If you’ve ever attended a yoga class, you’ve definitely heard of the word Pranayama. Let’s break that down for a second, Prana – means life energy and “yama” means control in Sanskrit.
In yoga, Pranayama is used for effectively holding asanas (physical postures) and dhyana (meditation). But the benefits of Pranayama stretch beyond just yoga. This is due to the therapeutic effects of breathing on our overall wellness and mindfulness. Pranayama essentially connects your body and mind, but note that it is not just your regular breathing, it is a technique in which you control the timing, duration and the frequency of every breath and hold.
It’s interesting to note that while you’re working on the breath, your body is reaping its benefits with ample oxygen supply, all while getting rid of toxins. Are you intrigued to try this out for yourself? Well, lets seal the deal then with these amazing science-backed benefits of Pranayama, some of which may surprise you!
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Decreases Stress
According to scientists and doctors pranayama calms the nervous system, which improves your stress response.
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Improves Quality of Sleep
A clinical study showed that a technique known as Bhramari pranayama was shown to slow down breathing and heart rate when practiced for 5 minutes. This may help calm your body, just what you need for a good nights rest.
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Increases Mindfulness
Research shows that pranayama helps remove carbon dioxide and raises oxygen levels, which fuels brain cells aiding in mindfulness(a practice focusing on the present moment rather than the past or future) thus improving focus and concentration.
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Helps Lower Blood Pressure
In a 2014 research study, participants with mild hypertension received antihypertensive drugs for 6 weeks, along with this half the participants also received pranayama training for the duration. By the end of the study, the latter group experienced a greater reduction in blood pressure. At Syncremedies we truly believe in the power of holistic healing.
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Improves Lung Function
With the world grappling with a deadly virus that gravely affects the lungs, we can all tap into this ancient breathing technique as a strengthening tool. It’s known that consistent practice of Pranayama helps with recovery from Tuberculosis and Asthma.
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Reduces Cigarette Cravings
A 2012 study found that just 10 minutes of yogic breathing showed a short-term reduction in cigarette cravings.While there are tons of videos out there to learn this breathing technique and the fact that there are several different Pranayama methods in itself, we suggest you start off with the basics and develop a consistent practice to truly see a mind-body difference.
Namaste.
