PranayamaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Man practicing Pra?ayamPra?ayam (Sanskrit: ????????? pra?

ayam) is a Sanskrit wor d meaning "extension of the pra? or breath" or, "extension of the life force". T he word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Pra?, life force, or vital energy, pa rticularly, the breath, and "ayam", to extend or draw out. (Not 'restrain, or co ntrol' as is often translated from 'yam' instead of 'ayama'). The origins of thi s yogic discipline lies in ancient Bharat (India) and what is known as present d ay Hinduism. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 1.1 Hatha and Raja Yoga Varieties 1.2 Bhagavad Gita 2 Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 3 Medical 4 Cautions 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References [edit] Etymology This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering supp ort, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text. Pra?ayam (Devanagari: ?????????, pra?ayam) is a Sanskrit compound. V. S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for the word pra? (Devanagari: ? ????, pra?) including these:[1] Breath, respiration The breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of)[2] Energy, vigor The spirit or soul Pran Pran is a subtle invisible force (high valence ion charged oxygenated air air) is the life-force that pervades the body. It is the factor that connects the bo dy and the mind, because it is connected on one side with the body and on the ot her side with the mind. It is the connecting link between the body and the mind. The body and the mind have no direct connection. They are connected through Pra n only. Swami Chidananda Saraswati [3]Yog Yog primarily works with the energy in the body through the science of pranayam or energy-control. Pran also means breath. Yog teaches how to still the mind throu gh breath-control and attain higher states of awareness. The higher teachings of yog take one beyond techniques and show the yogi or yog practitioner how to dir ect his concentration in such a way as not only to harmonize human with divine c onsciousness, but to merge his consciousness in the Infinite. Paramahansa Yogananda [4]Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used b y Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing with p ra?ayama.[5] Thomas McEvilley translates pra? as "spirit-energy".[6] Its most su btle material form is the breath, but is also to be found in blood, and its most concentrated form is semen in men and vaginal fluid in women.[7] Monier-Williams defines the compound pra?ayama as "(m., also pl.) N. of the thre e 'breath-exercises' performed during Sa?dhya (See purak, rechak (English: retch

or throw out), kumbhak".[8] This technical definition refers to a particular sy stem of breath control with three processes as explained by Bhattacharyya: purak (to take the breath inside), kumbhak (to retain it), and rechak (to discharge i t).[9] There are also other processes of pra?ayama in addition to this three-ste p model.[9] Macdonell gives the etymology as pra?a + ayama and defines it as "m. suspension of breath (sts. pl.)".[10] Apte's definition of ayama? derives it from a + yam and provides several variant meanings for it when used in compounds. The first three meanings have to do wit h "length", "expansion, extension", and "stretching, extending", but in the spec ific case of use in the compound pra?ayama he defines ayama? as meaning "restrai n, control, stopping".[11] An alternative etymology for the compound is cited by Ramamurti Mishra, who says that: Expansion of individual energy into cosmic energy is called pra?ayama (pra?a, en ergy + ayam, expansion). [12] [edit] Hatha and Raja Yoga VarietiesSome scholars distinguish between hath and r aj yog varieties of pra?ayam, with the former variety usually prescribed for the beginner. According to Taimni, hath yogic pra?ayam involves manipulation of pra nic currents through breath regulation for bringing about the control of chitt-v ritti and changes in consciousness, whereas raj yog pra?ayam involves the contro l of chitt-vritti by consciousness directly through the will of the mind.[13] St udents qualified to practice pra?ayam are therefore always initiated first in th e techniques of hath pra?ayam.[14] [edit] Bhagavad GitaPra?ayam is mentioned in verse 4.29 of the Bhagavad Gita.[15 ] According to Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, pra?ayam is translated to "trance induced b y stopping all breathing", also being made from the two separate Sanskrit words, pra? and ayam.[16] [edit] Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliYoga Sutras of Patanjali[17] Pada (Chapter) English meaning Sutras Samadhi Pada On being absorbed in spirit 51 Sadhana Pada On being immersed in spirit 55 Vibhuti Pada On supernatural abilities and gifts 56 Kaivalya Pada On absolute freedom 34 Pranayama is the fourth 'limb' of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga mentioned in verse 2.29 in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.[18][19] Patanjali, a Hindu Rishi, di scusses his specific approach to pranayama in verses 2.49 through 2.51, and devo tes verses 2.52 and 2.53 to explaining the benefits of the practice.[20] Patanja li does not fully elucidate the nature of prana, and the theory and practice of pranayama seem to have undergone significant development after him.[21] He prese nts pranayama as essentially an exercise that is preliminary to concentration, a s do the earlier Buddhist texts.[21] Many yoga teachers advise that pranayama should be part of an overall practice t hat includes the other limbs of Patanjali's Raja Yoga teachings, especially Yama , Niyama, and Asana.[22] [edit] MedicalSeveral researchers have reported that pranayama techniques are be neficial in treating a range of stress-related disorders,[23] improving autonomi c functions,[24] relieving symptoms of asthma[25] (though a different study did

