If you have a regular physical yoga practice you will have noticed your body feeling stronger and more open from the energy and effort you have put in. So now the next step in deepening your practice is to introduce pranayama.
What is Pranayama?
Pranayama techniques are simply breathing exercises. Yet they are extremely powerful: they clear the physical and emotional obstacles we all carry in our bodies, freeing our breath and so the flow of prana – life energy.
Benefits of practicing pranayama
The benefits of practising pranayama are incredibly strong, you have to feel them for yourself! Different techniques create different effects, but they will all leave you feeling much stronger, healthier and energetic. Pranayama will also relax and heal the body, calming the nervous system, allowing you to go deeper into meditation. By directing prana to specific areas in the body you will increase your inner awareness. You may discover where your physical and energetic blocks lie and maybe stir up things you have held on to, so they can be released.
You will also notice that pranayama can serve you in your daily life off the mat. Your awareness of the unconscious breathing patterns that occur through the day will increase. Especially those that come up when you are tired, stressed, anxious or angry. When you learn pranayama techniques you will find you have the tools to calm and energize yourself through your breath.
Ten days of Pranayma guided online programme
Try our Ten Days of Pranayama programme.where we will introduce a new pranayama technique each day:
- Ujjayi Breathing
- Nadi Shodhana
- Nauli
- Fire Breath
- Kapalabhati
- Bhastrika
- Samavritti
- Bhramari
- Sitali
- Sitkari
We will explain each one of these in more depth later. You will have the choice to practise each pranayama on its own, combine them as the days go on or incorporate the pranayama into your existing yoga practice.
By the end of the ten days you will get a sense of the benefits a regular pranayama practice will bring to your life. Your practice will deepen and you will have the tools to incorporate pranayama into your regular yoga practice.
Join in the programme (free for EkhartYoga members) and discover what lies beyond the challenge of the asanas.
