Are you feeling low on energy? If so, you should give a few minutes to yogic breathing exercises. You can simply adjust it into intense yoga practice sessions. However, Pranayama types and their benefits are infinite. So, it would be wise if you first learn about Pranayama, its different types, and how it benefits you.
With that said, let’s have a glimpse of what Pranayama is. Read on.
Pranayama: An Introduction
A collection of diverse breathing exercises is known as Pranayama. These breathing exercises focus on mental balance and purification.
The literal translation of Prana is ‘life force energy. On the other hand, Yama means ‘mastery’. Thus, Pranayama exercises help you get mastery over the essence of life.
With the regular practice of Pranayama, you learn to control, cultivate, and modify the flow of the vital energy that flows through your body.
Types of Pranayama
Yogic Breath
This is also known as Diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing. When you first start Pranayama practice, this Pranayama type serves as the foundation for your further breathing exercises. Hence, it is one of the best Pranayama types you should begin with.
Dirga Pranayama
Also known as the Three-Part breathing exercise, it is useful to improve your awareness. This Pranayama type is helpful to level up your breathing practice once you have mastered the Yogic Breath. Also, it improves the overall capacity of your lungs.
Ujjayi Pranayama
Ujjayi breathing is also known as Victorious or Ocean Sound breathing. If you are aiming to practice Ashtanga yoga or Vinyasa yoga, you should practice this Pranayama technique. The sound produced when you breathe out through your throat both soothes and calms your mind.
Sama Vritti Pranayama
This is also called Equal Breath. As the name suggests, in this technique, the inhale and exhale must be of equal lengths. It could be similar to Box breathing Pranayama technique. This is perfect for balancing your breathing and other cycles of the body. Moreover, it relaxes your overall well-being.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing are some other names of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. In this breathing type, you breathe through one nostril at a time. From calming you down to creating harmony in your mind and body is what this Pranayama technique helps you with.
Bhramari Pranayama
This is also called Buzzing Bee Breath. There is ample use of sound to calm your mind. It imitates the universal sound of AUM. Moreover, practising Bhramari Pranayama helps you with blocking out all types of distractions that soothe out your central nervous system.
Udgeeth Pranayama
You can also call it a Chanting Breath. Usually, the OM mantra is chanted while practising this Pranayama technique. So, it helps in the removal of any negative thoughts or emotions from your mind. Moreover, when you chant mantras while breathing in and out, it improves the functioning of your lungs.
Kapalabhati Pranayama
You can also call it Skull Shining Breath or Breath of Fire. Make sure you practice this Pranayama type only after you have successfully mastered the above-mentioned Pranayama types. This type of breathing exercise is useful in cleansing the nasal passage. Hence, it boosts your Prana shakti in no time.
Bhastrika Pranayama
Also known as Bellow breathing, Bhastrika Pranayama is an intense form of breathing exercise that you should practice under the guidance of a trained professional. It has a particular type of sequence that you have to follow to get the most out of this breathing exercise. You can learn this at a YTT 500 hours course to master it easily.
Shitali Pranayama
It is also called Cooling breathing. As clear from the name itself, it should be practised at the end of each yoga practice session. This helps in cooling down the heated body mechanisms when you breathe out air through a curled tongue.
In a Nutshell
The above-mentioned Pranayama types are just a few out of the infinite available. Moreover, when you join a yoga course to master Bhastrika or any other Pranayama course, make sure you check the Yoga Alliance certification cost.
This is going to save you a lot of money, time, and effort. Be consistent with your Pranayama practice and always include it in your yoga practice. This way, you work on the physical as well as mental dimensions of your being.
