Impact of Pranayama
Pranayama- A Gift to Life
When the word prana in itself means vital life force and Yama means to gain control, it is not very difficult to appreciate the beauty of this yoga practice of breathing. Though yoga is an ancient practice of traditions and philosophies, it is also based on many scientific discoveries or reasoning. And Pranayama is another part of this beautiful practice that holds great significance for your body and life.
Yoga believes that our breath is associated with the prana (life). Thus, Pranayama is the means to elevate the Prana Shakti or life energies. As human beings, we are no stranger to the importance of breathing. Our entire existence depends on our breaths. It is a link between our consciousness and our mind. Your thoughts can alter the rhythms of your breath, and your breath can also help you change your thoughts. Controlling your breath helps you master the art of breathing, making you understand the journey of self-healing.
The Impact of Pranayama touches all aspects of your life
Pranayama strengthens your muscles that are used in breathing, it also increases your lung capacity and improves circulation in your body. The physical benefits include enhancing the functioning of your organs and boosting your immunity.
When talking about the mental benefits of pranayama, you cannot miss the magic it creates to improve mental clarity, focus, concentration and attention. A good amount of oxygen helps reduce stress as well as physical tension in the body. It also offers emotional benefits by helping us let go of negative emotions and supporting emotional intelligence by slowing us down and identifying emotions in ourselves and others. It is no surprise that by slowing us down, the practice helps us draw attention to our present and increase the feeling of inner peace and stillness. This proves to be a great Spiritual benefit of Pranayama.
A slower breath and stress-free life
By teaching you to control your breath, Pranayama helps you reduce the rate of your breathing from 15 breaths to 5 – 6 breaths per minute. A reduced rate of breathing will also help in reducing the depletions of your internal organs as the reduced breath rates relaxes your body’s nerves and tensions, lower blood pressure and many more.
Greet longevity of life
Do you know why a tortoise lives for more than 200 years? Well, they breathe very slowly and approximately 4 breaths per minute. On the other hand, a dog breathes around 24 breaths in a minute and lives for only up to 13 years. This can only suggest that a slower reduced pace of breathing can prove helpful in increasing your lifespan .
Improved blood circulation
Taking a fresh breath allows your body to circulate oxygenated blood from your heart to the various parts of the body. This proves beneficial in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual journey.
Healthy Heart
Your heart is the most exhausted organ, it beats almost 100 times a minute, pumps blood nonstop all your life. Hence, your heart is important to determine the quality of life you are going to live and the expectancy. A better amount of oxygen in your blood allows more oxygen to be found in your heart’s muscles.
Improved mental health
Do you feel a sense of relief when you slowly exhale? Does the slow pace of breathing make you feel a sense of lightness in your body? Well, it’s not just your body but also your aura and state of mind. A healthy practice of breathing gives you the freedom from any negative mental conditions such as anger, depression, greed and everything harmful. The practice of Pranayama helps you practice deep meditation allowing you to experience peace, a better connection, better memory, better sleep and lightness in the body. So take a deep breath and embrace the magic of Pranayama.