Benefits of Pranayama

A lot of people have heard about the breathing exercise, they breath-in and breath-out in a systematic manner to do this exercise, and there is different pattern for breathing.

 

Pranayama is not only a breathing exercise, it’s more than that, here are some easy understandable benefits of Pranayama.

 

Before moving onto Pranayama, first let's revise the basics, we’ve already read it in our secondary education.

 

The air in the Earth's atmosphere is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. The air also has small amounts of lots of other gases, as well, such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen.

 

As you already know oxygen play a very important role in our body, if we don't breathe our brain will stop working after 2-3 minutes and within 10 minutes or less we will die, lack of oxygen also increase the CO2 in our body and increased CO2 will cause some short term (headache, anxiety or stress) or long term (cancer, kidney problem etc) damage and same time it will also introduce some other diseases.  

 

During the inhalation process with the air there are other pollutants entering our body; first line of our protection is the tiny hair in our nostrils, to stop the majority of the dust particles, pollutants, foreign elements or foreign bodies; after that, the second line of our protection is our mucus, remaining pollutants will stick with our mucus; after that windpipe equalizes the air temperature for our body temperature and carries air to our lungs.

 

In this process our lungs absorb only 25% of oxygen; If we do regular practice of Pranayama will increase this oxygen absorption to 25% to 30%, 30% to 35% and so on.

 

Some of the Pranayama practice also involve forceful exhalation, in this process we will breath out with some force, with this force some of the germs will go out from your body by forceful exhalation.

 

Regular practice of Pranayama will cure many diseases like sleep disorder, migraine, asthma, cough, and many more. 

 

Some known benefits of Pranayama:

 

·      Pranayama induces tranquillity and helps to improve concentration.

·      Pranayama increases vitality and lowers the level of stress and anxiety.

·      Pranayama alleviates cough disorders.

·      Pranayama has cooling effect on body and mind.

·      Pranayama is beneficial for persons suffering from high blood pressure.

·      Pranayama satisfies thirst and appeases hunger.

·      Pranayama relieves indigestion and disorders caused by phlegm (cough) and bile (pitta)

·      Pranayama destroys the disorders of gulma (chronic dyspepsia) and spleen or other related diseases (H.P 2/58).

·      Pranayama is beneficial for skin and eyes.

·      Pranayama relieves stress and helps in alleviating anxiety, anger and hyperactivity.

·      Pranayama creates a soothing effect on the nervous system and mind.

·      Pranayama is a great tranquiliser, found good in the management of stress related disorders.

·      Pranayama is a useful preparatory for concentration and meditation.

 

Namaste