Pranayama is the fourth step on the eight-limbed path according to Patanjali, which describes the path to yoga. The eight-limbed path is one aspect of a total of 195 sutras written down by the sage Patanjali around 2.000-3.000 years ago. The ideas are probably even older, as Indian culture was originally transmitted orally. Pranayama is made up of two words Prana - meaning life force or energy and Yama - meaning control. Pranayama is therefore the control of life energy, the control of breathing.
We breathe in and out about 23,000 times a day. We don't think about it unless we have to hold our breath for some reason, we can clearly feel the breath through exertion or we feel breathless due to an emotion. Those who practice pranayama can benefit in these situations and control their breath in a targeted manner.
Why is this important?
In a way, breathing is a connection between the outside world and our body. But it is also a connection between our emotions and the body. For example, people who are scared tend to hold their breath. Holding the breath provokes the body to interpret this signal as danger: Tension and perhaps even tenseness are the result. This in turn reinforces the feeling of fear. In short: the body and emotions are in a constant state of interaction and communicate through the breath, among other things.
But through the breath, we can not only reach, address or regulate our emotions, but also the heart rate, pulse, body temperature and activity of the body. In yoga, we also use breathing techniques to prepare the body for various practice focuses: Calming breathing to enter a passivity, a calmness, activating breathing to prepare the body for movement, to warm up.
Traditionally, and according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, breathing is a preparation for »concentration« or »meditation«. Here, the regulation of the breath is used to calm the mind and thoughts.
Exercise:
A simple and uncomplicated breathing exercise that calms the nervous system is box breathing or »Sama Vritti« (Sama = even, equal; Vritti = thoughts, movements of the mind).
Make each breathing phase equally long and intense, inhale for four seconds, hold the breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold the exhaled state for four seconds.Concentrate on counting and the intensity of your breath.
Traditionally, and according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, breathing is a preparation for »concentration« or »meditation«. Here, the regulation of the breath is used to calm the mind and thoughts.
Pranayama is the fourth step on the eight-limbed path according to Patanjali, which describes the path to yoga. The eight-limbed path is one aspect of a total of 195 sutras written down by the sage Patanjali around 2000-3000 years ago. The ideas are probably even older, as Indian culture was originally transmitted orally. Pranayama is made up of two words Prana - meaning life force or energy and Yama - meaning control. Pranayama is therefore the control of life energy, of breathing. We breathe in and out about 23,000 times a day. We don't think about it unless we have to hold our breath for some reason, we can clearly feel the breath through exertion or we feel breathless due to an emotion. Those who practice pranayama can benefit in these situations and control their breath in a targeted manner.
Why is this important?
In a way, breathing is a connection between the outside world and our body. But it is also a connection between our emotions and the body. For example, people who are scared tend to hold their breath. Holding the breath provokes the body to interpret this signal as danger: Tension and perhaps even tenseness are the result. This in turn reinforces the feeling of fear. In short: the body and emotions are in a constant state of interaction and communicate through the breath, among other things.
But through the breath, we can not only reach, address or regulate our emotions, but also the heart rate, pulse, body temperature and activity of the body. In yoga, we also use breathing techniques to prepare the body for various practice focuses: Calming breathing to enter a passivity, a calmness, activating breathing to prepare the body for movement, to warm up.
Traditionally, and according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, breathing is a preparation for »concentration« or »meditation« . Here, the regulation of the breath is used to calm the mind and thoughts.
Exercise:
A simple and uncomplicated breathing exercise that calms the nervous system is box breathing or »Sama Vritti« (Sama = even, equal; Vritti = thoughts, movements of the mind).
Make each breathing phase equally long and intense, inhale for four seconds, hold the breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold the exhaled state for four seconds.Concentrate on counting and the intensity of your breath.