Benefits Of Pranayama

Pranayama is an ancient form of yoga, which controls breathing for spiritual purposes. The Sanskrit terms are ‘Prana’ and ‘Ayama.’ The words prana means breath, and Ayama means control. 

Pranayama is the ideal breathing practice for increasing positive energy levels in the body and eliminating pollutants.

By practising pranayama daily, we learn to control our breath, and so pranayama is very vital in our lives to stay healthy. 

Pranayama also helps us to keep good health. It removes toxins from our bodies and improves our blood pressure.

It lowers the body's immunity system, which makes us feel ill. Regular practice of pranayama is good for the heart, immune system, and circulatory system. 

Let’s have a look at the health benefits of pranayama.

It strengthens your lungs

Breathing in fresh oxygen is good for the lungs as it cleans the cells of old toxins. Pranayama, such as Ujjayi breathing, which demands vigorous breathing, improves respiratory endurance by working on the respiratory muscles. 

The chest wall and lungs expand as a result of pranayama. It increases lung capacity as well as all other lung functions.

With consistent Pranayama practice, the lungs’ expansion and deflation achieve their full potential and begin operating to the most significant degree feasible. It also has a favourable effect on respiratory pressure and cycle.

Stress reliever

Feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, or poor self-esteem cause various issues in your psychological behaviour. You not only remain annoyed or disturbed, but you also reduce your ability to perform efficiently. 

Pranayama is a way to distract your mind from such issues as well as alleviate psychological problems. It helps carry out stress and worry, which decreases blood pressure and anxiety.

Promotes high-quality sleep

Many individuals underestimate the significance of good sleep, which is a significant error on their side.

A necessary amount of high-quality sleep promotes growth and development in children and adolescents and brain health. 

It is also suitable for the preservation of your physical health. Therefore, pranayama may be beneficial in increasing your sleep quality.

According to one research, Bhramari pranayama, one of the pranayama techniques, works within 5 minutes to calm down the heart rate and breathing. It is a good alternative for relaxing your body before going to bed.

Improves your concentration

When there is a boost in the oxygen flow to the brain, pranayama relaxes it and frees it of worry. It can take control of your thoughts. Thoughts no longer have authority over you; instead, you have become the ruler of your mind. 

Because it eliminates distractions, your attention improves dramatically. You can achieve your goals and objectives more quickly with minimal effort.

Enhances your performance

Pranayama improves your ability to concentrate on tasks, which makes you more productive. It also increases the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain, improving overall cognitive functioning and enhancing problem-solving skills and memory recall. 

Pranayama exercises increase blood flow to the brain, especially during extended yogic breathing techniques, such as the Kapalabhati pranayama.

Helps In Detoxification

Exhalation is a process that involves not only breathing out air but also waste from the body. It is the body’s natural reaction to flush out toxins and allow the body to operate correctly and optimally.

Prana, or breath, may only flow easily if there is no or very little undesirable material in the system. Toxins in the body flush away via the continuous and supervised practice of breathing adjustment. 

In addition, it allows for cleaning the body from poisons and waste. Most people can think of several things they have been doing for years that have been good but have also had a harmful effect – smoking, drinking alcohol, using prescription drugs, etc. 

These things can accumulate in the system over a while and be a problem. If you practice pranayama regularly, then this accelerates the elimination process.

Good For Nasal Passages & Sinuses

Pranayama, such as alternating nostril breathing (anulom vilom), aids in the removal of nasal obstructions.

Regular Pranayama practice helps the nostrils become allergy-free and improves the filtering capacity against external elements that cause inflammation.

Pranayama has anti-inflammatory properties as well as the ability to clean the nasal canals manually.

Sinus irritation can result in severe headaches, nasal congestion, and runny noses. Pranayama not only increases ventilation but also helps with sinus drainage, which alleviates the symptoms of sinusitis. 

In addition, pranayama benefits the respiratory system and helps to discharge toxins and wastes from the sinuses and nasal passages.

Improves your posture and body flexibility

When practised regularly, pranayama increases your lung capacity and makes you breathe with greater ease.

It is very calming for the entire nervous system. It promotes relaxation in the muscles of the abdomen and those of the spine, making them flexible. 

Regular practice of asanas, such as the cat-cow, encourages your body to develop a healthy posture. It also improves your flexibility.

Immunity booster

Stress hurts the body’s immune system. Pranayama proves to improve immune system function by decreasing the stress response.

