Pranayama (प्राणायाम) — "extension/expansion of prana" (from prana = life force + ayama = expansion) — is the practice of breath control in yoga. It is the fourth limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga (after yama, niyama, asana) and is essential for preparing the body and mind for meditation. Pranayama involves conscious regulation of the breath — inhalation (puraka), exhalation (rechaka), and breath retention (kumbhaka). The practice is said to: - Increase vitality - Calm the nervous system
Practices