Karen NallyJan 8, 2019What is pranayama and how can it benefit me?Pranayama is the formal practice of controlling the breath, which is the source of our prana, or vital life force. Prāṇāyāma is a Sanskrit word alternatively translated as "extension of the prāṇa (breath or life force)" or "breath control." The word is composed from two Sanskrit words: prana meaning life force (noted particularly as the breath), and either ayama (to restrain or control the prana, implying a set of breathing techniques where the breath is intentionally altered