Benefits of Pranayama
What is Pranayama? What are its benefits?
Pranayam (Breath control yoga) is the breathing exercise which forms the broad part of yoga. It helps in purification of the breath and provides the ability to control and regulate the same. It helps to channelize one's energy in appropriate direction so as to increase the ability to work by staying fit and fine.
To have a proper health we should take equal amount of breath from both our nostrils. It helps to keep both the side of the body balanced with the help of a few breathing exercises. The important aspect stays to be to synchronize the breath. The right part of the body is governed by the sun while the left part is governed by moon. Right is considered to be masculine while left is considered to be feminine.
Thinking positively helps to increase the ability of the body and hence the energy should be channelized in the positive direction. A healthy mind stays in healthy body and body cannot be healthy without a healthy mind. Hence, both the mind and the body should be in unison with each other and on the positive track.
Pranayam consists of five different pranas which are prana (life force vital energy) itself and four others like apana (inclusion) , samana (assimilation), vyana (circulation) and udana (vomiting). Each of this pranas is responsible for a different function. They help to balance the network of nerves in the body and thereby the flow of blood within them. If proper control of the fluids in the body is achieved then one can control the mind and body so as to achieve the best results.
Prana helps to manage all the air which flows inside the body with inhalation. Apana manages the air which moves down and outside the body from the centre of the body. It helps in removal of all negative energy from the body. Samana balances the air within the body while vyana helps to manage the exhaled energy out of the body. Samana helps to manage the energy in the upper body near the heart. Hence pranayam has great effect on the over all functions of the body and it helps to maintain a perfect balance between mind and body.
The advantages of Pranayam include regulation of the breath, relaxation of the body by proper oxygen supply to all the parts of the body and removal of toxins. Pranayam is easy to learn but to gain mastery over it would take some time. There are several advantages of pranayam which one might realize only after actually experiencing the yoga.
Submitted by R J on August 1, 2008 at 08:17
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