प्राणायाम

Pranayama

practice

From prana + yama (restraint) or ayama (extension). Systematic breathing techniques that regulate prana.

Fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it includes:

  • Puraka — inhalation
  • Rechaka — exhalation
  • Kumbhaka — retention

It is not simply “breathing consciously,” but a precise system of techniques with specific effects on the energetic system.