Table of ContentsView AllTable of Contents8 BenefitsHow It WorksTypesHow to Get Started
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
8 Benefits
How It Works
Types
How to Get Started
In Sanskrit,pranayamameans breath work or the manipulation of the breath. This manipulation can be as simple as linking the breath with the poses, moving with the inhale and the exhale, or creating breathing patterns to increase mindfulness or relaxation.
Pranayama, sometimes called yoga breathing, is one aspect of a yoga practice that includes asana (the poses) and dhyana (meditation). The combination of these three elements—movement, breath, and meditation—is responsible for yoga’s many benefits. On its own, pranayama also has many health benefits, including regarding stress, anxiety, sleep, and body functions.
1. Decreases Stress
2. Lowers Anxiety
3. Improves Sleep Quality
Sleepcontributes to overall health. Practicing deep, slow breathing exercises before sleep can help you fall asleep. Intentionally focusing on the breath can help you remain asleep and reduce disruptions. If sleep is disrupted, breathing exercises can help you fall back asleep.
4. Increases Mindfulness
Mindfulnessis awareness of the present moment. It allows you to observe your surroundings without judgment. The breath is an incredible tool for achieving this state.
Pranayama draws the mind’s attention to the breath. By focusing on the inhale and the exhale, or one singular point of focus, the mind has nowhere else to wander but the present moment.
5. Boosts Lung Function
Pranayama can also correct abnormal breathing patterns. For people who breathe shallowly, certain pranayama exercises can train the body to use the diaphragm and abdominal muscles fully with each breath.
Practicing pranayama over time can also improve pulmonary function, even in people with respiratory diseases likeasthma.
6. Reduces High Blood Pressure
Breathing exercises have also been shown to increase the amount the arteries dilate (relax and open), thus reducing blood pressure.
7. Reduces Cigarette Cravings
Practicing pranayama increases mindfulness. For people trying to quit smoking, mindfulness can reduce symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, make it easier to cope with cravings and help people make better choices to avoid smoking in stressful or tempting situations.
8. Helps Manage Psychosomatic Disorders
Pranayama can help people who experience psychosomatic disorders, where stress and overwhelming emotions cause illness and or physical symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and rapid heartbeat.
Deliberate breath control has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve physical symptoms in people under constant stress.
How Does Pranayama Work?
Connecting the breath to the mind and the body also creates mindfulness or awareness of the present moment.
The Fourth Limb
Patanjali, an ancient Indian author and sage, divided the practice of yoga into eight limbs. Each limb helps you move toward the final limb, samadhi, where there is the perfect balance between the body and the mind.
Samadhi is the ultimate “now,” where you can fully live in the present moment without stress or emotions controlling you. Pranayama is the fourth limb of the eight limbs that create the practice of yoga and help people achieve its full benefits.
Three Phases
The three phases of pranayama follow the cycle of the breath: puraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), and rechaka (exhalation). Each one of these phases plays an important part in the breathing exercises.
Types of Pranayama
Many different types of pranayama, breath work, can be practiced. These include:
Ujjayi Pranayama
Ujjayi pranayama is a type of breathing most often associated with vinyasa yoga. A slow and deliberate way of breathing, ujjayi is used to link the breath with movement.
To practice:
Samma Vritta
Samma Vritta, also known asbox breath, is a great practice to try when dealing with stress. The focus is on an equal pattern of inhale, hold, exhale, hold.
Kapalabhati Pranayama
Known as the breath of fire, kapalabhati pranayama is a little harder to master but can bring great benefits to the lungs and muscles of the breath. The focus is on a forceful exhalation and a passive inhalation.
Nadi Shodhana
Nadi shodhana focuses on slow alternate nostril breathing.
Practicing breath work does not need to be complicated. Find a comfortable place to sit upright. This can be at your desk, on the floor, on the couch, or even in bed.
Some people find that closing their eyes helps them eliminate outside distractions and focus more on their breath.
