Pranayama

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A practice of breath control in yoga that aims to enhance physical and mental well-being through regulated breathing patterns
2. An ancient discipline focused on controlling the breath to harmonize the body and mind, promoting relaxation and mindfulness
3. A form of yogic technique where deliberate breath manipulation is used to increase vitality and deepen meditation experiences

Etymology: Sanskrit "prāṇāyāma" is built from two parts that sound almost like a literal instruction. "Prāṇa" means life force, vital energy, or the breath itself, and "āyāma" means lengthening, extending, or stretching. Put together, the word describes stretching or extending the breath, and that concrete sense is what the practice is named for:控制 the breath by drawing it out, holding it, and releasing it in measured steps. The same "prāṇa" root gives English "prana," the term many readers encounter in yoga and wellness writing for the vital energy the breath is thought to carry. Pranayama, then, is the practice of working with that energy through the lungs, which is why a word about stretching turned into a name for a discipline of controlled breathing.

Synonyms: breath control