your finger. Breathe in through your right nostril. Hold the breath. Close your right nostril using your finger and exhale through your left nostril. Repeat. It is advised to breathe slowly, hold the breath for a duration of four times than the time taken for inhalation and exhale taking a twice the time taken for inhalation. One should not be too
adamant on the duration of holding the breath. Hold as long as we can, keeping in mind the maximum duration.
This exercise clears the sinuses,alleviates the vatha dosha, improves lung capacity and improves bowel movements, increases the warmth in the body. This slightly increases blood pressure so that caution should be taken while practicing if you are hypertensive.

2. Ujjayi:
This exercise includes inhalation using both nostrils, holding the breath and exhalation through one nostril closing the other with your finger. If you exhale through the right at first, exhale through the left the second time, come back to the right in the next and so on. Inhale and exhale noisily in such a way that the air vibrates in the nasal cavity and the wind pipes.
This pranayama should be practiced slowly and number of repetitions should only be slowly increased. Benefits of this pranayama include prevetion of aging, boosting metabolism and improving health, curing indigestion, cough etc.
Sooryabhedi and Ujjayi can be used in the recovery phase after diseases.

3. Kapalabhadi:
This exercise does not include kumbhaka or holding the breath, so it is not exactly counted as a pranayama. But it is a very beneficial exercise. The best posture for doing this is padmasana sitting erect. The exercise includes rapid inhalation and exhalation. Inhale through both nostrils and exhale forcibly using both nostrils. While exhalation the abdominal muscles should be contracted for forcing the air out. This forces rapid contraction and relaxation of the abdominal muscles.
This helps in clearing the sinuses and respiratory channels, strengthening the abdominal muscles and stimulates all digestive organs. It improves digestion, remove abdominal gas, and increase movement of the intestines. Also it gives more oxygen to the body.
Caution should be taken if you suffer from heart disease and respiratory diseases.

4. Sheethkari:
Inhalation is done through mouth in this pranayama. While inhalation the air should flow through the tongue and teeth and make a ‘hiss’ sound. Hence the name seethkari meaning hissing. After holding the breath, exhalation is done through the nose. This exercise is said to cool down the system. So it can be done after exercise or as a last step to daily yoga practice. Sheetkari helps to lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Practicing seethkari in the evening is good for people with sleep disorders as it improves sleep.
One should not practice seethkari if suffering from respiratory congestion, influenza and low blood pressure. Also avoid these during the coldest days.

In all pranayama exercises we should concentrate on breathing – the process, feel, duration and in maintaining the posture. The rhythm of breathing and the duration of holding the breath are to be calculated in mind as we calculate the duration of notes in music.
Thus pranayama practice improves our brain capacity and concentration. Modern research also has proved that pranayama improves the feeling of happiness and well being in human beings. So people living surrounded in factors of stress can benefit much from making it
a part of daily routine. Also it can be used as a supportive therapy in treating anxiety, insomnia and depression. Long practice of pranayama gives us a lower and healthy blood pressure level and heart rate.

As most pranayama exercises include slow and deep breathing, it reverses the stress response of our body which includes shallow breathing and increased heart rate. Deep breathing also influences the vagus nerve and thereby acts against the stress and anxiety response of body.

Bottom line: A recent research of scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia has found out that in when tri glyceride molecules in the body are broken down, they are converted to carbon di oxide and water and most of the fat while broken down leaves the body through the lungs. To completely oxidise 10kg of human fat, 29kg of oxygen must be inhaled, producing a total of 28kg of carbon dioxide and 11kg of water. So improved breathing can also help in weight loss.

Dr.Prathibha S Nair (B.A.M.S),
Chief Physician,
Acharya Ayurveda Pharmacy, Alapuzha.