Part of the Ayurveda Medicine, Pranayama is a natural healing practice that has been used for more than 5000 years to promote physical and mental health and,according to ancient scriptures, it's the main portal towards spiritual awakening.
The Sanskrit word PRĀṆĀYĀMA is composed by Prana, which means Life Force, and yama, meaning Control but the interesting fact is that the word can also be divided into Prana and Ayana, where Ayana means "the opposite of control".
Under this light, Pranayama can be described both as the art of controlling and freeing one's breath flow according to needs, circumstances and to Yoga postures.
The principle behind this powerful healing practice is that by mastering our breath we positively affect the way life energy enters our body and then runs through our energy channels, called Nadis.
In Ayurveda, Nadis are responsible for keeping our Energetic Body in balance and they are directly interrelated with our emotional well-being as well as with our brain activity.
The most important subtle channels in our body are found inside and along our spine:
think of your spinal cord as a transparent tube which contains one wide street connecting the base of your spinal cord with your brain and called Sushumna; then try to picture alongside this tube two other streets, one on the right, called Pingala and one on the left, called Ida.
When you inhale and exhale, each of these three energetic channels take charge of distributing all the information contained in the breath- not just its chemical content- to the right places in your body.
Pingala affects directly the left emisphere of your brain, for example, while Ida is responsible for the correct oxygenation and activity of the right one.
Chakras are also connected to Prana flow and through specific breathing practices you can ease the journey of your own breath through these power stations in charge of your glandular health, therefore of your entire well-being- from hormones up to your digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems.
For how complex this might sound and look, especially because it all takes place in the subtle and non-visible aspects of your physiology, the good news is that Pranayama can be practised easily and safely almost anywhere as it doesn't require any equipment besides your body, more specifically your nostrils, ears, mouth and throat in the upper side and belly, diaphragm and chest in the trunk.
Pranayama can be practised by itself even without the Asanas, yoga postures, even though it is a an integral part of any Yoga Style, together with Meditation and Relaxation.
The range of breathing exercises included in Ayurveda are designed for specific purposes and you can use them according to your needs, always with some precautions if pregnant, for instance, or going through health issues that may interfere with or alter their effect on your physiological well-being.
Even though in the Western culture the idea of healing through breathing can sound awkward, it is actually becoming more and more popular to integrate traditional medicine with some of these practices especially for patients dealing with anxiety, depression or breathing difficulties.
Not only that, due to the scientifically proven effects of Prāṇāyāma on our level of attention and lung capacity, breathing practices are now used by Olympic swimmers, singers and other professionals required to perform at their best under pressure, both physically and mentally, with amazing results.
Interestingly enough in ancient Greek the word Psykhē, from which Psyche derives, means actually "the invisible animating principle or entity which occupies and directs the physical body" and also " to blow cool, to breath".
Taking into consideration this missing piece of information is vital for understanding that at the roots of ancient cultures there's a shared belief that Western medicine has bypassed almost completely until now: our overall well-being and health depends upon our breath and our breath is beyond the mere act of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.
It is a subtle phenomenon which affects our entire physiology, including our mental and energetic state.
Rediscovering the power contained in our breath and stretching a little bit over our usual way of thinking of it, can open up a new way to approach our health and can give us back the ability to proactively prevent diseases and re-establish balance by relying on ourselves first, alongside with other further treatments we might need.
Establishing a daily routine of some simple breathing practices takes about ten minutes and its results are felt immediately, with decreased heart rate, better mind clarity, improved blood pressure and emotional balance.
You can start with baby steps and try to simply breath in and out slowly for at least three times before entering your office or taking any action.
You can also help yourself become familiar with it by counting your breathing rate:
Inhale- 1,2,3,4
Hold- 1,2,3,4
Exhale-1,2,3,4,5,6
Hold again-1,2
Or you can keep the four stages even to begin with:
Inhale-1,2,3,4
Hold-1,2,3,4
Exhale-1,2,3,4
Hold again-1,2,3,4
With time you might wish to try extending your exhalation so that it becomes longer than your inhalation and by doing so you are already going to master the art of what we call "yogic breath".
If it can help, think of your breath like the ocean, with waves rising up and falling back down. Think of the sound of the ocean waves, picture their smooth, gradual movement, constant and consistent. And then close your ear canals with your forefingers for a few moments. Close your eyes and listen deeply to the sound within you.
Yes, you have the Ocean right there. No surprise, as you contain about 60% of water in your body, two third of which right in your cells!
When ancient sages suggested that we become like the great ocean, most likely it's because they knew much more about the deep connection between our breath and our mind than we do these days. Making room for some of their wisdom can be the answer to much of our contemporary neurosis and health related issues and it doesn't require any big effort.
Start right where you are and see for yourself. Breath in, feel the breath entering your body from the gentle touch in the nostrils to the tingling in your fingertips and toes. Pay attention. Breath out and notice how your body softens and your mind seems more spacious.
Enjoy a little stillness before the next breath in. It's all here. Right here.
And if you still struggle to feel it, don't be harsh on yourself. Try again, some other time. Your body will gradually remember and guide you through. Trust it. Let it breath itself. You don't need to be in charge, you can let it unfold with time, day after day. That's the biggest lesson of Prāṇāyāma. Balancing the restraint and the freedom, the taking and the giving back. It's like dancing, where all you need to do is listening to the tune and move on top of it, allowing the music to guide you from the inside. It's your first ever soundtrack, the one you were born with.
Breathing in-l know that l am breathing in.
Breathing out-l know that l am breathing out
Breathing in-my whole body is breathing in.
Breathing out-my whole body is breathing out
Thích Nhất Hạnh
Namaste Sangha.