What is pranayama?

The path to a calm internal state is not (typically) achieved directly. As those who have tried know, quieting thoughts by force or control rarely works. Instead, for most of us, an easier or more accessible entry point to the mind can start with the body.

Every inhalation draws oxygen into the lungs, where it passes into the bloodstream and carried to every cell in the body. There, it facilitates the process of respiration (converting what we eat into energy) which is, arguably, the most fundamental transaction of being alive. In yogic traditions, this energy is referred to as prāṇa, and breath is its most accessible carrier.