What is pranayama?

Prana refers to the energy, or life force, a subtle vibratory power, that reverberates throughout all animate and inanimate objects.

Prana, defined as above, makes up one part of the Sanskrit word, pranayama. The other part is ‘ayama’, which means to extend, or stretch and ‘yama’ means to regulate or direct. As one regulates one’s behaviour with the yamas and niyamas, so one regulates prana with pranayama.

Pranayama is the process by which the vital life force is guided with conscious control to gradually calm the mind, rejuvenate the body and initiate the awakening of higher states of consciousness. Pranayama techniques are specific breathing practices to enable this process.

Pranayama is not synonymous with breath! The breath is but one of the vehicles upon which prana travels. Because the relationship between mind, breath and prana is reciprocal, the rate and quality of the breath has a direct effect upon the state of the mind and the quality of prana sustaining the body.

Learning to breathe calmly and deeply supports a vital pranic field which leads to a heightened development of in dismal health, vitality, intelligence, intuition and inspiration.