Is Pranayama the Same As Breathwork?

About 300 million people worldwide practice yoga. Yoga has been around since 2700 B.C. Studies show it has been known to help bring harmony between the mind and the body. Rina Deshpande says: Yoga, meaning “union” in Sanskrit, has many forms. But classically, it is an ancient Indian philosophy espousing an eight-limbed approach to conscious living. Speaking of which, check out our post on the history of breathwork.

Traditionally, there are eight limbs to yoga originating from the yoga Sutras, and asana is just one, albeit the most culturally appropriated and “popular” in the US. Pranayama yoga is another, and each practice has its own target focus. It is no secret that asana toga has been coopted by the wellness and fitness industry, but if you’re not aware of it, so has pranayama. Please take a look at the yoga Sutras to learn about the origins of pranayama.

In the US, many practices have been stolen and repurposed. It’s important we work towards decolonization and a big part of that is understanding, respecting, and honoring the roots of these traditions. While scientific validity is an important metric, it is not the only metric, and the purpose of these practices is as much spiritual as it is for health and wellness. You can absolutely practice one without the other, but they started as a union.

It's abhorrent to us to seem many practitioners of “breathwork” not honoring the rich history and tradition of pranayama, Qi Gong, and Tummo, which is where most of these practices have their roots. We hope that we can one day unite the scientific with the spiritual, but as long as the scientific is used as a weapon of white supremacy, the spiritual will continue to be erased.

Pranayama yoga and breathwork are both designed to help you focus on your breathing and help you learn the proper breathing techniques that best fit your needs in order to help improve your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health all in their own special way.

Here are a few questions most people ask before deciding to use pranayama yoga or breathwork on their new journey:

  1. What is pranayama yoga?

  2. What is breathwork?

  3. Is pranayama the same as breathwork?

What is pranayama yoga?

Pranayama is one of eight limbs of yoga and it is known as, ‘the practice of breath regulation’ designed to help improve mental and physical health. According to Web MD, “Pranayama is an ancient breath technique that originates from yogic practices in India.” Also known as the fourth anga of yoga, pranayama when broken down has two meanings. Prana which means breath, and ayama which means expansion, rising, and various other meanings as well. Why we quote WebMd here, is to show you that even these assholes can’t get it right.

There are three known phases of pranayama. Puraka (inhalation), Rechaka (exhalation), and Kumbhaka (retention). During the puraka phase the diaphragm is pushed down, and as each lung is filled with air you will then start to feel your body generate energy, also known as, ‘pure cosmic energy.’ During the rechaka phase you exhale smooth and steady air that has no benefits or quality to your body’s well being. Lastly, during the kumbhaka phase you practice retention— the state where there’s no inhalation or exhalation, you simply just hold your breath. This phase is known to help eliminate distractions.

The techniques learned while practicing pranayama are meant to prolong vital life force energy in the body through controlled breathing. There are many pranayama breathing techniques available, amongst the many the, here are five of them:

●     Ujjayi

●     Nadi Shodhana

●     Kapalabhati

●     Bhastrika

●     Bhramari

Ujjayi (victorious breath) is the process of closing your throat in order to slow down the amount of air that passes through your body. The sound is known to be soothing for most people who practice.

Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) is the process of inhaling and exhaling using the left nostril and then the right nostril. This practice is done to help balance out the emotional and logical sections of your brain allowing you to focus better.

Kapalabhati (skull shining breath) is the process of breathing in softly and exhaling with great force. This technique helps release all the toxins in your body.

Bhastrika (bellow’s breathing) is the process of breathing in and out aggressively as it is known to help increase energy levels.

Bhramari (humming bee breath) is the process of long and deep inhales followed by humming out your exhales. The humming sensation allows you to focus and calm the mind.

What is breathwork?

In many ways, breathwork can be said to be the descendant of pranayama yoga, and many practices pull directly from this lineage for good or ill.

Breathwork is the modern term used to describe a series of breathing techniques which are practiced in order to help regulate our nervous system that can influence one's mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual state. These techniques are said to help decrease stress levels that contribute to poor overall health.

Poor health due to stress can only get worse if you don’t treat the underlying cause. As hectic as life is under the imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, stress is almost as natural as the air we breathe in every single day, lmao. Why not learn to use the same breath to help heal our mind and body? Breathwork techniques help eliminate stress while helping eliminate the fight or flight response. Breathwork is meant to release all of the toxins from your body with each exhale and allow all of the necessary nutrients in with each inhale.

There are many different types of breathwork, and each technique is built around your specific needs. Whether it be to help with stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, high blood pressure, etc. Breathwork practices are designed to help you reach a relaxed state in order to better focus on your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Is pranayama the same as breathwork?

Many types of breathwork have roots in the yoga Suutras, Qi Gong, or Tummo.

Pranayama is one of the eight limbs of yoga, and is to be practiced with the other seen limbs. Pranayama can help improve sleep quality, mindfulness, and help clear the mind and improve focus, as well as deepen our spirituality.

Breathwork can also improve sleep quality, mindfulness, and help clear the mind and improve focus, and breathwork targets the physical, spiritual, and mental, and pranayama focuses more on energies within yourself and your, “vital energy,” “spiritual energy”, “your life force energy.” Pranayama is practiced to manifest the energies of the universe.

So, is pranayama the same as breathwork? Not quite. They share some of the same qualities within their techniques and practices but while they are both about regulated breathing, pranayama yoga has a deep and rich tradition and breathwork is more of a modern descendant. According to the energy body mind, “all pranayama is breathwork, but not all breathwork is pranayama.”

Check out our homepage to learn more about our breathwork training.

In conclusion

Finding the proper outlet that best fits your needs is easier than you think. Capitalism is the number one cause of mental, physical, and emotional health issues.

Breathwork and Pranayama techniques coincide in the sense of both being breathing techniques that are practiced in order to try and improve your mental and physical health. While breathwork is more modern, pranayama is tied to the other limbs of yoga. Both techniques have the potential to increase your lifespan and help decrease your stress levels allowing you to live a more enjoyable, clear, and focused life.

Whether you have health, mental, or spiritual issues, both techniques are highly beneficial. It is just a matter of which one works best for you and your specific needs and comfort.

SOURCES:

The New York Times

Web MD

energy body mind

Rina Deshpande

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