# Theological Academy: Basic Pranayama

Wikipedia: "Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In yoga, the breath is associated with prana, thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the prana-shakti, or life energies. Pranayama is described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Later, in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. The pranayama practices in modern yoga as exercise differ from those of the Hatha yoga tradition."
Basic Pranayama is the simplest version of pranayama. This pranayama can be practiced in any situation, as soon as the opportunity arises, or as soon as such a need arises. For example, the need for pranayama may arise in a situation when you need to quickly calm down or when you need to quickly bring yourself to a normal or working state.
Before starting to perform Basic Pranayama, you should master Complete Yogic Breathing.

#### Complete Yogic Breathing

Inhale:
* Lie on the floor or sit in a comfortable position with a straight back and relax the body.
* Inhale slowly and deeply, first filling the stomach with air and pushing the abdominal wall up.
* After the abdomen is completely filled with air and completes its movement, the solar plexus area begins to expand, the edges of the ribs slightly diverge to the side, the chest expands and rises, the middle lobes of the lungs are filled with air.
* Then the chest expands upward, lifting the collarbones and shoulders.
* A full inhalation is complete when the upper lobes of the lungs are completely filled with air.
Exhale:
* Before the exhalation process begins, a natural breath hold can occur for a second. Then comes a wave-like exhalation, which also begins with the abdomen.
* Hold the chest still and lower the abdomen, naturally drawing the abdominal wall inward.
* Lower the chest
* Lower the collarbones and shoulders and free the lungs of air as much as possible.
After exhaling, hold your breath for a second and inhale again using the full inhalation pattern.
During the entire breathing process, each phase smoothly flows into the next, without sudden movements and tension, like a wave - from the abdomen to the collarbones - both on inhalation and exhalation. Concentrate on breathing, observe how the air fills or empties the next part.
One must learn to breathe the full breath of yogis always and everywhere. Insofar, full breathing is the most beneficial type of breathing for health.

#### Basic Pranayama

Sit in correct pose or the closest to it. Arch your lower back, straighten your back and neck. Hands lie freely on your knees or in any other comfortable position.
* Take a full yogic Inhale (see Complete Yogic Breathing) for 4 seconds. Fill your lungs with this inhale as completely as possible.
* Hold your breath for as long as possible.
* Take a full yogic Exhale (see Complete Yogic Breathing) for 8 seconds. Empty your lungs with this exhale as completely as possible.
* Without stopping, go to the first point, that is, inhale again and repeat points one through three, inhale-hold-exhale, over and over again.

##### Variations

* Duration of inhale-hold-exhale – 4-16-8 (seconds).
* Vary the duration of inhale-hold-exhale. For example: 2-8-4, 3-12-6, 5-20-10, 10-40-20.