One of the main aspects of yoga is breathing. Controlling breathing is pranayama. This means controlling the rhythm of pranic energy leading to healthy mind and body. Hence it is an exercise for physical and mental wellness. It involves breathing exercises and patterns. Breathing involves two activities i.e. inhaling and exhaling which is done in a specific sequence. There are various types of pranayama and each has different benefits.
Pranayama increases strength and flexibility. It is accompanied with a specific physical posture as well as meditation. The 7 benefits of pranayama are as follows:
- Reduces stress
- Improves quality of sleep
- Increases mindfulness
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Improves lung function
- Enhances cognitive performance
- Reduces craving for cigarettes
Introduction
The speed of breathing in pranayama consists of 3 parts: quiet breathing, deep breathing and fast breathing. The various techniques in pranayama are alternate nostril breathing, victorious breathing, female honeybee humming breathing and bellows breathing. Pranayama, if done regularly, proves quite beneficial for health. According to an old saying, “yogis count the span of their lifetime by the number of breaths they take and not the years they live”. There are some simple breath-control exercises that increase the health and longevity of life. Now let’s look into all the benefits of pranayama in detail.
1. Reduces stress
The ultimate benefits of Pranayama are about decreasing the stress levels in adults.
We’ve explained how yoga and meditation change our brain waves to calm us down in another post. Take a look into the actual science behind it.
Many studies have been conducted and have found similar benefits. People who practice pranayama experience less anxiety and stress as compared to people who don’t practice. One of the main reasons is that the oxygen intake in pranayama increases. This is great for the brain and nerves. Hence deep breathing is one of the best ways in lowering stress of the body and mind.
When a person breathes deeply, it calms down and relaxes the brain by sending the message to the brain. The brain then sends the message to the body. In this way, it releases the tension of the body and reduces stress.
Aside from this, yoga practice has many additional benefits which we’ve covered in this post. Go there to learn more.
2. Improves quality of sleep
The benefits of pranayama, when it comes to sleep, are too many to count. As Pranayama is helpful in relieving stress, it improves the quality of sleep. And also helps with obstructive sleep apnea.
And another great way to ease your sleep apnea is meditation – check here how and why.
There is a technique named “bhramari pranayama”. With it, breathing is slowed down for 5 minutes. This helps in calming the body for sleep.
Another study was conducted which found out that pranayama helps in:
- reducing snoring,
- daytime sleepiness and
- improving sleep quality.
In this way deep breathing improves not only the overall sleep quality but also sleep duration and sleep efficiency.
3. Increases mindfulness
Breathing is an automatic process in our body. We don’t usually pay attention to it. During pranayama, one needs to be aware about breathing and how it feels. “Mindfulness” means focusing on the present moment rather than the past and future.
Learn more about mindfulness and how it’s different from meditation.
People who practice pranayama have high level of mindfulness. This leads to higher levels in emotional regulation. Pranayama is very beneficial in removing carbon dioxide and increasing oxygen concentration. This in turn helps in fueling the brain cells. And in this way, it highly improves focus and concentration.
4. Reduces high blood pressure
The major risk for high blood pressure is stress. When the blood pressure reaches an unhealthy level there is a great likelihood of high blood pressure or hypertension. This can result in serious health problems like stroke, heart disease etc. With the help of pranayama, one can minimize the risk of high blood pressure as it promotes relaxation. Mindful breathing in pranayama helps in stress and anxiety. Pranayama helps in concentrating on breathing. And this results in calming the nervous system. In this way, it reduces high blood pressure and risk of hypertension by decreasing the stress response.
5. Improves lung function
Pranayama is a breathing exercise. We often tend to breathe slowly in pranayama which helps in strengthening the lungs. According to various studies done on pranayama, it is concluded that pranayama improves various parameters of functioning of lungs. This acts as a tool for various lung conditions like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis. In this way pranayama helps in improving the functioning of lungs.
6. Enhances cognitive performance
Moreover, Pranayama not only helps in lung functioning but also in functioning of the brain. Also, whether it is slow or fast, it tremendously helps in improving executive functions like cognitive flexibility, reasoning skills etc. Pranayama helps in improving the perceived level of stress and reaction time. If the pranayama is done fast, then it increases the performance of auditory memory and sensory-motor skills. Pranayama decreases the level of stress which helps in enhancing cognitive performance.
7. Reduces craving for cigarettes/ Say no to ‘smoking’
People who want to quit smoking should practice yogic breathing or pranayama. It decreases the craving of cigarettes. Many studies were conducted which found out that the yogic breathing causes short term reduction in cigarette cravings. Pranayama which includes mindfulness decreases negative thoughts and stress by calming the nervous system. This reduces the urge of having any temptation. And it can eventually lead to withdrawing smoking. The negative effects associated with person’s desires or needs are reduced with the help of pranayama. In this way, it reduces craving of cigarettes.
Conclusion: The Benefits of Pranayama Are Too Many to Miss Out
Pranayama indeed has many benefits. It promotes relaxation and mindfulness. And it also helps in various aspects of physical health like lungs and brain functioning, blood pressure, cognitive performance etc. Pranayama should be done regularly as it beats stress and helps in calming the mind. Modern yoga also encourages pranayama. It releases carbon dioxide in large amount and inhales oxygen which is healthy for mind and body. Also, it helps in improving hypertension and digestive system functioning. And it helps in boosting the immune system and can help with healthy eating habits and weight loss.
Pranayama strengthens the respiratory system and reduces insomnia. It helps in cleansing and purifying the energy channel. It helps in calming the fight or flight response and reduces stress hormones. By consciously slowing down the breath for longer, awareness is not disturbed, and one can achieve equivalent harmony.
To understand more about the basic types of yoga poses, go here. That article is great both for beginners looking to start their personal yoga practice. And more advanced yogis can recap on the basics. Another place to check out is our article on different types of yoga and what they can do for you. Again, a great resource whether you’re just starting out with yoga or looking to spice up your practice.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/pranayama-benefits#stronger-lungs
https://www.yogapoint.com/info/pranayama.htm
https://www.healthifyme.com/blog/5-pranayamas-make-part-daily-fitness-schedule/
https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-basics/pranayama-expand-your-life-energy
https://www.yogaasan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Pranayam-003.jpg
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/pranayam-yoga-18884172173.html
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
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