If you have studied the Yoga Sutras, you will probably know that progress along the yoga path has a step-by-step flow. The work starts with Yama and Niyama, which is basically the refinement of your behavior and personal decisions. The practice then progresses into Asana: the practice of physical postures that stretch and strengthen the body while improving health and the flow of energy.

If you investigate the nature of life (at least according to the yoga perspective), all that we are and all that we experience is based on the quality and movement of prana. Prana is the name for the vital life force that animates all beings. We exist because of prana, we feel because of prana, our health depends on prana, our minds function because of prana, etc. Without prana we are nothing, because we cannot exist without it.

Knowing this, the yogis and Tantrics focused their efforts on the refining and expanding of their personal prana. They knew that changing the prana will have a deep influence on the quality of life and consciousness. Working directly with prana goes to the source and cause of life itself. There is no more effective way to influence your personal reality than by changing the prana.

The most effective way to access the prana is through the breath. How we breathe affects every part of our complex being, from physical health to energy, mental function to emotion and even consciousness. The quality of our breath affects the quality of our prana, which in turn influences the functioning body, energy, mind and emotions. The yogis, being deeply concerned about the quality of their being on every level, created a system that can positively influence the prana in a person. This system is called Pranayama.

The most basic problem that most people have, when it comes to prana, is unsteadiness. This is generally due to the fact that people don’t breathe evenly or regularly. Most people’s breath changes often in depth and rhythm, thus affecting the quality of the prana within. As you breathe, so you become: if your breath is irregular, your prana will be irregular. This is deeply disturbing to the harmony of the body and mind.

The yogis’ cure for this is called Ujjayi breathing; Ujjayi is the cultivation of regular, steady and sustained breathing to smooth out the flow of prana. Ujjayi alone can be a very powerful transformative tool for health and energy, simply due to its stabilizing effect on the prana.

Once the prana is stabilized, the Pranayama practice starts to make deeper changes to the quantity and quality of our pranic flow by changing the way we breathe. This could include stimulating pranic flow through Kapalabatti (Breath of Fire), calming the prana through very slow breathing, or even stilling the breath (Kumbhaka) to induce meditation. The possibilities are nearly endless.

The techniques of Pranayama can be used for many different effects and intentions, depending on the person. If a person wants more accessible energy, the breath practice and be modified to encourage the accruing of prana. If a person is anxious and nervous, Pranayama practices can be created to balance and calm the prana. If deeper meditation is desired, special breath practices can be built to take the yogi there. Since prana is such a fundamental force within us, if we know how to wisely use it, we can more directly and effectively create the change we desire.

The trouble with most modern yoga is that teachers and students don’t understand the nature of the breath and how to use it. This is why we have created a special system called Swara Yoga, which teaches students how to access the breath, work with it and use it as their most powerful yogic tool. The system is both simple and profound. It is easy to learn but can take any student or teacher into the powerful world of prana, breath and consciousness. Join us on a Pranayama Teacher Training and upgrade your prana!

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Swarayogaacademy.com

Om Shanti