Pranayama is the yoga technique of expanding or controlling your breath. Prana means ‘life energy’ and ayama means ‘to control or expand’. We might call it breathwork or breath control in English.
Your breathing is managed on autopilot by your autonomic nervous system (the same system that controls the beating of your heart, the regulation of your temperature and the constriction of your blood vessels). This is how you’re still able to breathe while you sleep! However, you can also consciously control your breath. In fact, your breath is the only part of your autonomic nervous system that you can directly control.
In modern society, with our busy, stressful lives, practices that deepen your breath can have a particularly soothing and calming effect on your nervous system.
Shame-Free Community members can learn more about breathwork/pranayama and how it can help on our introduction to breathwork (pranayama) course.
Useful resources
- What is pranayama – Art of Living article
- Light on Pranayama by B.K.S. Iyengar
- Breath by James Nestor
- How to move your breathing parts better article on Nutritious Movement