Breathing is a natural involuntary process that we do every day. We can live for days without food and water, but without breathing, the body dies in minutes. We breathe when we are awake when we are asleep or exercising. Most of the time, we don’t even realize that we are breathing or that we have forgotten to breathe for a few seconds. Very little attention is paid to the importance of breathing.
Breathing is inhaling air into the lungs through the mouth or nose and exhaling air out of the lungs. This action brings oxygen into the body and removes carbon dioxide.
In yoga, this action is called pranayama. Prana means vital energy or force in Sanskrit, and pranayama is the science of breath control, also known as yogic breath-regulation.
So why would you want to control your breath? Have you ever noticed how relaxing it is at the end of a stressful day to sigh? That’s because by deeply inhaling and exhaling allows for oxygen to enter every cell in our body, including the cells in the brain. Regular practice of breath control decreases stress on the body and allows for improved physical and overall well-being.
There are three basic types of breathing—clavicular (shallow breath), intercostal (middle), and abdominal breathing (deep breathing). Because most people have forgotten how to breathe correctly take shallow breaths making very little use of the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the thorax from the abdomen), only a small amount of oxygen is taken in with only the top of the lungs being used, resulting in lack of vitality and energy.
If you like to learn more about the practice of pranayama or schedule a session for a guided pranayama practice visit http://www.peacejoynamaste.com
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