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Yogic Deep Breathing
Many health care providers have addressed the importance of keeping the lungs healthy, especially during the pandemic. The classical practice of deergha swasam (deep, 3 part-breathing) is an ideal practice for its health—body/mind—and spiritual benefits. This...
Pranayama (Yoga Breathing) for Physical and Mental Health
Question: Can pranayama really help one’s physical and mental health? Swami Satchidananda: First of all, pranayama helps you to live! It helps you lead a full life. What you are living is not a complete life. You are only living 1/7th of your capacity but with...
Breath: The Subtle Connection
Often in life, we overlook the value of the simple and familiar: a kind word, a helping hand, a timely smile. Such everyday gestures impart meaning and a sense of connectedness as we wend our way through time and space. Similarly, the breath is our constant companion,...
The Breath of Life
Quite other than this physical sheath which consists of food and interior to it is the energy sheath that consists of breath. This is encased in the physical sheath and has the same form. The one is filed with the other. This first has the likeness of a human being,...
How I Built Up My Pranayama Practice
In this article, Swami Asokananda reflects upon the journey that took him from novice pranayama student to one of Integral Yoga’s master teachers. He shares the challenges and triumphs of having a regular pranayama practice, as well as the insights and wisdom he...
Pranayama: Unique Gift of the Yogic Tradition
Gary Kraftsow asserts that pranayama is among the most uniquely potent parts of Yoga practice. He explains that there’s no other tradition that has the sophistication of the yogic science of breath. In this article, he eloquently explains the ways you can use...
Swami Sivananda’s “Science of Pranayama”
Written in 1935, Sri Swami Sivananda’s book, classic book, The Science of Pranayama, is available for free download as a PDF and it is also available in hard copy from Integral Yoga Distribution or from the Divine Life Society of Rishikesh who generously has made the...
Integral Yoga Pranayama: Practice Guidelines
Recommended Seated Postures Any sitting posture may be used for performing pranayama as long as the spine is erect and the hands rest on the knees. However, it is optimal if one of the meditation postures is assumed. The main meditative poses are Padmaasana (Lotus...
Pranayama: Its Therapeutic & Spiritual Potential
Introduction The 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. In the Prasnopanishad we find the following statement: “All that exists in all the...
Breath: The Sacred Bridge
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” ~Thich Nhat Hahn Vera was shocked when her boyfriend told her he wouldn’t ask her out again because she always agreed with him. He said she never had any ideas of...