Lesson 48 - Pranayama Q&A – Pranayama and health

From: Yogani
Date: Tue Dec 16, 2003 11:04am

New Members: It is recommended you read from the beginning of the
archive, as previous lessons are prerequisite to this one. The first
lesson is, "Why This Discussion?"

Q: Does doing pranayama have any practical health benefits? It seems
like it would.

A: Yes. As with meditation, pranayama promotes purification in the
nervous system. Being a physical process, it also has direct effects
in the body that we can readily notice as our practice progresses. It
has positive effects on the lungs, the brain, the digestive system,
the heart, and the reproductive organs, just to name a few. It also
steadies the mind and emotions. As prana flows increasingly in the
body, a lustrous, palpable energy radiates from the skin, creating
an "aura" of health and strength that can be beneficial to others.

But none of this comes overnight, or from irregular practice of
pranayama. Neither does it come from "binge" practicing where nothing
is practiced for days or weeks, and then excessive pranayama is done
impulsively to try and take a big step forward all at once. It does
not work like that. In this respect, pranayama is like any other kind
of bodily culture. A little practice twice each day is far superior
to a lot of practice days or weeks apart. The latter is not bodily
culture at all, and can be hazardous to the health.

If you decided to become a long distance runner, would you begin by
working out once a week, or whenever you felt like it, trying to run
five or ten miles at a time right out of the box? If you did, your
career in running would be short lived. For the best chance of
success, you would start out running short distances every day, and
gradually work up to your goal distance over a period of months.
Physical culture requires regular, measured practice. This is how
serious athletes train.

Spiritual practice is like athletics in that we are gradually
training our body and nervous system to conduct and radiate a greatly
increased level of pure bliss consciousness. This is a large
undertaking that can be accomplished through many small, daily steps
over a long period of time. The benefits of such an approach are
cumulative, and noticeable along the way. Advanced yoga practices
promote purification and balance deep in the nervous system, and some
results will be noticed almost immediately after starting practice.
One of the easily noticeable benefits is improving health. So, yes,
pranayama continues the trend toward good health that we began when
we started meditation.

It should be emphasized that pranayama is not a miracle cure that
will instantly do away with the results of years of unhealthy living.
In fact, if unbalanced living has seriously compromised the health,
it may not be possible to undertake pranayama right away. A certain
level of health, particularly of the respiratory system, is necessary
to undertake pranayama. We never should overextend beyond our
physical capability in pranayama. Our practice should be matched to
the level of our capability. If we are weak, pranayama should be at a
minimum, or not at all. If we are strong, we can do more. Always
consider carefully before you commit to a level of pranayama
practice. Meditation can be practiced by almost anyone in any health
situation without putting an extra burden on the body. Pranayama is
different. It requires a certain minimum level of health to be
practiced safely and effectively. Be mindful of that and always gauge
your practice of pranayama to your present physical condition so as
not to put an undue burden on your body. For example, while
meditation during sickness can be helpful, pranayama will not,
especially if one is suffering from a respiratory illness. When the
lungs are ailing, do not tax them. Neither would we go out and run a
mile if we were sick.

If you combine good, old-fashioned common sense with your pranayama
practice you will gain many benefits, including improved
health.

The guru is in you.

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