Summary
Pranayama, or breath work, is a type of yoga breathing that has many health benefits. These benefits include reduced stress, improved lung function, lowered anxiety, and increased mindfulness.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353Novaes MM, Palhano-Fontes F, Onias H, et al.Effects of yoga respiratory practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on anxiety, affect, and brain functional connectivity and activity: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:467. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00467Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes VA.Self-regulation of breathing as an adjunctive treatment of insomnia.Front Psychiatry. 2019;9:780. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00780Komariah M, Ibrahim K, Pahria T, Rahayuwati L, Somantri I.Effect of mindfulness breathing meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress: a randomized controlled trial among university students.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;11(1):26. doi:10.3390/healthcare11010026Jayawardena R, Ranasinghe P, Ranawaka H, Gamage N, Dissanayake D, Misra A.Exploring the therapeutic benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing): a systematic review.Int J Yoga. 2020;13(2):99-110. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_37_19Garg P, Mendiratta A, Banga A, et al.Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev. 2023;20:200232. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232Bock BC, Dunsiger SI, Rosen RK, et al.Yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation: results from BreathEasy, a randomized clinical Ttial.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(11):1517-1523. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty212Maity S, Abbaspour R, Bandelow S, et al.The psychosomatic impact of yoga in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2364486. doi:10.1080/10872981.2024.2364486
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353Novaes MM, Palhano-Fontes F, Onias H, et al.Effects of yoga respiratory practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on anxiety, affect, and brain functional connectivity and activity: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:467. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00467Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes VA.Self-regulation of breathing as an adjunctive treatment of insomnia.Front Psychiatry. 2019;9:780. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00780Komariah M, Ibrahim K, Pahria T, Rahayuwati L, Somantri I.Effect of mindfulness breathing meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress: a randomized controlled trial among university students.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;11(1):26. doi:10.3390/healthcare11010026Jayawardena R, Ranasinghe P, Ranawaka H, Gamage N, Dissanayake D, Misra A.Exploring the therapeutic benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing): a systematic review.Int J Yoga. 2020;13(2):99-110. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_37_19Garg P, Mendiratta A, Banga A, et al.Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev. 2023;20:200232. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232Bock BC, Dunsiger SI, Rosen RK, et al.Yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation: results from BreathEasy, a randomized clinical Ttial.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(11):1517-1523. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty212Maity S, Abbaspour R, Bandelow S, et al.The psychosomatic impact of yoga in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2364486. doi:10.1080/10872981.2024.2364486
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353Novaes MM, Palhano-Fontes F, Onias H, et al.Effects of yoga respiratory practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on anxiety, affect, and brain functional connectivity and activity: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:467. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00467Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes VA.Self-regulation of breathing as an adjunctive treatment of insomnia.Front Psychiatry. 2019;9:780. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00780Komariah M, Ibrahim K, Pahria T, Rahayuwati L, Somantri I.Effect of mindfulness breathing meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress: a randomized controlled trial among university students.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;11(1):26. doi:10.3390/healthcare11010026Jayawardena R, Ranasinghe P, Ranawaka H, Gamage N, Dissanayake D, Misra A.Exploring the therapeutic benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing): a systematic review.Int J Yoga. 2020;13(2):99-110. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_37_19Garg P, Mendiratta A, Banga A, et al.Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev. 2023;20:200232. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232Bock BC, Dunsiger SI, Rosen RK, et al.Yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation: results from BreathEasy, a randomized clinical Ttial.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(11):1517-1523. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty212Maity S, Abbaspour R, Bandelow S, et al.The psychosomatic impact of yoga in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2364486. doi:10.1080/10872981.2024.2364486
Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
Novaes MM, Palhano-Fontes F, Onias H, et al.Effects of yoga respiratory practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on anxiety, affect, and brain functional connectivity and activity: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:467. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00467
Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes VA.Self-regulation of breathing as an adjunctive treatment of insomnia.Front Psychiatry. 2019;9:780. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00780
Komariah M, Ibrahim K, Pahria T, Rahayuwati L, Somantri I.Effect of mindfulness breathing meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress: a randomized controlled trial among university students.Healthcare (Basel). 2022;11(1):26. doi:10.3390/healthcare11010026
Jayawardena R, Ranasinghe P, Ranawaka H, Gamage N, Dissanayake D, Misra A.Exploring the therapeutic benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing): a systematic review.Int J Yoga. 2020;13(2):99-110. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_37_19
Garg P, Mendiratta A, Banga A, et al.Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev. 2023;20:200232. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232
Bock BC, Dunsiger SI, Rosen RK, et al.Yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation: results from BreathEasy, a randomized clinical Ttial.Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(11):1517-1523. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty212
Maity S, Abbaspour R, Bandelow S, et al.The psychosomatic impact of yoga in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Med Educ Online. 2024;29(1):2364486. doi:10.1080/10872981.2024.2364486
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
