Pranayama Practice: Adham Pranayama (Audio Recording)

Pranayama

Pranayama is the 4th limb of the 8 limbs of yoga. Pranayama means “expansion of the life force.” Prana is considered the connection between the body and the mind. Ancient saying goes, “so is the breath, so is the mind.” This means that when our breath is calm, our mind is calm. When we are anxious or stressed, our breathing is shallow. We also tend to breath only in our upper chest and upper lungs, thusly we are not utilizing the full capability of our lungs.

Adham Pranayama

In this Ayurveda pranayama audio recording, you will be led through a 10 minute Adham Pranayama breathing practice. Adham Pranayama or belly breathing is designed to bring our breath out of our upper chest and bring it down to our belly. This form of pranayama is used traditionally in Ayurveda to calm and soothe the body, mind and spirit. It is especially beneficial during times of stress and when feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Think about how often people say, take a deep breath when you are feeling intense emotions. Then think about how those deep breaths, did bring some calm and peace to your mind and psyche. When we practice pranayama, we are learning to harness the vital life force of our breath which works to soothe our body and thus our mind. Now follow along as you are led through the Ayurveda breathing technique of Adham pranayama or belly breathing.

Music by Fried Coffee.