Breath of Life: Exploring the Philosophy of Pranayama in Ashtanga Yoga

Energy & Subtle Body Anatomy

Pranayama is best understood in the context of Energy & Subtle Body Anatomy so please be sure you’re familiar with the teachings in that lesson:

The Fourth Limb

Pranayama is presented as the fourth limb in the Eight Limbs of Yoga. It refers to breath practices designed to enhance one’s life force energy.

Sanskrit

• The Sanskrit word prana means “life force” (referred to as chi in Chinese).
• Ayama means to “enhance” or “alter.”
• Pranayama, therefore, refers to breath-altering practices that bring about a fuller expression of life force.
• Other descriptions of pranayama include “mastering,” “harnessing” or “stabilizing and refining” prana.

Translation Differences

Some sources define pranayama as “breath control or restraint,” likely because they are defining prana and yama. Leslie Kaminoff suggests that the proper etymology is prana and ayama:

PRANAYAMA DEFINITION

Hindi speaking Indians have the habit of dropping the final ‘a’ in Sanskrit words. So, it’s actually pran-ayama, meaning “unobstructing the breath” not “breath control” as it’s commonly translated. Ours is sometimes a society of restrictions, control and don’ts instead of undoing and unlearning. – Leslie Kaminoff

Yogapedia concurs: In the practice of pranayama breathing techniques, it is considered that yogis are extending or expanding (ayama) the vital life force (prana) throughout the body…Although many construct the word, pranayama, with prana and yama in order to literally translate to “the restriction of life force,” in a pranayama practice, yogis seek to free or direct prana throughout the body through controlled breathing. The intention is to allow the vital life force to expand and move throughout the body, not restrict it through controlled breathing. Therefore, many yogis believe that ayama is used in the rightful construction of the word, with pranayama literally translating to “the expansion of the life force” instead. – Yogapedia

The Philosophy in a Nutshell

Introduction

Here we consider pranayama from the perspective of yoga philosophy.

• For information on techniques, please see Pranayama Teaching Foundations.
• For other angles on the topic, scroll down to Related Resources: Exploring Pranayama.

Succinct Descriptions

The following is a succinct and practical description of the philosophy of pranayama:

Pranayama is mastery of prana, the universal life force, through the breath. The movements of the breath reflect the state of prana in the body-mind. Irregular breathing is indicative of imbalances or blockages in the flow of prana. Through regulation of the breath, the prana flows in the appropriate measure and locations. – Rev. Jaganath Carrera

A brief way to describe the philosophical purpose of pranayama is: The mastery of prana through the breath.

More Detail

• We receive energy in many ways including food, water, the air we breathe and through our connection with nature, people, art, and more.
• We expend life force energy when, for example, we move, speak and think.
• Yoga teaches that pranayama is the most effective way to extend and direct prana, our life force energy.
• “A vast capacity of prana is needed to raise the energy from the physical to the spiritual realms.” (Nischala Joy Devi)
• Sutra 2.52 explains that successful pranayama practice “reduces the obstacles that inhibit clear perception.” (T.K.V. Desikachar)

Before teaching pranayama, be sure you are familiar with the many serious cautions.

From the Experts

SOURCES OF PRANA AND THE ROLE OF PRANAYAMA

Prana exists everywhere, from the stones of the earth to the fiery stars, and in all flora and fauna. It permeates the air. It is the universal energy… We imbibe this energy through the food and water we consume and the air we breathe. However, as Vishnu-devananda points out, food, water, and air in themselves are not prana; they are simply the vehicles through which we draw in the life force… We spend our prana when we move, speak, and think, in the mundane acts that make up our daily lives… Normal breathing keeps us alive but does not increase our prana. According to the sutras,