Healthy living has become an inevitable part of our lives. Practicing different forms of exercise provides a vast multitude of health benefits, including mindfulness, relaxation, and healthy breathing.
Yoga and Pranayam are two of the most prominently practiced exercises. While the two may seem similar, they have comparable differences.
Key Takeaways
- Yoga is a holistic practice encompassing physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation, while pranayam focuses solely on breath control exercises.
- Yoga promotes overall physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, while pranayam primarily targets enhancing respiratory function and mental relaxation.
- Practitioners can incorporate pranayam into a broader yoga practice or perform it as a standalone technique for specific benefits.
Yoga vs Pranayam
The difference between yoga and pranayam is that while the most prominent aim of yoga is physical fitness, the practice of pranayam aims at improving the mental health of an individual.
Studies suggest that yoga has proved to be an efficient method to reduce body fat whereas pranayam helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Yoga is a mind and body practice. It is speculated that yoga may have originated in India. Yoga is practiced for its benefits including endurance, strength, calmness, and well being.
It has found its ways in autobiography, chick lit, and documentary. The six branches of yoga are Hatha yoga, Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and tantra yoga. Yoga has a philosophical side as well as cultural representations.
Pranayam refers to a meditative practice aimed at relaxation and healthy breathing. It helps to reduce stomach fat and leads to inner harmony.
Practitioners suggest practicing 15 minutes of Pranayam everyday, in the mornings or evenings. The daily practice of Pranayam assists in a healthy autonomic nervous system, including the heart rate and respiration.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Yoga | Pranayam |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Yoga is a type of exercise involving body movement to attain flexibility. | Pranayam is the regulation of the breath through certain practices. |
| Word meaning | The word yoga means to join or to add. | The word pranayam means the yoga of breathing. |
| Relationship | Yoga succeeds pranayam. | Pranayam is performed after yoga asanas. |
| Advantage | Yoga aids to cure ailments like asthma. | Pranayam helps to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. |
| Caution | People with a heart disease should avoid certain yoga asanas. | Always breathe to the nose unless advised otherwise by a medical practitioner. |
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a physical exercise consisting of postures connected by flowing sequences. Yoga is accompanied by breathing exercises and ends with relaxation lying down and meditation.
Yoga has become a widely practiced exercise worldwide, especially in Europe and America. Some less-known names of yoga are transnational anglophone yoga and modern postural yoga.
There are types and styles of yoga. Some of these are Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, Hatha yoga, Iyengar yoga, Kripalu yoga, Power yoga, Kundalini yoga, Sivananda, Yin yoga, Viniyoga, prenatal yoga, and Restorative yoga.
Philosophically, yoga functions as a medium to connect the mind, body, and soul. Each branch of yoga has its own characteristics and area of focus.
Yoga has been proven to have many mental and physical advantages. Firstly, yoga helps an individual to build muscle strength and increase flexibility. Secondly, it provides an enhanced breathing pattern and supports a healthy heart.
Thirdly, research suggests that yoga has aided people in getting rid of their ailments or addictions. Mentally, yoga helps to counter anxiety, stress, and depression.
Yoga has become a popular cultural attraction. Additionally, it has also become a source of academic inquiry. However, a word of caution is necessary even for the practice of yoga.
While it is unlikely to get a serious injury from practicing yoga, pregnant women or individuals with prevailing health conditions should consult a health professional before practicing the exercise.
What is Pranayam?
Pranayam refers to the yogic practice of focusing on the breath. Panayam originally means to elevate life energies.
Pranayam finds its place in the prominent Hindu religious texts, including the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The practice of Pranayam refers to the complete suspension of breathing in the hatha yoga texts.
The most immediate benefit of Pranayam is that it aids breathing and helps in relaxation. Pranayam helps to reduce stress and anxiety among individuals.
This in turn helps the practitioners of Pranayam to enjoy a sound sleep. Furthermore, the health benefits of Pranayam are a reduced blood pressure and improvements in lung infection.
Pranayam has also been suggested to improve cognitive performance and reduce cigarette cravings. The practice of Pranayam helps in aiding asthma and diabetes.
The eight types of Pranayam are Nadi Shodhana, Shitali Pranayam, Ujjayi Pranayam, Kapalbhati Pranayam, Bhastrika Pranayam, Bhramari Pranayam, Anuloma and Viloma Pranayam, and Sheetkari Pranayam.
The practice of Pranayama also helps in concentration. Therefore, it is an ideal practice for people from all backgrounds, especially students.
Additionally, Pranayam releases toxins and helps to achieve a glowing skin. Ideally, Pranayam should be practiced in the mornings or evenings in a well-ventilated environment.
Main Differences Between Yoga and Pranayam
- The origin of yoga is speculated to be around 5000 years ago. On the other hand, the origin of pranayam dates back to the fifth or sixth centuries.
- The most popular type of yoga is Hatha yoga. In contrast, the most popular type of pranayam is Bhramari pranayama.
- The most prominent advantage of yoga is that it assists in building muscle strength and flexibility. In contrast, the most prominent advantage of pranayam is that it helps in concentration and healthy breathing.
- The main aim of yogic practices is to achieve mental, physical, and spiritual peace. The main aim of pranayam is to attain internal stability and concentration.
- Yoga is widely practiced in Europe and America. In contrast, pranayam is widely practiced in India.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_as_exercise#Yoga’s_origins
- https://theyogainstitute.org/pranayama-types-and-benefits/
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