Pranayama 101

Prana means life force or energy

Yama means restraint or control

Pranayama means restraint of life force energy, or control of the breath.

Our yoga all begins with our breath.  If we aren't practicing with our breath, we're just moving but we aren't really doing yoga.  It all begins with the breath.  Honoring and understanding the importance of breath work is pivotal to practicing and teaching yoga.  Just think, we can survive for some time without food or water.  But, we can't survive without the breath.  And the breath is closely connected to our emotions.  We can use the breath to help us calm down when we're anxious or to energize us when we're feeling lethargic.

Inhales and Exhales

 When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and flattens out as our lungs expand and the chest cavity enlarges.  Inhalation is an active process.

When we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its domelike shape as the lungs release air and lung volume decreases.  Exhalation is a passive process. 

We often use our inhales for movements that involve lengthening and expansion or otherwise opening of the front of the body.  And we use our exhales for movements that involve compression of the front of the body.  

Generally speaking, we use inhales to energize and exhales to relax.  

In addition to inhales and exhales, we work with breath retention in yoga.  The breath may be retained after an inhale, after an exhale, or both.  Retaining the breath after an inhale will energize the body.  Retaining a breath after an exhale will relax the body.  Retaining the breath after both inhales and exhales will help bring balance to the breath and body.

There are many pranayamas that can be practiced in yoga.  But, we begin with breath awareness.  It's important to observe your own breath and notice where you feel your breath.  

Get comfortable for breath work

We want to find a comfortable position for breath work. This is best in a quiet place.  You may need a couple of blankets and a small pillow.  You want to be comfortable, but still aware and conscious so that you can notice the breath from a place of relaxation.  For many people, it works well to lie down on the floor, bend the knees with the soles of the feet planted on the floor and the knees pointing upwards.  You can move the feet closer to the sit bones or further away, depending on what feels best for you.  You can also play with the distance between the feet.   You don't want any tension in the belly, and if you feel tension in the belly you may need to walk your feet in a little closer. You can place the pillow underneath the head if that feels good.  Feel free to pad yourself with a blanket anywhere necessary.

If this is not comfortable for you, you can come into easy pose, a cross legged seated position.  Feel free to bring blankets under the sit bones, or even under the knees if that feels good. You want the hips to be higher than the knees, so use your props however you need to.  If the knees are higher than the hips, the back will round and the front body compresses which makes breathing more challenging.

Another option is to lie on the side.  This tends to be the way to go for pregnant women or anyone experiencing significant back pain. If you choose to go this route, you may want to alternate sides regularly.  Be mindful that you may feel compressed on one side of the body so pay special attention towards lengthening on both sides, maybe using bolsters or large pillows for support.

You may also choose to sit in a chair for breath work if that feels like the right thing to do for you.

Notice your breath

Once you're comfortable, begin to notice your breath without making any changes.  Move away from any thoughts about how you think you should breathe.  There's no right and wrong.  Without judging, without altering, just notice the pattern of your breath.  Notice if your inhales are shallow or a little deeper on this day.  Notice if your exhales are full and complete.  Ask yourself these questions, sitting with each question for a few minutes:

Location - Where do you feel the breath?  Where is the movement of the breath most obvious to you? 

Origin - Where is the breath flowing from?  Can you feel a place of origination in the body?

Pace - Can you notice the pace of your breath?  Does it feel fast, slow or in between?  

Duration - Are your inhales even with your exhales?   Does one seem to be consistently longer than the other?

Depth - Does your breath feel shallow or deep today?  Is it smooth or does it feel a little unsteady?

Sound - Can you hear your own rhythm of breath?  

Temperature - Can you notice the temperature of your own breath?

Once you've moved through this process, take a few moments to rest in Savasana and absorb the breath practice.