PrÄṇÄyÄma is the practice of breath control in yoga. In modern
yoga as exercise, it consists of synchronising the breath with movements between asanas, but is also a distinct breathing exercise on its own, usually practised after asanas. In texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and later in Hatha
yoga texts, it meant the complete cessation of breathing. PrÄṇÄyÄma (Devanagari: पà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤£à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤® prÄṇÄyÄma) is a Sanskrit compound. It is defined variously by different authors.
Macdonell gives the etymology as prana (prÄṇa), breath, + ÄyÄma and defines it as the suspension of breath.
Monier-Williams defined
Pranayama in terms of the elements of Kumbhaka.
Monier-Williams defines the compound prÄṇÄyÄma as "of the three 'breath-exercises' performed during SaṃdhyÄ (See pÅ«rak, rechak (English: retch or throw out), kumbhak".This technical definition refers to a particular system of breath control with three processes as explained by Bhattacharyya: pÅ«rak (to take the breath inside), kumbhak (to retain it), and rechak (to discharge it). There are other processes of prÄṇÄyÄma besides this three-step model.
V. S. Apte's definition of ÄyÄmaḥ derives it from Ä + yÄm and provides several variant meanings for it when used in compounds. The first three meanings have to do with "length", "expansion, extension", and "stretching, extending", but in the specific case of use in the compound prÄṇÄyÄma he defines ÄyÄmaḥ as meaning "restrain, control, stopping".
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