Pranayama Benefits

As I said before, learning, controlling, and attaining a conscience of how and the way we breathe, held the power to heal and generate well-being in our body, mind, and spirit.

With regular practice of pranayama, you will promote several benefits to your life.

Increases life span

The way we breathe plays an essential role in order to achieve good performance of the body and mind. When we learn to control and regulate the way we breathe, an improvement in general health occurs, due to the fact that the breathing techniques reduce the noxious effects of the toxins in our body and also help to relieve stress and anxiety. But please bare in mind that you will only attain and feel these benefits if you practice pranayama on a regular basis.

Relieves stress

​The daily frantic, the accumulation of problems, the lack of time and so many others challenges in our daily lives, enlarge fatigue, increase stress and anxiety, creating huge problems for our physical and mental health. If we look through a scientific point of view, the only responsible for the way we react and respond to all daily life crises is the Autonomic nervous system (ANS) – a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, and there are some books that also include a third branch – the enteric nervous system.

• The sympathetic nervous system

This system is known as the “fight or flight response” having as a primary function the stimulation of the body, functioning as a physiological response. The main location of sympathetic nerve fibers resides mainly in the abdominal area, reaching out through the two locations of the spinal column – lumbar and thoracic vertebrae.

• The parasympathetic nervous system

Known as the “rest and digest” response or “feed and breed” system, stimulates everything related to relaxing. This system is responsible for sexual arousal, urination, and digestion, among others, and is the part we try to access during yoga practice. The main location of parasympathetic nerve fibers resides in two locations – the cranial and the sacral spinal cord. The most important element of this system is the Vagus nerve due to fact that if we stimulate this nerve we will counteract the sympathetic nervous system. This nerve reduces our heart rate and blood pressure and once stimulated releases anti-stress hormones. This nerve is part of the ANS and we can only indirectly stimulate this nerve.

In many cases, both of these systems have “opposite” actions where one system activates a physiological response and the other inhibits it. Unfortunately nowadays, with our style of life, we live filled with stress and pressuring activities/situations, instead of using and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, we are constantly overstimulating the sympathetic nervous system. So this is why the regular and consistent practice of the breathing technique – pranayama, is so handy and important, hence the fact that they increase the parasympathetic activity that allows us to relax, restructuring the ANS and balancing the two nervous systems, in conclusion, a more relaxed, calm, happy and healthy person.

Relieves Depression	As I previously said, the pranayama exercises reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue, cleaning all the internal systems, and therefore, obtaining a healthier mind and body, relieving mild depression.
A stable and controlled mind	​Pranayama teaches us how to master and discipline the mind, preparing it for meditation along with a conscience of breathing, being, therefore, an important tool for meditation. The regular practice of yoga and pranayama will help you to improve your concentration, and recent and remote memory, besides strengthening your willpower. All of this is because pranayama increases the oxygen supply to the body, which includes the brain. It relieves distress, calming the mind to function optimally. The deep breaths will ensure that every cell in the brain has enough oxygen. You will feel the effects of pranayama immediately, as you feel a deep sense of peace and rejuvenation in your mind immediately after doing it.
Improves digestion	Specific pranayamas change the pressure in the thorax and abdomen, as well as the normal actions of the respiratory pump where a reduction in abdominal and thoracic pressure causes inhalation and an increase in pressure causes exhalation. This movement up and down, massages the internal organs located in the abdomen, as they move in a gentle and soft way and slide into each other. To avoid pressing and squeezing the abdomen it is important to sit in an upright position with a straight spine and neck. This will allow you to access the upper and lower parts of the diaphragm during the breath-control exercises.
Improves the lymphatic system	The immune and lymphatic systems are very closely related to the organ systems. They both share several organs and physiological functions. The immune system is our body’s defense against infection. The immune system works to keep these harmful agents out of the body. The lymphatic system is a network of lymphatic vessels, responsible for the flow of lymph fluid (the container of white cells in the blood that flow in our body and that can pick up unhealthy bacteria where it’s destroyed by lymphocytes). The main function of this system is to retrieve proteins and nutrients that have escaped from cells. And return it to the bloodstream. If the lymphatic system is not working in a proper way, these toxins and wastes are going to accumulate In our body, bringing a sensation of swelling, bloating, and heavy body, preventing the effective functioning of the immune system. Thus, as with the asanas (yoga postures), inversions, and twists, the pranayama will promote movements in the internal organs, acting as a pump to the lymphatic system, draining and cleaning it of toxins and consequently preventing the disruption of the flow.
Supports Cardiovascular Health	​Because pranayama is useful for dealing with the effects of stress, such as by normalizing blood pressure levels/reducing hypertension, studies have shown that slow pranayama practice is beneficial for cardiovascular functions. Both fast and slow pranayama practices have been found to produce different physiological responses; slow, deep breathing seems to be most beneficial for heart health and improving perceived stress. One study carried out by the Departments of Physiology and Advanced Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research found that when participants underwent slow pranayama training for 30 min, three times a week for the duration of 12 weeks they experienced significant improvements in perceived stress, heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.
Cleans the lungs	Due to the fact pranayama empties completely the lower part of the lungs, purification and cleansing of this organ occur.
​ Beautiful skin	​When we practice breath-control exercises, breathing becomes more efficient. This will give the body and extra pump of oxygen, aiding in removing toxins and consequently giving us the benefit of more beautiful, healthier, and shining skin.

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