Pranayama Exercises

Prāṇāyāma (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prāṇa or breath" or, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prana, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "ayāma", to extend or draw out. (Not 'restrain, or control' as is often translated from 'yam' instead of 'ayāma'). The origin of this yogic discipline lies in ancient Bharat (India) and what is known as present day Hinduism.

This app gives you full instructions of various exercises as taught by the ancient Hatha Yogis.

This app is not designed to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or ailment. All claims of health benefits are subjective and all practitioners are encouraged to seek professional medical advise for any health problems.

V. S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for the word prāṇa (Devanagari: प्राण, prāṇa) including these:

Breath, respiration
The breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of)
Energy, vigor

The spirit or soul

Pran

Pran is a subtle invisible force (high valence ion charged oxygenated air air) - is the life-force that pervades the body. It is the factor that connects the body and the mind, because it is connected on one side with the body and on the other side with the mind. It is the connecting link between the body and the mind. The body and the mind have no direct connection. They are connected through Pran only.

- Swami Chidananda Saraswati

Yog

Yog primarily works with the energy in the body through the science of pranayam or energy-control. Pran also means ‘breath.’ Yog teaches how to still the mind through breath-control and attain higher states of awareness. The higher teachings of yog take one beyond techniques and show the yogi or yog practitioner how to direct his concentration in such a way as not only to harmonize human with divine consciousness, but to merge his consciousness in the Infinite.

- Paramahansa Yogananda

Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used by Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing with prāṇāyāma. Thomas McEvilley translates prāṇ as "spirit-energy". Its most subtle material form is the breath, but is also to be found in blood, and its most concentrated form is semen in men and vaginal fluid in women.

Monier-Williams defines the compound prāṇāyāma as "(m., also pl.) N. of the three 'breath-exercises' performed during Saṃdhyā (See pūrak, rechak (English: retch or throw out), kumbhak". This technical definition refers to a particular system of breath control with three processes as explained by Bhattacharyya: pūrak (to take the breath inside), kumbhak (to retain it), and rechak (to discharge it). There are also other processes of prāṇāyāma in addition to this three-step model.

Hatha and Raja Yoga Varieties
Some scholars distinguish between hath and rāj yog varieties of prāṇāyām, with the former variety usually prescribed for the beginner. According to Taimni, hath yogic prāṇāyām involves manipulation of pranic currents through breath regulation for bringing about the control of chitt-vritti and changes in consciousness, whereas rāj yog prāṇāyām involves the control of chitt-vritti by consciousness directly through the will of the mind. Students qualified to practice prāṇāyām are therefore always initiated first in the techniques of hath prāṇāyām.

Bhagavad Gītā
Prāṇāyām is mentioned in verse 4.29 of the Bhagavad Gītā.

According to Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is, prāṇāyām is translated to "trance induced by stopping all breathing", also being made from the two separate Sanskrit words, prāṇ and āyām.