not find any improvement[26]) and reducing signs of oxidative stress.[27][28] Pr actitioners report that the practice of pranayama develops a steady mind, strong will-power, and sound judgement,[22] and also claim that sustained pranayama pr actice extends life and enhances perception.[29] Alternate nostril breathing (ANB) pra?ayama, also known as Nadisuddhi pra?ayama, is one of the beneficial pra?ayama for cardiopulmonary functions. Regular pract ice of ANB (Nadisuddhi) increases parasympathetic activity and lowers systolic b lood pressure as well as respiratory rate.[30] In fact there are a number of stu dies indicating that pranayama causes changes in the cardiorespiratory system in cluding a lowering of blood pressure and of heart rate.[31][32][33] [edit] CautionsMany yoga teachers recommend that Pra?ayama techniques be practic ed with care, and that advanced pra?ayama techniques should be practiced under t he guidance of a teacher. For example, people with low blood pressure must perfo rm it cautiously or may even have to avoid it.[citation needed] On the other han d pranayama may be helpful for someone with high blood pressure as the practice has been shown to lower resting blood pressure and heart rate (see the Medical s ection this article). These cautions are also made in traditional Hindu literatu re. Pregnant women may have to forgo pranayama.[34][35][36] Exercises which incorporate the Valsalva maneuver, a moderately forceful attempt to exhale against a closed airway, usually done by closing one's mouth, pinchin g one's nose shut while pressing out as if blowing up a balloon, have been medic ally associated in emergency room practice with subcutaneous emphysema, developm ent of pockets of air in the body outside the lungs, for example under the skin or in the abdomen.[37] An incidence of rectus sheath hematoma which required eme rgency surgery to repair a ruptured inferior epigastric artery and removal of 75 0 ml of blood from a woman's abdomen occurred during vigorous pranayama practice by an older woman with high blood pressure.[38] [edit] See also Yoga portal Anuloma pranayama Bhastrika Hatha yoga Kapalabhati Phonetical astrology Raja yoga Swami Ramdev Ujjayi breath [edit] Notes1.^ Apte, p. 679. 2.^ For the vital airs as generally assumed to be five, with other numbers given , see: Macdonell, p. 185. 3.^ Chidananda, Sri Swami, The Philosophy, Psychology, and Practice of Yog, Divi ne Life Society, 1984 4.^ Yogananda, Paramhansa, The Essence of Self-Realization, ISBN 0-916124-29-0 5.^ Bhattacharyya, p. 311. 6.^ McEvilley, Thomas. "The Spinal Serpent", in: Harper and Brown, p. 94. 7.^ Richard King, Indian philosophy: an introduction to Hindu and Buddhist thoug ht. Edinburgh University Press, 1999, p. 70. 8.^ Monier-Williams, p. 706, left column. 9.^ a b Bhattacharyya, p. 429. 10.^ Macdonell, p.185, main entry pra?aghata 11.^ See main article ????? (ayama?) in: Apte, p. 224. Passages cited by Apte fo r this usage are Bhagavatgita 4.29 and Manusmriti 2.83. 12.^ Mishra, p. 216. 13.^ Taimni, p. 258. 14.^ Iyengar, p. 244 Iyengar, B. K. Sundara Raja (1995). Light on Yoga. ISBN 0-8 052-1031-8 15.^ Gambhirananda, pp. 217 218.

