What is pranayama?!
Question:
What is pranayama?
Is it safe for all? What are the effects on body mind and soul? How to start practising it?
Answers: I have seen Pranayama to be a very useful technique to upkeep mental and spiritual health.As a bye product the physical health will also follow.But still I have my own reservations about the same,which I will tell in the end.
To introduce,Pranayama is a breathing technique. A technique means a method we develop.It is a manipulated one.Likewise,Pranayama is also an exercise developed by
ancient sages in India.
Why ?Upanishads (if you are not Indian,this means Sanskrit texts which are part of Veda) say that man breathes 21000 times a day.It was found that prolongation of breathe provides longevity.The life of a person is possibly fixed on the number of respiration, and that might be the reason for the sages having found that the prolongation of breathe results in longevity.
The sages observed that the life of a tortoise which breathes very slowly lives longer than a rabbit which breathes heavily. Thus they resorted to control of breath techniques.But the practice also brought our many other results such as mental peace, control of senses,physical health,digestion,beauty etc.
Now we may go to the sources of yoga in the pre-Patanjali period. (Patanjali was the sage who codified yoga in his work "Yoga Sutra")The upanishads say that one has to be careful with pranayama.It is like tieing a mad elephant with
creepers of lotus.So we have to be very careful with the technique.Many practitioners and online learners of yoga think that pranayama is just a breathing technique.
My reservations are these.Man can become enlightened and be free from misery with his normal 21000 times breathing. This is natural.Any other sort of cut shorts are violating the order of the nature.It amounts to violence towards the surroundings. The "high" as the result of pranayama,if not properly managed, can just be the "high" attained in the process of asphysxia.
Meditation brings about natural breathless state which is termed as KEVALA KUMBHAKA in yoga.This is natural breathless state. Our body itself produces O2 out of the nascent oxygen available within the body.This release sort of energy which is identified as bliss by human beings.This end can be achieved by meditation step by step.
Now coming back to the orinigal question.
Pranayama is a technique which normally includes conscious prolongation of inhalation, retention, and exhalation of the breath .There can be simple pranayama without the retention also. Prana normally means the breath, but more
accurately signifies the 'vital energy force' that permeates the
universe.Chinese call it the "Chi"."
Ayama is 'extension' or 'expansion'. Thus, the word pranayama can be understood as the extension or expansion of prana.The word pranayama is thus comprised of two roots: prana and ayama.
The pranayama needs steadiness of body.For this you may resort to yogic postures known as ASANAs.Though asana is not a prerequisite of pranayama,to start with a sound posture is always beneficial. You had better learn asanas from a yoga teacher in person.
It is reported that Pranayama is beneficial in treating a range of stress related disorders.However, I must agree that the practice of pranayama develops a steady mind, strong will-power, and sound judgement.This sound judgement is the right perception conceived by Buddha.Not the intellectual judgement.
A rightly discriminated,practical way of Pranayama should be adopted,by closely monitoring the increase of ease and absence of discomfort at every step.
The most important fact is that Patanjali never started with Pranayama but had put YAMA,NIYAMA,and ASANAS before proceeding to the fourth state which is pranayama. Trying to attempt 4th step by by-passing first second and third
step is dangerous.You may search "Yama,Niyama" for results on these aspects.
To start with you may take up deep breathing with mental chanting of OOOOO without chating "M" .Inhale deeply and slowly exhale while chanting OOO part of AUM.Never chant M but patiently listen to your own system chanting that.DO this in a fixed time everyday.Initially you mady adopt the following guidelines.
! ) Sit in a comfortable position.
2 ) Relax your body parts
3 ) Close your eyes.
4 ) Take a deep breath slowly, till your lungs are full.
5 ) Now breath out slowly in the same nostril,till your lungs are empty.
7 ) Repeat it for 5 times. Source(s):
http://krishnankartha.blogspot.com...
http://www.orkut.com/community.aspx?cmm=... Pranayama is an old Indian breathing discipline to your way to good health. Anyone can learn to do it with good results. You can buy a book to learn the various exercises. It basically provides lots of oxygen to the system and control on mind and body to improve health and cures. Short answer: Pranayama is the art and science of the breath and the practice of controlled breathing. Many people are familiar with fire breathing or the breath of the lion (some call it the breath of the dragon, too...) and many, many people have become familiar with the use of mudras (finger positions or postures) used on one or both nostrils to cool the body and to control emotional discharge for example. Effects: renewed energy and balance; discharge of toxins; renewed communication between hemispheres of the brain, renewed peacefulness and sense of belonging, connection, bliss; sometimes headaches, allergies, bodily imbalances are cured (they are sometimes aggravated first tho' on the way to a cure, so don't be surprised if this happens. It's a good thing as long as you don't keep putting back into your body those things you're allergic to or that unbalance you...) Safe for everyone?: Yup. To the best of my knowledge. How to start practising? Recommend attending yoga classes w/ a seasoned teacher/practitioner or going on a vacation to a place like Kripalu in Lenox, MA, or other yoga retreat near you. Sivananda Yoga Center in Nevada City/Grass Valley Area of CA is also a wonderful choice...there are many, many others. Pls. do not hesitate to email should you need further info. My very highest recommendation would be to take yoga classes w/ a devotee of AMMA or Amritanandamayi. She is the REAL thing, and one of the most blessed beings on this earth that you could develop a relationship with. Google her website for the nearest location near you. She is all over the world now. Pranayama forms a vital step in the path to ascendancy through Yoga.
Pranayama is derived from 2 Sanskrit words - Prana (life force) and Ayama (control). Therefore, in its broadest description, Prananyama would mean the control of the flow of life force. ck out this link it will give you more info
the gaiam link will give you list of dvds or
books...http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/y...