The Myth and Magic of Pranayama

BREATHING is a unique autonomic function. The process of continues, day and night, even when you’re not paying attention to it. On the other hand, you can also control your breath when you choose to: You can hold it when you concentrate or go underwater or try to stop your hiccups.

- By Judith Hanson Lasater. Photography by David Martinez. Illustration by Wren Polansky

You can direct it to practice pranayama. The breath is a communication pathway between the mind and body that we can trust to keep us alive.

Why Breath Matters Many students of yoga seem to believe that the “goal” of pranayama is to breathe deeper and deeper and to actively hold the breath longer and longer. But in traditional yoga teachings, the opposite is taught. The core of pranayama practice is to slow and quiet the breath, not to increase its volume. This has a profound effect on the body. After many years of practicing pranayama, I have found that after slowing and quieting the breath, it almost seems to disappear, leaving a residue of profound stillness in my body and in my mind.

You can use your breath to connect with yourself, to calm down, to help subdue a panic attack, to help you give birth, to meditate, to practice yoga asana, and sometimes to lessen your experience of pain. Pranayama practice can slow down your breathing rate gradually over time—something which research suggests can