16.^ Bhagavad-gita As It Is Chapter 4 Verse 29. Vedabase.net. Retrieved on 201102-25. 17.^ Stiles 2001, p. x. 18.^ Taimni, p. 205. 19.^ Flood (1996), p. 97. 20.^ Taimni, pp. 258 268. 21.^ a b G. C. Pande, Foundations of Indian Culture: Spiritual Vision and Symbol ic Forms in Ancient India. Second edition published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ. , 1990, p. 97. 22.^ a b Light on Pranayama, Sixth Edition, Crossroad Publishing Co. 23.^ Brown RP, Gerbarg PL (2005). "Sudarshan Kriya Yogic breathing in the treatm ent of stress, anxiety, and depression. Part II clinical applications and guidelin es". J Altern Complement Med 11 (4): 711 7. doi:10.1089/acm.2005.11.711. PMID 1613 1297. 24.^ Pal GK, Velkumary S, Madanmohan (2004). "Effect of short-term practice of b reathing exercises on autonomic functions in normal human volunteers". Indian J. Med. Res. 120 (2): 115 21. PMID 15347862. 25.^ Vedanthan PK, Kesavalu LN, Murthy KC, et al. (1998). "Clinical study of yog a techniques in university students with asthma: a controlled study". Allergy As thma Proc 19 (1): 3 9. doi:10.2500/108854198778557971. PMID 9532318. 26.^ Cooper S, Oborne J, Newton S, et al. (2003). "Effect of two breathing exerc ises (Buteyko and pranayama) in asthma: a randomised controlled trial". Thorax 5 8 (8): 674 9. doi:10.1136/thorax.58.8.674. PMC 1746772. PMID 12885982. 27.^ Bhattacharya S, Pandey US, Verma NS (2002). "Improvement in oxidative statu s with yogic breathing in young healthy males". Indian J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 46 (3): 349 54. PMID 12613400. 28.^ Jerath R, Edry JW, Barnes VA, Jerath V (2006). "Physiology of long pranayam ic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system". Med. Hypotheses 67 (3): 566 71. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042. PMID 16624497. 29.^ Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, 2002. 30.^ Upadhyay Dhungel K, Malhotra V, Sarkar D, Prajapati R (March 2008). "Effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise on cardiorespiratory functions". Nepal Med Coll J 10 (1): 25 7. PMID 18700626. 31.^ Immediate Effect of Slow Pace Bhastrika Pranayama on Blood Pressure and Hea rt Rate Tapas Pramanik, Hari Om Sharma, Suchita Mishra, Anurag Mishra, Rajesh Pr ajapati, and Smriti Singh. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine . March 2009, 15(3): 293-295. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0440. 32.^ Effect of Short-Term Pranayama and Meditation on Cardiovascular Functions i n Healthy Individuals by Roopa B. Ankad, Anita Herur, Shailaja Patil, G.V. Shash ikala, and Surekharani Chinagudi 33.^ Immediate effect of a slow pace breathing exercise Bhramari pranayama on bl ood pressure and heart rate by T Pramanik, B Pudasaini and R Prajapati 34.^ Visakhapatanam, Bharat, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Master E.K, Kulapathi Boo k Trust, ISBN 81-85943-05-2 35.^ Prescriptions for pranayama, Claudia Cummins 36.^ Breathing Lessons, Tony Briggs 37.^ Kashyap, A S; K P Anand and S Kashyap (March 2007). Emergency Medical Journ al 24 (3): 231. doi:10.1136/emj.2006.036459. PMC 2660045 https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni h.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660045/Missing or empty |title= (help). "These symptoms f ollowed a yoga exercise called pranayam , which had involved a vigorous Valsalva ma noeuvre" 38.^ Sharma, Hemant; Narayan Singh Shekhawat, Sudhir Bhandari, Breda Memon, and Muhammed Ashraf Memon (October 2007). "Rectus sheath haematoma: a rare presentat ion of non-contact strenuous exercises". British Journal of Sports Medicine 41 ( 10): 688 690. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2007.036087. PMC 2465161. [edit] References Wikiversity has learning materials about Yoga oracle#85. Yoga and Breathing Crowley, Aleister. 'Eight Lectures on Yoga'. Ordo Templi Orientis, 1939.

Bhattacharyya, N. N. History of the Tantric Religion. Second Revised Edition. (M anohar: New Delhi, 1999) p. 174. ISBN 81-7304-025-7 Chidananda, Sri Swami (1991). Path to Blessedness, 2nd Ed. The Divine Life Socie ty. World Wide Web (WWW) Edition ISBN 978-81-7052-086-3. Feuerstein, Georg (1998). Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy. Boston: Shambhala Publica tions. ISBN 1-57062-304-X. Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge Universit y Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0. Gambhirananda, Swami (1997). Bhagavatgita: With the commentary of Sa?karacarya ( 4 ed.). Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama Publication Department. ISBN 81-7505-041-1. Harper, Katherine Anne; Brown, Robert L. (2002). The Roots of Tantra. Albany, Ne w York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-5306-5. Iyengar, B. K. S.(1985). Light On Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing. ISBN 08245-0686-3 Iyengar, B. K. S.(1966). Light on Yoga. ISBN 0-8052-1031-8 Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1996). A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. New Delhi: Mu nshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 81-215-0715-4. Reprint edition. Mishra, Ramamurti S. (1963). The Textbook of Yoga Psychology. Monroe, New York: Baba Bhagavandas Publication Trust. ISBN 1-890964-27-1. Reprint edition, 1997. Saraswati, Swami Niranjanananda (1994). Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya. ISBN 81-857 87-84-0 Shaw, Scott. The Little Book of Yoga Breathing: Pranayama Made Easy. ISBN 1-5786 3-301-X Taimni, I. K. (1996). The Science of Yoga. Adyar, Madras: The Theosophical Publi shing House. ISBN 81-7059-212-7. Reprint edition. [hide]v t eYoga

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