Why is Breath so Important in Yoga?

To put it quite simply, breathing keeps us alive, it’s a function that the body performs instinctively, yet in this discipline, we are encouraged to cultivate greater awareness for the system through breath-work. Why is that?

The practice of breath in yoga is known as Pranayama. Prana = life force & Yama = control, however Ayama can be translated as ‘to extend’, so some would consider it as the practice of breath control or the practice of extending the breath.

Yoga consolidates the practice of body, breath & mind through Asana, Pranayama & Meditation. Yet what I find oddest is the amount of yoga teachers who turn to a completely different method for their breath practice. Pranayama has not only existed for longer, the range of techniques is extensive & each one offers a different type of support; naturally there’s one that complement Asana practices.

In yoga therapy, we study a person’s breath to evaluate how it’s affecting his/her Prana Vayus, which would be the ‘currents’ of life force energy that run throughout our bodies.

Prana Vayus
There are 5 x Vayus, with each one governing an area of the body whilst maintaining a specific set of functions -

• Prana Vayu - Supports inhalation & operates from the chest area, the vayu moving inward & upwards, gives vitality.
• Apana Vayu - Supports exhalation & operates from navel down, vayu moving downwards & out, which helps with elimination.
• Samana Vayu - Supported by a balance of inhale & exhale, operates in solar plexus area & vayu moves horizontally & centripetal inwards, helps digestion.
• Udana Vayu - Assists exhalation & governs throat region & above, vayu moves upward & supports expression
• Vyana Vayu - Pervades the entire body & supports the smooth circulation of vayu throughout, hence it moves from centre out to periphery