Pranayama
Pranayama
Prana – life force. Ayama – Conscious regulation of breathe to alter states of consciousness.
Our primary source of prana is the breath. Rhythmic breathing establishes a pattern of breathing and alters the state of consciousness. Consequently, It helps in influencing and re-programming the subconscious mind. It helps to bring emotional control and allows the mind to be present in the “Here and Now”.
Pranayama practices are given either as a complementary therapy to counselling or as an independent treatment, depending upon the readings of energy patterns established in Nadi Pariksha. These practices are based on the tantra-shastra and are powerful in resolving one’s negative vibrations and bringing in positive thoughts and emotions.
Benefits of Pranayama :-
- Generates Prana (life force) and distributes to the various parts of the body.
- Rejuvenate tissues and cells
- Alters the cellular intelligence so that cells can live longer.
- Helps to disconnect from our past expressions
- Trains you to reside only in the current moment
- Enhances cognitive abilities.
- Improves the quality of sleep, reduces high blood pressure.
Indications of Pranayama :-
- Weak thinking and analytical functions
- Lack of focus and concentration
- Deep seated emotional and psychological distress
- Slow lymphatic circulation
- Shallow breathing resulting in stress, anxiety, emotional instability
- Increased emotional turbulence
- Upper respiratory congestion
- Faster aging of the body due to low cellular metabolism and slow brain functions
- Pranayama helps soft organs to get massaged by improving diaphragmatic movement
Pranayama Frequently Asked Questions
What is pranayama?
Pranayamas are regulated and rhythmic patterns of generating Prana (life energy) and distributing it to the various parts of the body to rejuvenate tissues and cells. Thus, cells live longer. The process of Pranayama helps us to reside only in the current moment.
Pranayama is an exact science. It is the fourth limb (anga) of Ashtang Yoga. Breath is the external manifestation of Prana. While breath is gross Prana, Prana is subtle!. When one practices control over this breathing, one can control the subtle Prana inside. Control of Prana means control of mind. Prana is like a software and mind is like a processing unit. Prana sets the mind in motion.
What is the significance of pranayama in Ayurveda or in Ayurvedic therapies?
| Shariram Hyapi Satvamanuvidhiyate Sattvam Cha Shariram | Ch. Sh. 4/36
Which means, the body follows the mind and vice versa.
Ayurveda believes that 80% of the diseases are psychosomatic in nature. Our faulty perception and thoughts influence our body. There are clear references in the classical texts of Ayurveda about the connection between various emotions and organs. Eg. anger with liver, fear with intestines, sorrow and sadness with lungs and so on. When you control your thought wave, you can go beyond thought. Thought is a barrier, an obstacle or a block. Pranayama is one of the ways to go beyond. It is the fourth limb of Ashtanga yoga and Ayurveda has accepted the philosophy of yoga for healing purpose.
Pranayama practices have great therapeutic value and discipline. These practices help to heal the deep seated scars in the mind by quietening and stilling the mind. The body starts responding positively and start bringing harmony within; which initiates the healing process.
Ayurveda classifies Paranayama according to Doshas such as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. In some cases, pranayama practices are combined with Vedic counsellings or Panchakarma therapies to establish the effects of healing for a longer duration.
How does pranayama work?
Breath is an unlimited source of prana while other sources of Prana like food, water and sunlight are available in limited form. Every living organism gets Prana Shakti or life force through the breath. Breath is the most vital process of the body. It influences the activity of each and every cell and it is profoundly linked with the performance of the brain.
Many people breath incorrectly or have shallow breathing, specially when they are going through emotional disturbances. This deprives the body of oxygen and prana which in turn starts deteriorating health. The individual feels exhausted for no reason. Correct breathing habits bring back lost energy, strengthens the muscles of the respiratory organs, thereby enhancing their vital capacity. Research has also proven that slow and systematic breathing patterns improve the quality of life specially the breathing rate keeps the heart stronger and well nourished.
What are the benefits of pranayama?
- Regulation of breath – this helps in bringing more fuel by burning oxygen and glucose, which in turn produce more energy to every physiological activity taking place in the body.
- Quietens the mind and controls the flow of thoughts – thoughts are the outcome of a running mind. Mind receives information via sense organs and process it to produce thoughts. Pranayama helps the mind to control its unnecessary chatter and achieves a state of absolute balance.
- Nullify the effects of emotions – Emotion influences almost every activity happening within the body. Unresolved, deep seated emotions play an important role in the manifestation of various disorders. Eg,. Anger leads to the production of excess, unhealthy acid flow in the gut, fear leads to weakening of appetite and irritation of bowls. Pranayama establishes regular breathing patterns, breaking this negative cycle and reversing the process.
- Brings harmony in the body by relaxing the mind and body – The human body has a wonderful ability to heal itself, provided the body is in the state of harmony and mind is balanced. Pranayama is one of the definite ways to achieve this goal.
- Lays the foundation for the spiritual journey – conscious control of breathing forms a bridge between the conscious and unconscious areas of the mind. Stillness of the mind helps the Prana to flow freely in chakras which can lead the aspirants into higher dimensions of spirituality.
Many people breath incorrectly or have shallow breathing, specially when they are going through emotional disturbances. This deprives the body of oxygen and prana which in turn starts deteriorating health. The individual feels exhausted for no reason. Correct breathing habits bring back lost energy, strengthens the muscles of the respiratory organs, thereby enhancing their vital capacity. Research has also proven that slow and systematic breathing patterns improve the quality of life specially the breathing rate keeps the heart stronger and well nourished.
What is so unique about Pranayama at Vedang Clinic?
Dr Rushalli Nair at Vedang Clinic is trained in various aspects of ancient healing by her Gurudeva with a strict guru-shishya parampara. Her Gurudeva, Shri. Ravishankar Krishnamurthy has trained her with Pranayama (based on Tantra shastra), Nadi Vidya and Vedanta. She is successfully applying these practices in her healing therapies and helping her patients to get rid of various complicated disorders.
At Vedang, pranayama practices are taken up only after doing Ravana Nadi Pariksha on the client. Practices of pranayama are designed based on the individual’s readings of the Nadi Pariksha. Personal attention is given to each and every patient to achieve maximum success in healing and achieving health.