Yoga: What is Pranayama

By regulating your breathing, you can control your mental attitude.

the emotional state of an individual changes the patterns of breath, so if ones emotions are connected and reflected into ones breathing, what happens if someone controls the breathing?

as one of the only organs that is connected to the peripheral and somatic nervous system, we know that stress and emotions affect our breathing, but what happens if we turn it around. Well we are able to control our emotional state. Follow up on this one.

During my peak point in my fitness career, achieving a well balanced physique and working on my career as a fitness guru I developed cancer. A journey that would be prolonged by misdiagnosis, leading to spreading and a harsher treatment! It was within my treatment and negative state of mind that I found yoga. A disciplined way of life, way of thinking, way of breathing. A discovery that would save my life, changing the outcome and manifest itself within every aspect of my life.

2016 July 4th - July 30th I completed a 200hour Teacher Trainer Course in the birthplace of yoga (Rishikesh, located at the entry to Himalayas) I became a certificated yoga teacher and it was within this amazing challenge, journey and adventure that I would discover the true power of pranayama.
- As a bullet that precisely fits a tiny hole, yoga was attached to me and my personality.

So what is pranayama.
In its simplest translation: Prana means energy, yama controle og understandment.
It is a technique that is usually done in a seated position like the lotus or buddhasana. Having a complete strait spine, aligning the chakras and opening op the chest. Allowing air and energy to be absorbed and distributed with ease.

Pranayama are techniques done through breathing, it is mostly done through the nose, but the mouth can be used aswell. It often requires a mudra that alternates between closing the nostrils, resulting in different techniques for different purposes. One of the Pranayamas is the Nadi Shodhan.

An inhale through the right, and exhale through the left.
The technique involves different stages of holding between the inhales and exhales.

Inhale through the right (hold) Exhale through the left (hold) Inhale through the right (hold)

Eventually seconds are added into the inhales and the holds (5s inhale, 5s hold, 5s exhale, 5s hold)

With this technique one will achieve peace, warmth and relaxation. With prolonged seconds and time doing the pranayama, one will be able to funnel ones emotional state into relaxation and calmness! It is in this case that we through breathing, indirectly control our peripheral and somatic nervous system resulting in emotional control.

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In todays modern day life stress and depression have become everyday words. Millions of people are suffering within one of these two categories of unhappiness. It is often provoked by not listening and being true to ones nature (Becoming Human Again). Simply pushing away our true feelings of unhappiness and continuing the poise of mind, resulting in accumulated unhappiness in the very end. Aka Depression and Anxiety. It is within this state and these feelings that our breath changes, it becomes tight, fast and uncontrolled. It here by spirals our emotions into a deeper hole of WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH ME......

The cure for such a person is simply, but very hard... Breathing!
Trying to recovery our emotional state by controlling the different side of the table, resulting in recovery. It is within this controlled state that the self should understand and listen, change the circumstances and develop a lifestyle that is pleasant.
Happiness equals long and ease breaths
Disstress equals short and fast tense breaths.

Pranayama is a key ingredient within the yogic practice. It connects mind and body, and truthfully shows it through our breath! Not only is pranayama for relaxation, but different techniques can be used for different situations. Such as sleep, sport, aggressivty, expression and so on.

Pranayama is just as real as your breath, just as true as your emotion, and just as powerfull as your life.