Deep breathing exercises that focus on the belly with breath retention or kumbhaka strengthen the body's defensive system and increase immunity. 

Improves athletic performance

Pranayama can build endurance, increase lung capacity, improve physical stamina, and reduce anxiety levels. It relaxes your body, allowing you to stay calm under pressure during your game. 

It also helps prevent injuries, both before and during exercise. As you can stay focused on the game or match, the breathing techniques help you gain control of your body. 

Reduces high blood pressure

 Stress is one of the common causes of hypertension. Pranayama helps reduce the intensity of stress hormones that affect blood pressure, which can help prevent high blood pressure. It also increases blood’s ability to carry oxygen efficiently. 

According to some, it may also slow down the heart rate and pulse pressure.

]Reduces cigarette cravings

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that meditation was one of the most effective ways to reduce the desire to smoke cigarettes. 

One particular type of pranayama (the 3-2-1 breath) is helpful for tobacco addiction and helps smokers reduce cravings while cigarette smoking.

Another study, conducted by other researchers in the US, tested the effectiveness of various breathing techniques on craving for cigarettes. They concluded that kapalbhati was among the most effective methods to decrease cravings. 

This study involved 167 adult smokers who were not yet addicted to tobacco.

Helps with digestion

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are two prevalent digestive diseases often accompanied by gastritis and acidity. IBS and IBD are two illnesses that allopathy cannot cure are not entirely. 

With the increase in IBS and IBD cases and worsening of symptoms, people seek the help of yoga and pranayama. 

Pranayama can help treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is helpful for patients with IBS-diarrhea, as it improves their digestive system and their ability to deal with stress. In addition, it strengthens the abdominal muscles.

Helps in skin glow

The practice of pranayama increases blood circulation in the body, thereby nourishing the skin. It also helps flush out toxins from the body. Both of these together can help to give you a healthy glow.

Helps in weight loss

Regular pranayama practise results in you dropping weight. Weight loss is hormonal, which happens when you are stressed, tired, or depressed. Pranayama helps to calm your body, and you will notice that your body “wakes up.” 

Helps Asthma patients

Pranayama helps to reduce the risk of an asthma attack and controls breathing. It promotes deep, rhythmic breathing that relaxes and strengthens the respiratory system. In addition, it reduces stress and strengthens the immune system.

Pranayama can help asthma patients because it improves health and fitness, helps to increase lung flexibility, which helps reduce asthma attacks. 

Regular practice of pranayama also improves lung strength by controlling food intake. In addition, it makes it easier to breathe while doing other activities, which improves the health and efficiency of the respiratory system.

Cardiovascular health

Pranayama is an excellent method to introduce to patients who suffer from cardiovascular ailments. Simply taking deep breaths of air and holding them for a few seconds can calm the mind and the body, which then helps reduce stress. 

Pranayama can also help improve blood pressure and heart-rate variability (HRV).

Spiritual benefits

Pranayama, whether slow or rapid breathing, assists you in spiritual development. It relaxes your thoughts by drowning out the needless chatter in the back of your skull. 

Because pranayama stimulates the olfactory senses, the scent and smell in the atmosphere also serve as a soothing element and aids in rejuvenating our mind and soul.

All of the physical and psychological benefits of yoga and pranayama will ultimately brighten your spiritual life.

Yoga is the connection of the self to the higher self, in which the body and spirit evolve in tandem to connect you to the ultimate divinity of the Universe. 

Pranayama is an essential component of Yogic practice, aids in the manifestation of the same. According to the scientific research conducted on the topic, pranayama is an age-old technique used as a natural stress-buster. It also helps you to connect with your inner self.

Conclusion

Pranayama is a practice of yoga that allows you to manage your energy while maintaining a calm mind. It helps you to remain focused on the present while also allowing you to relax, unwind and detach from daily pressures. Pranayama can be a natural stress-buster.

In addition, the physical benefits of pranayama are numerous and include improved lung capacity, flexibility and agility of the body, reduced back pain and laziness-related symptoms, etc. 

The psychological benefits of pranayama are its ability to stimulate the brain’s centre of learning, i.e., the hippocampus.

It helps you to remain focused on the present moment and avoid getting lost in external issues that may distract you from your core goals in life. All these benefits stem from one practice - Pranayama.

We recommend that you practice pranayama at least twice a day while practising yoga on an everyday basis.