Breathing is the vital force of life. We begin life with our first breath and end it with our last breath. Per day, on average, we breathe 21,600 times. All our emotional states are reflected in our breathing. If the quality of our breath is noisy, fast, irregular, jerky, shallow, forced, nervous, anxious, etc., it will influence our heart rate, hormones, and mental condition. The state of mind is directly connected to breathing. Most people use only a fraction of their lung capacity for breathing.

Thousands of years ago Yogis (great masters) knew that our mind is the cause of different disorders. In searching for methods to calm the mind and control the emotional storm of the mind, they developed different breathing practices named Pranayama, the science of breath control which not only alters the speed, rhythm and space of the breath but also the state of mind. Pranayama provides a regular supply of oxygenated blood to different parts of the body including the brain, releases toxins, enhances cell regeneration, balances the autonomic nervous system, prevents and manages diseases, and provides the doorway to productive meditation.