Knowra Pranayama Pranayama Pranayama is the regulation of breathing through deliberate techniques practiced in yoga. Its methods shape breath’s pace, depth, pauses, or nostril flow.
Ujjayi : A pranayama technique that gently constricts the throat to produce a soft sound during breathing. Its audible, controlled airflow is a distinctive way to regulate each breath.
Prana : A concept in Indian traditions describing vital breath, energy, or life force. Pranayama takes its name and traditional rationale from this concept.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali : A foundational text of classical yoga, traditionally attributed to the sage Patanjali. It describes pranayama as the fourth limb and outlines its role in yoga.
Meditation : A family of practices that train attention, awareness, or emotional regulation. Breath regulation can steady attention and serve as preparation for meditation.
Qigong : A Chinese system of practices combining movement, breathing, and focused attention. It also coordinates breath and attention, but comes from a distinct Chinese tradition.
Nadi Shodhana : A pranayama technique that alternates breathing through the left and right nostrils. Alternating nostrils makes airflow sequence itself the central control.
Yoga : A family of Indian disciplines involving physical, mental, and contemplative practices. Pranayama is practiced within yoga and is classically treated as one of its limbs.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika : A fifteenth-century Sanskrit manual of hatha yoga practices. It details multiple breath-control techniques and their place in hatha yoga.
Autonomic nervous system : The nervous system that regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate and digestion. Slow breathing can influence autonomic activity, though effects vary by technique and person.
Tummo : A Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice involving visualization and specialized breathing techniques. Its ritual and contemplative framework differs from pranayama’s varied yoga lineages.
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