Muni Kishan Lal
What Is Pranayam?
Pranayam is the proper organizing and channelizing of breath. When breathing becomes balanced, harmonious and pure and inhalation equals exhalation it is Pranayam. In other words, organized expansion and control over prana is Pranayam. Pranayam energizes body and lays foundation for role of consciousness in our lives.
Pranayam helps to cleanse body, blood and nervous system. To generate heat and to keep body active and energetic, thousands of veins carry blood throughout body. Pranayam aids in getting rid of blood impurities and generates strength. Pranayam is not just practice of inhalation and exhalation but also a medium which can discipline mind and senses thus facilitating emergence of path to consciousness.
Outwardly Pranayam seems like inhalation, holding of breath and exhalation of breath but at a very subtle level the sense organs and mind are also influenced by this practice. The action and reaction of breathing causes chemical changes in human body system. This change initiates breakdown of old cells and production of new ones. Pranayam plays an important role in balancing this breaking and rebuilding process. Breathing is a natural process. But it has been noticed that excessive work load destroys this naturalness. Incorrect breathing leads to unnecessary stress and ill-health. Pranayam helps to rectify this fault thus making body, mind and consciousness healthy and wise.
Since our breathing is very shallow, a very small capacity of lungs is put to use during breathing. Complete inhalation and exhalation helps to expand lung area in use. The correct practice helps lungs absorb pure air. Deep and long exhalation pushes out most of impure air leading to health and robustness. Pranayam is also known to rouse dormant intellectual faculties and give body-shape and beauty.
Pranayam directly affects lungs. Lungs contain a web of sacs strung together. The function of these sacs is to fill themselves with air and release air. Inhalation expands lungs and exhalation contracts them. For an ordinary individual the normal number of inhalations and exhalations are 15-20 minute. This in and out of air forms basis of all activity and processes in body. It is this in and out again that help lungs purify blood keeping body disease-free.
The most important part of a pranayam is quantity of air inhaled and holding of breath. The longer and deeper breath, the more expansion of lungs and better is cleansing process of blood.
