Pranayama is the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga. Prana means vital force and Yama means control. Pranayama is about controlling and amplifying the vital force through the breath. Breathing is usually done unconsciously by the autonomic nervous system, but it can also be controlled intentionally. Breathing can be a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious. This is why natural breathing is used as the object of meditation. Furthermore, without breath, there is no life. Breathing is more important than you realize.

Furthermore, your mental state is shown in your breathing. Long breathing, short breathing, shallow breathing, deep breathing. All of these express our state of mind at that moment. Observing our breathing leads to knowing your own mind.

It is said that there are 72,000 nadis which are energy lines in the body, and three of them are considered important: sushumna, ida, and pingala. These three nadis connect the chakras, which are seven energy centers. Ida and pingala are located in a spiral around the sushumna, and they intersect on the chakras.

Ida: feminine, lunar, yin, static, regulating intuition, emotions, etc.

Pingala: masculine, solar, dynamic, role of supporting logical thinking, active behavior

Sushumna: when the intersecting ida and pingala are balanced, energy flows to sushumna, creating harmony in mind, body, and all, leading to blissful joy.

Next time I will show you how to practice pranayama.