14 Scientific Benefits of Pranayama

Belly fat is considered quite tough to lose and is the prime concern for many youngsters.

When you modify the technique of breathing and focus on certain parts of the body, energy is released along with increased sweating. This process burns calories as well as fat.

Pranayama aims to regulate the process of breathing. While breathing, abdominal muscles get activated. For beginners, Pranayama consists of some special breathing techniques to lose weight easily.

Pranayama also comprises of the practice of holding the breath for a certain period of time (Kumbhaka or breath retention). When we hold the breath inside the body, it supplies oxygen to skin cells .

The Yogic breathing technique like Bhramari Pranayama & Bhastrika pranayama especially has positive effects on the facial skin.

Bhramari pranayama with shanmukhi mudra & chin lock is especially beneficial to supply ample oxygen to body cells, thus it glows the skin.

These breathing techniques increase the supply of oxygen which increases the blood thrush and improves the appearance of skin . They also detoxify the blood which often is considered as the etiology (causes of a disease) for various skin woes.

By stimulating the brain activity, pranayama monitors the digestion and improves that too.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are nowadays very common digestive disorders accompanied by gastritis and acidity . IBS and IBD are the diseases which are not treated completely in allopathy.

There is a very famous saying:

There is a brain in the head and there is also a brain in the gut.

Diseases like diarrhea and hyperacidity  can also be caused by stress and anxiety by affecting the gut-brain axis. Pranayama helps to calm the mind and provide relief from anxiety which in turn reduces these digestive issues.

A consistent practice of Yogic breathing technique is proved to be promising in the management of chronic digestive disorders.

Pranayama trains you to improve your expiratory power to enhance the airflow by decreasing resistance to the lungs. Simply pranayama practice is the best exercise for the human respiratory system.

It trains you to voluntarily keep a hold over your breath which in turn maintains the isometric contraction of respiratory muscles.

Pranayama like Ujjayi breathing , which requires forceful respiration, increases respiratory endurance by acting on the respiratory muscles.

Pranayama like alternate nostril breathing (anulom vilom ) helps to clear the blockages in the nasal cavity. The regular practice of pranayama helps the nostrils to become free of allergies and enhance the filtering capacity towards the foreign element which causes inflammation.

The inflammation in sinuses can cause throbbing headaches, nasal congestion, and running noses. Pranayama not only improves the ventilation but also acts on the proper drainage of the sinuses and in turn relieves the symptoms of sinusitis .

Pranayama plays an important role in modifying the heart rate by stimulating cells of the body. It also increases oxygen intake.

Sukha Pranayama & Pranava Pranayama improve the circulation to the heart, decrease the heart rate and improves blood pressure.

Stress has a deteriorating effect on the immune system of the body. By inhibiting the stress-response, pranayama has shown enhancement in the function of the immune system.

Deep breathing exercises which focus on the abdomen with breath retention or kumbhaka , improves the defense mechanism of the body and boosts your immunity. 

Yogic exercises along with pranayama cleanse the body as well as mind. The process of exhalation not only concerned with breathing out the air but also, along with it, waste from the body. This is the body’s natural phenomenon to throw the poisons out of our system and make the body function properly and to its maximal.

Prana or breath can only flow freely if there is no or very little unwanted stuff in the system. So with consistent and guided practice of breathing modification, the toxins of the body are removed.

By detoxifying, pranayama helps to achieve the pure, happy and tranquil state of mind and body. 

The process of breathing creates a link between the physical body and the mind. The effects of yogic breathing techniques are quite different from the usual breathing, as it stimulates the unconscious mind also.

Pranayama in itself comes under physical activity but its effect is beyond physicality. Here are a few studies which show how pranayama working beneficial in improving brain power and mental health.

By increasing the oxygen supply to the brain, pranayama not only calms it but also makes it free of anxiety. It enables you to take charge of your thoughts. Thoughts no more control you, rather you become the master of your mind. As it nullifies the distractions, your concentration increases manifold .

Yogic breathing works as a panacea for people suffering from insomnia. Along with insomnia, other sleep disorders are caused because of anxiety and depression of a person.

The people with insomnia and other sleep-related disorder, if start performing the routine yogic breathing along with Yoga Asanas and meditation religiously get benefitted. They can get a sound sleep free of negative thoughts and nightmares.

Gray matter is the component of the brain that consists of cells of the nervous system. It starts diminishes in older people and one of the main cause of it is memory loss with time.

Pranayama is helpful to bring focus into the mainstream. The most common reason for failure or delay in the desired outcome, whether it is related to studies or work, is a distraction.

When your energy is not centralised and mind clutter with negativity and doubt, it becomes difficult to reach the destination effectively.

Pranayama helps to release the toxins not only from blood but also enhances the filtering capacity of the brain. It increases the passage of nanoparticles to the brain through the Blood-Brain Barrier and also filters the unwanted toxic materials which you often inhale in the polluted environment. It also filters the toxin which gets accumulated due to smoking.