Breathing Practices and Pranayama in Yoga
We will differentiate between Yogic Breathing and Pranayama, giving a breakdown of each fundamental Pranayama Practice with demonstrations & practices of each. We delve into what pranayama means, the benefits, history(going back to the Upanishad/Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Pradipika) & overview.
Preparation for meditation: In Yoga Meditation, breath training is essential preparation for deep meditation and samadhi, on the path to Self-Realization. Breath is the bridge between the body and the mind. When you regulate breath, the body and mind will follow.
Practices are known by different names: To avoid confusion, it is useful to note that the collective practice, of which breathing and pranayama practices are considered a part, may be known by different names when used by different modern teachers. This is particularly true with the practices dealing with the spinal energy and the vigorous practices. The breathing and pranayama practices may be known collectively, or considered to be part of pranayama alone, hatha Yoga, raja Yoga, kundalini Yoga, kriya Yoga, tantra, or simply Yoga.
It begins and ends with awareness: Breath awareness is so important that, in a sense, you can say that the whole science of breath begins with awareness, and ends with awareness. Everything else, in the middle, is preparation for awareness.
We will explore many pranayama practices and also Shamanic Breathwork.
