Yoga practice is a union of asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Each part is present in every style of yoga a practitioner chooses to follow, and the parts work together to provide the practitioner with the optimum benefits of yoga practice. Pranayama are breathing exercises designed to help the practitioner open up his body and mind to good physical and mental health and to prepare for the practice of meditation.

There are many breathing techniques that are part of pranayama and each serves a different purpose in the overall practice of yoga. While all breathing helps to bring in clean oxygen, expanding the lungs, and to eliminate the toxins in the body as it expels carbon dioxide, pranayama is designed to bring balance between the two. Most beginners do not know how to breathe properly because most people are used to breathing shallowly as a result of hectic life. Part of learning about yoga practice is learning about correct breathing. In particular, breathing is central to achieve the peaceful, in-the-moment state of meditation. Read the rest of this entry »