{"id":121492,"date":"2024-04-15T10:09:29","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T10:09:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/book\/pranayamy\/"},"modified":"2024-11-23T13:26:43","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T13:26:43","password":"","slug":"pranayamy","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/ufy-books\/yoga-book\/pranayamy\/","title":{"rendered":"Pranayamas"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Pranayamas\u00b9 <\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0923\u093e\u092f\u093e\u092e\u0903 [pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma\u1e25] – breath control<\/span>
\n<\/span> \u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0923 [pr\u0101\u1e47a] – breath<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u0906\u092f\u093e\u092e [\u0101y\u0101ma] – control<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Human breath is a process controlled by both the brain and the con-sciousness. Breath is a \u00abbridge\u00bb between our biological and spiritual nature. The way we breathe, our particularities, depth, the muscles we use, directly relate with our consciousness. No wonder we use such sayings as \u00abwith bated breath\u00bb, \u00abtake one\u2019s breath away\u00bb, \u00aba lump in the throat\u00bb etc. If our consciousness is still<\/strong> (or even the psyche in general, because subconsciousness also influences it) our breath is stable<\/strong>, deep with even rhythm. On the contrary, as soon as our physical state or the direction of consciousness flow changes, rhythm and type of breath changes too. At a limit there is a breath breakdown, a temporary breath-holding, not controlled by our consciousness. For example, if we try to lift something heavy, we have a breakdown in a form of tension and groaning, but sometimes such a breakdown occurs when the object to lift isn\u2019t heavy at all. It is the attitude: the object is too heavy in person\u2019s mind. This is an example of mind breakdown. The same breakdown would lead to the similar breath breakdown that can happen, if we think about a physiologically difficult situation. <\/span><\/p>\n

A person can think that he is absolutely calm, but any exterior observer can easily see, if it\u2019s true, by the way he breathes. Our breathing shows our real emotional state. And vice versa by controlling our breath, we can learn to control our emotional state. The detailed knowledge about chakral system and principles of psychosomatic interrelation can help us to minutely analyse the current state of any person\u2019s psyche, just by observing and listening to his breath. <\/span><\/p>\n

But for goals of yoga it is also important to know, that the counter principle works too: consciously controlling and keeping certain breathing rhythm, we form a defined in advance state of awareness<\/strong>. This is the principle underlying the next type of yoga exercises \u2014 pranayamas. Pranayama is a breath control. \u00abYoga kundalini Upanishad\u00bb says \u00abthere are two reasons making our mind wander \u2014 vasanas (desires, caused by secretly impressed feelings) and the breath. If our desires can be mastered, the other can be controlled. From these two the first to master must be our breath\u00bb. <\/span><\/p>\n

So pranayamas<\/strong> are breathing exercises. \u00abHatha Yoga Pradipika\u00bb describes 8 pranayamas: Surya Bheda<\/em>, Ujjayi<\/em>, Sitkari<\/em>, Sitali<\/em>, Bhastrika<\/em>, Bhramari<\/em>, Murchha<\/em> and Plavini<\/em>. Sometimes in ancient yoga pranayama meant a breathhold. Modern yoga counts dozens of pranayamas and their variations, such as: full breath, quick pranayamas, slow, dynamic pranayamas. On our physical body pranayama makes less impact, than asanas. It mainly aims at etheric and astral bodies<\/strong>, i.e. vitality and emotional sphere<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Influence mechanism of breath exercises, pranayamas in particular, is based on the following principles. <\/span><\/p>\n

1. The changing of ratio of oxygen and carbonic acid in our body.<\/strong> Raising concentration of oxygen, we activate inhibitory processes by intensive breathing and lung hyperventilation. The rising concentration of carbonic acid is achieved by holding our breath, and in different phases results in activating certain zones of our brain. For instance, by raising the level of CO2 by pranayamas, we activate all hypercapnic chemoreceptors and our respiratory centre, arises the reciprocal intensification of ventilation, that is why the successfulness of the respiratory training is defined by the eventual slow rising of hypercapnia. Only in this case we can achieve a growth in chemoreceptors and neurons of respiratory centre resistance to a hypercapnic stimulation, fortifying respiratory system in physical load and in closed spaces (transport etc.). In the long run hypercapnia adaptation also raises compensatory capacities of buffer systems, favours removal of hyperventilate disorders, hypercapnia, normalisation of carbonic acid in tissues and cell metabolism optimisation. <\/span><\/p>\n

These effects were researched by modern physicians, who came to same conclusions, as those acknowledged in ancient yoga. The foresaid Garkavi and his co-authors showed that hypercapnia can be used as a factor of raising a non-specific resistance of the body. Another re-searcher Pavlenko wrote that hypercapnia normally has pathogenic effect, but till a certain moment activates the respiratory centre, playing its sanogeneric role.
\nThe same research was conducted in the \u00abopposite\u00bb branch \u2014 excessive oxygen. Thus researches of brain activity in the state of holotropic breathwork, conducted in the Institute of high nerve activity have showed that during such breathing there is an activation of the back left and forward right parts of the brain, the socalled \u00abaxis of superconscious\u00bb. The same are activated in the state of creativity. In the normal state lobe zones of the left hemisphere and back of the right one are activated (cognitive axis). <\/span><\/p>\n

