by Aparna Mukhedkar

Created on: March 04, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

Pranayama

Pranayama is one of the most powerful among all the other yogic genres. Prana' means breathe or vital energy in the body while' yama' denotes control of that breathe. Pranayama means the control of your breathe.

It is a fact that not all of us breathe in the correct way. The daily grind and stresses of our lives compound the problem further. Small wonder then that we find the world is beset with physical and mental diseases like depression, obesity, diabetes, heart trouble, cancer etc. Imagine if you could prevent and cure some of these debilitating illnesses by practicing Pranayma every day? Isn't being healthy with a strong body, sharp mind and a vibrant spirit our birthright? I believe it to be so and I stand in testimony to the fact that Pranayama is a life-giving, life altering and the most effective forms of yoga I have ever practiced thus far.

Pranayama was first mentioned in the yogic texts written by the great sage, Maharishi Patanjali. He wrote extensively about Pranayama as a means of attaining a higher state of awareness and consciousness. It is the fourth step in the Patanjali form of yoga. It is preceded by asanas which are similar to those practiced in the ashtanga yoga form and followed by a multitude of breathing exercises. Since, we cannot perform all of them, Swami Ramdev Maharaj who has popularized Pranayama around the world focuses on seven important ones. I will delineate some of the benefits of practicing these breathing exercises after a few words about Swami Ramdev Maharaj.

As a child, Ramdev Maharaj suffered from bronchitis and his mother was informed by the doctors that he would not be cured of the problem and would likely die from the disease. As a mother, she pursued every avenue possible to save her son from imminent death. One option was to send him to an ashram in the Himalayas where Swami Ramdev learned about yoga. Not only did swami Ramdev survive his illness, he descended from the Himalayas and has created a revolution of sorts by helping millions bring about a divine transformation of body, mind and spirit. His simple, down-to-earth manner of speech coupled with an aura of dynamism has helped in the onset and prevention of incurable diseases and has alleviated many who were suffering from pain and illnesses. He works with a team of doctors at the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust in Hrishikesh, India and has since set up centers all over the world. Last year, he visited Houston, TX the seat of the medical industry to lay the

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