Pranayama - An Introduction | Breathing Basics | Yoga With Aj

Pranayama - An Introduction | Breathing Basics | Yoga With Aj

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga

Today we are ready to practice our first

pranayama prana meaning energy and breath 

so the life force energy that is circulated through your bed and we'll be talking a little more about that a little later Yama is to regulate Pranayama

so you will be regulating the breath with some of with the pranayama which means to equalize the inhale and the exhale in any breath 

when you're usually breathing each breath will differ it will change a little from one to the other unless you're used to doing breathing exercises which regulate the breath

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga

 so this plan I am is going to help 

you breathe deeper it's going to help 

you breathe longer and the advantage of that is 

when you breathe deeper the lungs can have a better gaseous exchange between the circulating blood which means 

you can take in more oxygen and you can release more toxins from your body which leads to clearer thinking and an energized stronger body 

so let's get started with some of the tea but before that, I'd like you to be a little careful about where you're practicing and what you're wearing

so practice in a room which is well-ventilated clean no dust or insects and make sure that it's at an even temperature not too cold and not too warm make sure you're wearing clothing that does not restrict your breathing the movement of your abdomen and your chest and make sure 

you eat at least four hours before 

you start your pranayama practice which means that your food is still not digesting in your stomach because if that's happening and you're moving the stomach around that's not going to be very comfortable for you

 when you start to practice pranayama sometimes if you're not used to it 

you may feel a little dizzy or you may feel a little disoriented a little spaced out if that happens I'd like you to stop practicing and just take a big 

you shouldn't be feeling that but if it does happen to stop practicing you're planning on practice don't force the inhale and the exhale as we practice all right

 so enough said let's get started you can start in borås on big toes touching sitting back on your heels or if that doesn't feel good to 

you can cross your legs in Tsukasa and if the knees get a little uncomfortable you're sitting for a longer the period where 

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga we will be sitting for five to seven minutes 

when you sit on a cushion or a rolled-up blanket which will relax your knees and take your hips a little lower than the knees if this also does not work for you what 

we are really looking for is a straight spine as you practice 

so you can sit in a chair which supports your lower back and helps your backstay straight or sit against a wall with your legs straight consider also on your bed just make sure you are in a place which doesn't distract 

you not too much noise nothing to take your mind away from your practice but if that still does happen and it does happen because the mind can get distracted as 

you practice just gently bring your awareness back to your practice 

so we're going to start out sitting hands resting palms facing up on the thighs and just absorb the breath 

so if you need to close your eyes for that close your eyes and observe how the breath is flowing in your body 

so as you inhale bring your attention to your chest allow the abdomen to expand slightly 

so let's take two more breaths with special attention on the inhale chest expanding stomach also expanding changing 

you and now I'd like 

you to bring your awareness to your exhaling breath for the muscles around and below the needle I'd like 

you to draw them in gently towards the spine don'

t grip them and do this as you are exhaling

so there's always going to be some air left in your lungs it can't expel all the air out but what the drawing in of the navel will do is help 

you to expel as much carbon dioxide as 

you can all the gases that you want to get rid of

so let's try that for three breaths take a nice deep breath in the draw the navel in as you exhale and two more times at your own pace all right 

so now ringing your awareness to the length of your inhale and your exit and let's try doing that at your own pace 

so you're going to start counting I can't do that for you you'll have to do that yourself as 

you close your eyes or keep your eyes open whatever feels comfortable mentally count one two three or as many counts it takes 

you to inhale observe that make a note of it and then do the same thing with your exhalation 

so try that for three breaths and see whether it varies don't try to change the count just observe the count

 so three breaths counting the inhale and the exit so you would have made a note whether your inhale is longer than your exhale and whether that changes whether it fluctuates from one bit to the other what 

we are going to try and do is make them equal and try and keep that regulated alright 

so you choose a ratio which works for 

you some people it might be three counts for others four five six or even longer seven or eight counts 

so we're going to have equal inhale equally exhale and 

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga we're going to do that five bits 

so you take your hands four-finger and the thumb touching where in chin mudra and let's get started at your own pace equal inhale equal exit

