We breathe all day long. But how often do you notice the way you breathe? Is your breath deep and long or shallow and short, even labored? Do you breathe through the nose or the mouth? Does it change depending on your emotions and mood?
We charge our cell phones every night, but how do you recharge your mind and body? The secret may be in your breath. No wonder, TIME Health says, "This (breathing right) is the fastest way to calm down."
“No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly.
There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences." - James Nastor, Author, New York Times bestseller Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word to describe yoga breathing exercises. These breathing techniques train us to breathe in the correct way so we can use our lungs in full capacity. They have the ability to improve our energy, our mental clarity, and our physical health. They also help with reducing stress and anxiety in a quick way.
Here is a beginner’s guide to pranayama. It will help you get started with some basic pranayama practices. Pranayama breathing is fast becoming a leading edge in mind-body wellness. More recently the term ‘breathwork’ is being introduced to describe these breathing exercises. What ancient yogis said thousands of years ago, modern science has started now backing up these practices.
The Art of Living specializes in teaching breathing exercises in a simple and authentic manner. In these courses, you will learn Alternate Nostril Breathing, Victory Breathing, and some others as well. You will also learn a powerful and transformative SKY Breath Meditation. It is also popular with its Sanskrit name Sudarshan Kriya®.
