Pranayama: The Key to Good Health and a Fit and Fabulous Body

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Pranayama is the ancient Indian art or breathing in the right manner so that your body can benefit from it.

Pranayama’s Sanskrit translation simply means restricting ones breath. Prana in Sanskrit stand for life and energy derived mainly by breathing and Ayama means restricting. So this union of these two words is an ancient form breathing technique that is said to have many uses which we will discover in the course of this article.


Pranayama is often used in yoga which is well known Indian exercise routine that is a scientific, healing and one of the best ways to keep oneself fit. Pranayama teaches you the right techniques to breath whereby you can benefit from this daily taken for granted activity. You might wonder that is there a right technique to breath, we do every second and since the time we are born and can there be any other way? Well pranayamahas the answer to all those questions and much more.


However words of caution before you actually decide to adopt the technique. It is very essential to learn the art of pranayama from someone who is an expert. This activity is highly beneficial but only when it is done in the right manner and under the watchful guidance of a teacher or guru. You could also refer to several instances and mentions of the technique in various traditional Hindu literatures pertaining to yoga and other ancient healing routines.


Believe it or not there are different ways in which we breathe. The different types of breathing are High Breathing, Low Breathing, Mild Breathing, and one Complete Breath. It is really important to recognize the way in which we breathe in order to cure the different ailments that result out of faulty and incomplete breathing. It is only when we breath in the right manner that we will be able to free ourselves from ill effects of stress and other underlying illnesses. One should also note that while practicing pranayama one should always breathe only through their nose and not their mouth.


High breathing is an activity that mainly involves the use of the upper part of the chest and lungs. This kind of breathing is often witnessed in patients with respiratory diseases whereby they are short of breath for example patients with asthma. This form of breathing is often a cause of various ailments related to digestion like constipation etc. and also certain gynecological problems as this type of breathing has been highly witnessed among women. Thus is type of breathing should be avoided.


Low breathing involves the use of the lower part of the chest and lungs and is a more beneficial for of breathing. While practicing this form of breathing which is also termed as abdominal breathing due to the use of the abdomen in this form, more air is supplied to the lungs and also aides in better overall circulation of blood. It also has positive effects on the important nerve centers. Middle breathing is also a rather shallow type of breathing and is undesirable.


We then come down to the last type of breathing which is known as complete breathing. This type of breathing makes use of the body’s complete respiratory apparatus. This breathing technique is that is widely in used in other yoga sciences and needs to be well mastered before learning the rest.


For a better experience one can practice the art of pranayama at locations that provide you fresh and revitalizing oxygen supply. Locations like the beach or gardens have plenty to offer in terms of the above. Several people who practice pranayama swear by it and claim that they have been cured of the various illnesses they were suffering from. Pranayama is also very useful in loosing those extra pounds that we tend to pile on owing to our sedentary lifestyles. It is a technique that one should learn, master and practice on a daily basis to experience the marvels it is capable of doing.