Combining the lasting ratio of inhalation-hold-exhalation-hold, we can reach a strictly defined ratio of oxygen\/carbonic acid content in our blood, thus getting into various \u00abcalibrated\u00bb states. Such method becomes even more efficient by a direct rhythmic influence on the brain by nerve endings, located in nasopharynx. Methods of rhythmical breathwork were used not only in yoga, but also in magical practices, qigong, martial arts and shaman practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Enabling different groups of muscles in breathing.<\/strong> The interrelation between various human muscles, in particular, respiratory muscles, was noticed and introduced in contemporary theory of psychosomatics by A. Lowen, although it is evident from the structure of chakral system. The main point of such correlation is that while breathing, people don\u2019t use muscles, located at the level of their disrupted or weak chakras. The opposite is also true; if while breathing we \u00abswitch on\u00bb certain muscles, we activate the chakra itself. The additional effect can be produced by straining (working out) of different groups of respiratory muscles.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/b>Reflex effect on the brain by influencing on olfactory and other receptors, located in respiratory tracts.<\/strong> Some researches think that limbic system on the one hand relates with our emotional sphere, on the other \u2014 with the organs\u00bb<\/span>\u00b2<\/a><\/span> work control, in its evolutionary base has a rhinencephalon. That is why the air, rhythmically passing through the nose, puts the limbic system in a particular state, which tells upon the general state of the body \u2014 physical and emotional. Author does not possess more detailed information about deeper neurophysic researches, that is why, choosing cycles, we should trust our empirical observation and reflection \u2014 just like ancient yogins. <\/span><\/p>\n

4. Hydraulic brain and viscera massage.<\/strong> Pranayamas, especially those done intensively (like kalabhati and Bhastrika) create certain changes in pressure \u2014 in the body and in the head, causing the effect of their inner massage. From this principle we can conclude that there is a minimum speed of doing these pranayamas, at which they cause a needed effect. <\/span><\/p>\n

5. Reflex impact over sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.<\/strong> In classical yoga it is believed that breathing through the right nostril is stimulating and favours dissociation processes in our body (Sun breathing). Breathing through the left nostril is soothing and favours assimilation processes (Moon breathing). That is why, the express activating of a nostril or the specific order of changing nostrils is an important element in yoga, practically its \u00abvisiting card\u00bb.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.7. Sitting in the Padm\u00e2sana posture the Yogi should fill in the air through the left nostril (closing the right one); and, keeping it confined according to one\u2019s ability, it should be expelled slowly through the surya (right nostril).
\n2.8. Then, drawing in the air through the surya slowly, the belly should be filled, and after performing Kumbhaka as before, it should be expelled slowly through the chandra (left nostril)<\/span><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00abHatha Yoga Pradipika\u00bb<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

6. Effect of psychosomatic correspondence on the inner respi<\/b>ratory system.<\/strong> The basic system of psychosomatic correspondence described above is not the only one. Other local systems related to chakras can also be found. For example, seven cervical vertebras are projected to seven chakras. The same correlation exists in the respiratory system: more outlying zones of nasopharynx are related with inferior chakras, and deeper ones \u2014 with the upper chakras. Upper zones are related with the brain, lower zones \u2014 with the body. Combining aerodynamic types of breathing (for example, by a certain pose of the head or the tension in nostrils), we can influence any particular zone. Another way to use this mechanism is concentration on different feelings in the nose, i.e. activating different receptors, and therefore different parts of the brain. <\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing can be successfully combined with meditation. There is a number of meditation techniques, based on consciousness structuring \u2014 not always on relaxation, \u2014 with the help of breathing. The most simple is the one, when a practitioner sits down and starts listening to his breathing. In one of the Shastras this technique is described as: \u00abListening to your breath, you listen to the breath of the Universe\u00bb. One should sit and breathe \u2014 nothing more. This meditation quickly helps to come into a state of trace.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Notes<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

1. <\/span>Curiously like in English \u00abprana\u00bb means both \u00abair\u00bb and some life force, vital energy<\/span>.\u2191<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2. <\/span>Probably this interlacement of functions is a physical basis of psychosomatic correlation existence.\u2191<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pranayamas\u00b9   \u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0923\u093e\u092f\u093e\u092e\u0903 [pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma\u1e25] – breath control \u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0923 [pr\u0101\u1e47a] – breath \u0906\u092f\u093e\u092e [\u0101y\u0101ma] – control   Human breath is a process controlled by both the brain and the con-sciousness. Breath is a \u00abbridge\u00bb between our biological and spiritual nature. The way we breathe, our particularities, depth, the muscles we use, directly relate with our consciousness.… Continue reading Pranayamas<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[795],"doc_tag":[],"knowledge_base":[814],"class_list":["post-121492","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-exercise-en","knowledge_base-yoga-book","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"year_month":"2026-04","word_count":1491,"total_views":"48","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Kamertab","author_nicename":"kamertab","author_url":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/author\/kamertab\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Types of Yoga exercises and their mechanisms of influence","term_url":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/ufy-books\/yoga-book\/exercise-en\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[{"term_name":"Yoga: physiology, psychosomatics, bioenergetics","term_url":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/ufy-books\/yoga-book\/","term_slug":"yoga-book"}],"knowledge_base_slug":["yoga-book"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/121492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/121492\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=121492"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=121492"},{"taxonomy":"knowledge_base","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.in.yoga\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge_base?post=121492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}