What is Pranayama
Pránáyáma literally means control and expansion of prana (vital energy).
One of the main techniques of yoga, already mentioned in the vedas (ancient texts of thousands of years) and in the Yoga Sutras of Patnajali.It mainly uses breathing as a tool. But it also uses others such as mudras (energetic and reflexological gestures made with the hands), manaskriya (visualization), asana, matra (rhythm), bandhas (compression of chakras and glands), etc.
The effects of pránáyámas can be easily perceived in pránámayakosha (energetic body), manomayakosha (mental body), annamayakosha (physical body).
The different techniques of pránáyáma can be used both to energize in the moments of sleep or weakness as to calm and bring harmony in moments of stress or anxiety.
The 4 phases of breathing are:
Púraka – inspiration
Kúmbhaka ou antar kúmbhaka – retention with air in the lungs
Rechaka – exhalation
Shúnyaka ou bahya kúmbhaka – airless retention in the lungs
To energize it is recommended to extend the time of inspiration and retention with air. To calm down deepen the exhalation. In order to seek balance in the body or mind, the breath must be uniform, the inspiration and exhalation must take the same execution time.
These “times” are called matra (rhythm)
Matra 1-1 indica que a inspiração e exalação tem a mesma duração e não ha retenções.
The matra 1-4-2-0 indicates that the retention with full lungs should last 4 times the inspiration, the exhalation should be twice as long as the inspiration, and does not need empty retention.
During pranayama there is not only control of breath, there is also intention and direction of prana and mental energy. Prana can be directed to a chakra (energy centers of the energetic body) or a specific region of the body. Energy follows our intention.
But pránáyáma also connects you with your own nature, yourself … and with the universe or unity.
During inspiration we bring the outside world inside (our interior).
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