Pranayama: How Breathing Exercises help the Body Combat Ageing
- Aryan Sharma
- Sep 20, 2021
- 5 min read
Pranayama is the practice of breath regulation. It is a main component of yoga, an exercise for physical and mental wellness. In Sanskrit, “prana” means life energy and “yama” means control. The practice of pranayama involves breathing exercises and patterns. Its practice involves patterns and breathing exercises, you purposely inhale, exhale, and hold your breath in a specific sequence.
Mastering proper breath control lets us extend our physical well-being and is a powerful tool against aging. Deep breathing slows down the heart rate and relaxes the nervous system, fighting the stress hormones that are released into our bodies on a daily basis because of our fast-paced and busy lives. Increased oxygen levels that come with deep breathing also restores vitality to our facial features, translating to rosier, more supple and radiant skin.
Pranayama breathing also strains our muscles and helps to restore the inner balance. Employing breathwork can directly transform the face by improving tone, adding color and increasing vitality to the skin. It also helps cells to revitalize more efficiently.
There are two totally different ideologies regarding how pranayama works. They are:
Spiritual Theory: Prana is the vital life force that acts as a catalyst in all our activities and Ayama the expansion or control of this force. Prana is the link between the astral and the physical bodies. Death takes place when the prana that is working in the physical body is withdrawn in the astral body. Breath is the external manifestation of prana, the vital force.
Pranayama is the Yogic science of using the breath for health of body and mind. By exercising control over the gross breath, you can control the subtle Prana inside. The aim of pranayama is the control of prana. If you can control prana, you can completely control all the forces of the universe, mental and physical. Gurus of Vedic times placed great importance on Pranayama and advocated its practice in order to unleash the hidden potential energy known as the Kundalini Shakti.
“The Yogi, using the method of pranayama, is able to absorb the energy from the infinite mass that exists behind, uses this energy for his quick spiritual growth, and within a short time is able to reach the highest perfection.” Said Swami Vishnu-Devananda in “Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga”
The practice of Yoga as written by Maharishi Patanjali places Pranayama as the fourth limb or Anga of Ashtanga Yoga. He puts it above the Yama-Niyama and Asana and says that one must practice the Yama-Niyama and try to master Asana in order to be able to practice Pranayama. He defines Pranayama as ‘The regulation of the movements of inhalation and exhalation’. He also states that by the practice of Pranayama, the darkness that hides the light of wisdom is destroyed.
Scientific Explanation: When you breathe, you take in oxygen and oxygen is something which is a must for survival. However, it comes with a cost at the same time; oxygen causes cell aging.
Every cell in our body needs oxygen to survive, being deprived of oxygen for only a few minutes may cause irreversible damage and even cell death. At the same time some forms of oxygen are toxic to cells and might produce a significant amount of the cellular injury associated with aging. This division between the productions of life saving energy or life-threatening damage depends on how our cells react with oxygen.
Mitochondria are microscopic power plants in the cell that burn oxygen and fats or sugar to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which functions like a chemical storage battery to supply energy for most cellular activities.
Mitochondria fuses oxygen with two hydrogen atoms to form water during this chemical reaction. While the usage of oxygen is tightly controlled, one side effect may be the production of toxic oxygen pollutants. It is a free radical molecule that has lost an electron from one or more of its atoms. Electrons are much more stable in pairs so the unstable oxygen free radical (with only one electron) steals an electron from any nearby source to reunite the pair (into O2). This creates another unstable molecule (the one victimized by the oxygen free radical) that then joins with other molecules in a chemical chain reaction called oxidation. One example of oxidation is rusting. While controlled oxidation can be helpful in maintaining health, it can easily spiral out of control and turn hazardous.
Pranayama also has other health benefits, some more useful than the others:
1. Decreases stress
In a 2013 study, pranayama reduced perceived stress levels in healthy young adults. The researchers speculated that pranayama calms the nervous system, which improves your stress response.
2. Improves sleep quality
In clinical studies, a technique known as Bhramari pranayama was shown to slow down breathing and heart rate when practiced for 5 minutes. This may help calm your body for sleep.
3. Increases mindfulness
In a 2017 study, students who practiced pranayama displayed higher levels of mindfulness than those who didn’t. The same students also showed better levels of emotional regulation. This was associated with the calming effect of pranayama, which supports your ability to be more mindful.
4. Reduces high blood pressure
In a 2014 study, participants with mild hypertension received antihypertensive drugs for 6 weeks. Half the participants also received pranayama training for 6 weeks. By the end of the study, the latter group experienced a greater reduction in blood pressure than the former.
5. Improves lung function
One 2019 study determined that 6 weeks of practicing pranayama for 1 hour a day could have a significant effect on lung function. The practice improved multiple parameters of lung function, according to pulmonary test results.
6. Enhances cognitive performance
A 2013 study found that 12 weeks of slow or fast pranayama improved executive function which includes your working memory, cognitive flexibility, and reasoning skills.
7. Reduces cigarette cravings
In a 2012 study, just 10 minutes of yogic breathing caused a short-term reduction in cigarette cravings.
Pranayama, or breath control, is a main component of yoga. It’s frequently practiced with yoga postures and meditation.
The main objective of pranayama is to strengthen the connection between the body and mind. According to researchers, pranayama can promote relaxation and mindfulness. It’s also proven to support multiple aspects of physical health, including blood pressure, lung function, and brain function.
If you haven’t practiced pranayama before, you may want to join a yoga class or find a teacher who can teach the proper technique for these breathing exercises.
Sources:
Beri Km (2016). Breathing to Younger Skin: Reversing the Molecular Mechanism of Skin Aging with Yoga. Future Science OA, 2 (2), FSO122. https://doi.org/10.4155/fsoa-2016-0015
European Respiratory Journal (2019). https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA577
Goyal, R., Lata, H., Walia, L., et.al.,. (2014). Effect of Pranayama on Rate Pressure Product in Mild Hypertensives. International Journal of Applied & Basic Medical Research, 4(2), 67–71. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-516X.136776
O Jonathan. 6 Best Pranayama Exercise for Youthful and Healthy Skin
Self-Care for Mom, (2020). Can Pranayama (Yoga Breathing) Help You Live Longer?
Shahab, L., Sarkar, B.K. & West, R. The Acute Effects of Yogic Breathing Exercises on Craving and Withdrawal Symptoms in Abstaining Smokers. Psychopharmacology 225, 875–882 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2876-9
Shankarappa V. et.al., (2012). The Short Term Effect of Pranayama on the Lung Parameters https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/1861/6%20-%203476.(A).pdf
Sharma, V. K., M, R., S, V., Subramanian, S. K., Bhavanani, et.al,. (2014). Effect of Fast and Slow Pranayama Practice on Cognitive Functions in Healthy Volunteers. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR, 8(1), 10–13. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/7256.3668
Sharma, V. K., Trakroo, M., Subramaniam, V., et.al,. (2013). Effect of Fast and Slow Pranayama on Perceived Stress and Cardiovascular Parameters in Young Health-Care Students. International Journal of Yoga, 6(2), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.113400
Shastri, V. V., Hankey, A., Sharma, et.al,. (2017). Investigation of Yoga Pranayama and Vedic Mathematics on Mindfulness, Aggression and Emotion Regulation. International journal of yoga, 10(3), 138–144. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.213470
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