and relax for a moment 

so checking whether that felt good or did it feel difficult to equalize your in-breath and your outlet and what was your ideal ratio remembering that keeping it in mind and knowing that it may change from one day to another 

so as you observe the in and the out-breath 

you may have noticed or 

you may have not noticed that there usually is a small pause at the end of the inhale 

when it reaches maximum and a small cause towards the end of the exhale 

so we're going to try and pause for maybe just a second dip alright 

so you will inhale pause exhale and pause let's try that for three breaths once again Ginebra four fingers and thumbs touching relaxed shoulders straight back and make sure that 

you allow your stomach and your chest to expand as you inhale and gently allow them to relax as 

you exhale let's try it try that for three breaths all at the end of inhaling and then begin the exhale pause for a moment repeat 

you and relax a breath alright 

so you may have noticed 

when you pause that the mind tends to slow down and the thoughts become relaxed or they may become very slow or in some cases 

you may notice that there aren't any thoughts at all 

so let's bring our awareness to this action of the breath which is retention to hold the breath in the lungs 

we are going to do that very slowly just for five seconds 

so bringing your hand's chin mudra again four fingers and thumbs touching 

we are going to inhale a nice deep inhale just a regular inhale no need to count it and 

we will retain the breath for five seconds you can count four 

you can count five slow counts in your mind one two three four and five and once that's done slowly exhale with control let's try that together take a nice deep breath in retaining the breath one relaxed exhale see how 

you feel again this time let's try the retention with the eyes closed inhale deeply or the breath in your lungs for five seconds and say what your mind is doing if 

you had your eyes closed perhaps you're able to observe carefully as to what was going on with your mind and if 

you had your eyes open it doesn't matter 

you still can observe what happens and what is the connection between the breath and the mind 

so as a breath slows down the mind slows down and vice versa 

so we are going to try this one more time 

we will have equal Indian equal a exhale and retention for the same number of counts as well equal inhale retention exhale 

so you decide and 

you would have made a note how many counts it took 

you to inhale the last time we did this 

so take those number of counts to inhale hold your breath for the same number of counts and exhale using the same number of counts Anjali mudra let's try that once 

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga

Pranayama introduction breathing basics yoga  so for me, it's four counts 

so I take four counts two inhale hold my breath for four counts in the lungs and exhale taking four counts and relax 

so you want to allow your stomach and chest to expand but 

you don't want to take in 

so much oxygen 

so much air that 

you feel uncomfortable in your chest you should feel relaxed during the retention 

you shouldn't feel uncomfortable at any point if there is discomfort release the breath immediately we are going to try this for six rounds five to six rounds 

so equal inhale equal retention equal exhalation straighten up your spine hands engine mudra and begin 

when you're ready 

you if you feel like it you can also lie down and allow your body to rest completely or practice the pranayama in a prone position lying down on a mat or a bed and always practice in this order the way 

we did it first, just observe your breath see how the inhale and the exhale are flowing then 

we try to regulate and equalize the in-breath and the out-breath 

so we do that for maybe five breaths of equal inhalation equal exhalation pause relax then try the next stage 

so you do your inhale and exhale equalized with a little pause at the end five to ten breaths this way and rest again and at the very end 

you can try it with equal inhale equally retain and equal exhale

 so when you practicing you may observe that 

we paused with the breath retain as well as with the breath exhaled from the lungs we're not going to that long a pause with the breath exhale from the lungs because it can be a little difficult 

so the loop of the breath would be inhale retain exhale 

we're not causing after the exhale you can always do this lying down in the beginning 

when you're practicing postures it's very obvious the change in your body 

you fail your muscle working and over a period of days you feel different in your body but with pranayama practice with the breath work 

you need to be a little more patient and go by faith that yes it is benefiting me because you

 may not see the changes immediately but after a few weeks after a month 

you will observe that the breath changes you're able to regulate it and bring your conscious awareness to the breath and that one breath can make such a huge difference 

• when you're about to yell at someone 
• when you're really exhausted 
• when you reach 

the end of your patience just that one breath can make such a huge difference to the way you're thinking of the way of feeling and that control and ability to calm the breath and the mind through it there is no substitute for it you've been watching yoga with AJ I hope 

you enjoy practicing the

pranayama and see 

you in my next video remember to stay connected to yourself  

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