Pranayama: Need for Breath Control Exercises

Breathing is the only major operation over which every human being has some conscious control. Other important operations like the heart-beat or digestion are beyond the control of most persons. If we define a single breath as made of one inhalation (taking in air) and exhalation (letting out air), a person takes 13 to 15 breaths per minute on an average; the total number of breaths per day ranges roughly from 18,720 to 21,600.

Persons brainwashed by the power of allopathic medicines generally believe that our breathing process has no effect on our general health. However there are widespread respiratory diseases like Asthma which cannot be cured by allopathic medicines and the suggested palliatives like inhalers can only give temporary relief; moreover these medicines have
dangerous side-effects unknown to most users.

Diseases like these are often caused by wrong breathing habits and other factors like diet. Persons have been able to overcome such diseases successfully using the methods of breath control, pranayama and posture (asana). Experts like Swarm Rama have shown that the irregular breathing done at night during sleep causes many heart diseases. Learning to breathe correctly during waking state ensures that one breathes in a healthy way during sleep also.

There are three broad categories of benefits obtained by doing the breathing exercises and their associated postures (asanas) systematically and regularly spending at least twenty to thirty minutes per day.

First of all, you can be in reasonable health by doing the asanas and pranayama suited to your body and mental constitution.

Secondly, if one is prey to certain diseases because of old age or excess work or emotional problems or worry, he/she can handle these diseases by the appropriate asanas and pranayama

The third benefit is most interesting. All of us get fatigued after doing a certain amount of work. Again some complain that they feel tired even after getting up from sleep. Of course some others work systematically over a long time without any fatigue. What is their secret?

The theory of asanas and pranayamas oifers clues for getting good, restful sleep and for delaying the onset of fatigue so that one can work productively over longer period of time. It is claimed by experts that sleep performed according to special procedures called yogic-sleep or yoga nidra for forty minutes can be more restful than the ordinary sleep done for three hours per day.

All the breathing methods and asanas mentioned here can be done by both men and women.

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