(First published 21/3/2008)

In the first chapter of Inside Yoga I have introduced the first three parts in the eight limbs of hatha yoga: yama, niyama, and asana.

There is a thread that connects the various aspects of yoga and that is the breath. Breathing is essential to life – it feeds us and sustains us. And in yoga, as mentioned in previous chapters, the breath is an important link between the mind and the body. But more than that, it’s a vehicle that helps carry the yoga practitioner into a much deeper level of yoga practice.

The fourth limb of hatha yoga is pranayama. Iyengar defines pranayama as “regulation of energy and life force through rhythmic control of breath.”

While Desikachar explains that the word pranayama consists of two parts: prana and ayama. Ayama means “stretch” or “extend” and describes the action of pranayama. Prana refers to “that which is infinitely everywhere”. He adds that, with reference to us humans prana can be described as something that flows continuously from somewhere inside us, filling us and keeping us alive: it is vitality.

Prana is generated in at the core of our body and radiates out through the whole body, down to your finger tip. It is also within all living things, flora and fauna. And according to some sources, it’s within the earth, rocks and everything around us that we would regard as inert.

In general terms, prana is more than the breath, but it’s within the breath. And as the breath is essential to us it’s the most suitable vehicle to help us guide and control the flow of prana and its levels within us.

In yogic terms, if your prana is flowing healthily and is at optimum levels, then your health will be good, as will your ability to have a “clear head”. Pranayama appears subtle when practised, and you might wonder how simply regulating your breath can make such a difference, but pranayama is a very potent and powerful aspect of yoga.

Practitioners of pranayama notice that their general state of health improves and their levels of vitality are higher. When I did retreats with my teacher we practised pranayama daily for several hours and many of us noticed that as the days passed our energy levels rose and our need for sleep reduced. All in all, we felt great.

In the next chapter I will explain more about pranayama.

To be continued….