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We’ve all had someone tell us in moments of upset or panic to stop and take a deep breath. Breathing consciously or in a controlled manner is the heart of pranyama. Conscious breathing brings more oxygen into your blood, and in turn, to your brain. As a result, your nervous calms down and you feel less anxious and more energized.

Pranayama Basics
If you’ve ever taken an aerobics class or worked out with a personal trainer, you’ve been reminded to breathe while you’re exercising. Given that our bodies breathe whether we’re paying attention or not, it may seem like a silly instruction, but at different levels of exertion, many us of hold our breath whether we realize it or not.

The word pranayama breaks down into prana, which translates to life force energy, particularly in the breath and ayama which means restraint or control. The practice of pranayama then, is the practice of controlled, restrained breathing.

At its most basic level, controlled breathing involves consciously prolonging your inhalation and holding it briefly before exhalation. Most people tend to be shallow breathers, utilizing only the top two-thirds of the lungs.

With this pranayama technique, sometimes called long, deep breathing, you seek to fill your lungs all the way to the base and on the exhalation, empty them to the top near your collarbone area. Your goal is to maintain a regular, steady flow of breath from the beginning of each inhalation to the end of each exhalation.