Pranayama: Breathe Some Life Into Your Soul - Pranayama  

By OVIJIT BHATTACHARYYA  

Breathing is so much a part of our lives that we tend to take it for granted. Ancient philosophers and yogis through their calmness and intellect discovered the powers of controlled breathing techniques. We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide - each time we inhale the body receives oxygen which gets converted to fuel to charge or activate the body parts. Each time we exhale the body throws out toxic wastes in the form of carbon dioxide.

Most of us use only a fraction of our lung capacity while breathing. Many of us put a lot of pressure on our body system unknowingly while breathing. Quick shallow breathing results in oxygen starvation which can lead to a poor immune system, sleep disorders, fatigue, heart diseases and also premature ageing.

The complete breathing process should be slow, will expand the abdomen and ribcage while inhaling and follow just the reverse process when exhaling: Breathe out the air while letting the abdomen cave in. But to get the maximum out of breathing it has to be pranayama , which extends much beyond the process of complete breathing.

A stressful lifestyle makes us breathe more quickly and less deeply. We get emotional too easily. Our negative reactions make us easily excited or angry, causing shallow and fast breathing. When one is restless, troubled or confused there is more prana outside the body than within. Prana is the energy which regulates life: It symbolises the combination of physical, mental, intellectual, cosmic and spiritual energy.

Pranayama or breath control signifies stretching, extending and regulating our breathing process. Pranayama can be used as a preparation for meditation wherein it cleanses the body and the mind. It also helps to maximise the benefits of the practice of yogasanas and also focusing the mind.

Yoga, meaning union, is what leads us gradually from ignorance to knowledge. Yoga signifies the union of all our energies to converge in order to get closer to self-realisation. In this, yoga can help us attain some control over the mind, body, ego and intellect.

There are different stages of yoga: Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi . Prana is the basis of our life. Its manifestation extends much beyond its literal translation. Prana constitutes the five prana-vayus which perform all the functions of the body: Prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana . Prana-vayu is activated when we inhale and apana-vayu is activated while exhaling. Prana-vayu absorbs the atmospheric energy and apana-vayu helps in eliminating toxic wastes.

There are four stages in pranayama: Arambha, ghata, parichay and nispatti . In the arambha or commencement stage, the person’s interest in pranayama is awakened. In the ghata stage, the three sariras - gross, subtle and causal - get integrated. These frames merge to envelope our souls. After the integration, the yogi reaches the parichay stage wherein he obtains the knowledge of pranayama which can only be experienced. Finally in the nispatti stage, the yogi loses his worldly identity, becoming emancipated with the knowledge of the supreme spirit.

Pranayama should only be practised when the mind is supported by a state of intense dispassion or it may prove to be harmful. As Swami Vivekananda remarked, the practice of pranayama without first being grounded on purity, renunciation and worshipfulness can even lead to nervous breakdowns.

Pranayama cannot be practised by force; it requires sustained effort of mind and intellect. Since pranayam a is the fourth stage of yoga, it is better to go through the other three stages before trying pranayama .

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See also: Pranayama, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)