The five main faculties of our nature are:
Mind, breathe, Speech, ear & eyes. The breathe or the Prana is considered the most important of the five. Prana is not just a vital force but the master energy that animates lungs, activates the brain and balances our emotions. Thus Prana is a powerful healing force in each one of us.
The Yogic way to control the Prana is Pranayama, the fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. Pranayama is not just about breathing in and breathing out. The definition of Pranayama which is meditation in itself is incomplete without the ‘Kumbhka’ (retention of breathe inside when we inhale and outside while we exhale). The novice Yogis can start with ‘Samavriti’ (inhaling and exhaling for an equal amount of time). The practice of Pranayama infuses the positive and subtle energy into our limbic system without which we feel disturbed and restless.
Pranayama should be practiced with Bandhas (body locks) such as Mool Bandha (the contraction of the perineum), Uddiyana Bandha (by contracting the abdominal muscles) and Jalandhara Bandha (tucking the chin close to the sternum the breast bone) to boost or generate Prana and to charge the brain with consciousness to connect with the Cosmic energy. Yoga asanas are just the expression of Prana.