Pranayama is breath control. By actively observing the breath, it becomes smoother and more refined. With practice, a feeling of steadiness and ease develops.

Everyone knows how to breathe, that much is certain! But how often do you really think about breathing? Maybe you notice your breath after climbing a flight of stairs with an armload of groceries, or dashing to catch the bus, but what about when you’re sitting at a desk or standing in line at the store? By mentally shifting awareness to your breathing cycle, you engage your entire body and become more present in the moment.

As a part of yoga practice, pranayama can inspire relaxation, a sense of time being slowed, and with practice, blissful sensations. From a comfortable seated position, find awareness in the breath with this exercise:

• Inhale normally.
• At the “top” of your inhale, hold your breath for a moment.
• Exhale normally.
• At the “bottom” of your exhale, hold your breath for a moment.

Repeat this process for two minutes. On each inhale, visualize the breath entering the body and ask yourself what it feels like. How does the air feel in your throat? Does your chest rise or puff out as your lungs fill? Do the muscles in your face react?

When you’ve filled your lungs, close off your throat to hold the breath. Observe how the held breath feels inside your body. Is your rib cage expanded? Do you feel tightness in your chest or throat?

Exhale and become aware of how your body reacts. Is your back arching as your lungs expel the air and your rib cage compresses?

When you’ve released all the air from the exhale, once again close your throat and turn your focus inward. What does your body feel like at the end of an exhale?

Now that you’ve linked your attention to breathing – SLOW DOWN.

Keep breathing in the same way, but find a slow rhythm and begin to follow it:

• Inhale for 4 seconds, counted silently: Think “IN-2-3-4”
• Hold the breath at the top for a 4 count: “HOLD-2-3-4”
• Exhale slowly using the 4 count: “OUT-2-3-4”
• Hold the breath at the bottom of the exhale: “HOLD-2-3-4”

Practice this method for at least two minutes at a time. Advance the sequence by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Continue to practice and lengthen the inhales, holds, and exhales to 8 seconds each.

The subject of pranayama is a very deep well that goes into sophisticated practices. When studied as part of a larger yoga journey, pranayama is essential for a yogi to achieve stillness of the mind, body and spirit. That stillness and calm is a key ingredient to the next element of yoga, pratyahara.