Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Pranayama is finally getting the respect it deserves. For decades the word Yoga has been synonymous with circus like gimmicks and renouncing ascetic practices way beyond the supposed intellectual perception of supposedly "developed cultures." Now these same countries welcome Yoga and Indian culture with respect. How nice that time has changed the public view of Yoga for all the world to see and share. To become a Yoga teacher is now a respectable position in all parts of the world.

About pranayama and circulation of body fluids: Deep breathing and relaxation are also extremely beneficial and sustained deep breathing can pump oxygen-laden blood through the whole body, improving circulation in parts which cannot move and otherwise would get little oxygen. And by breathing deeply with concentration, it is possible to direct warming and healing energy into an ill area. In short, Yoga is not only a system of exercises often practiced simply as an aid to healthy living, but a method to understand our personal mind and body connection, and as such can be highly beneficial in the healing processes of many physical and mental ailments.

Proper training with a Yoga teacher is needed to learn the subtle details. Yoga asanas and abdominal breathing improve all the respiratory functions. It increases vital air capacity and develops strong muscles and elastic tissues. Breath control from Pranayama keeps air passages clear. Nauli and Uddiyana Bhanda are good for deep exhalation; and Kapalabhati to exercise the diaphragm.

The blood stream is the body's major transport system, carrying red blood cells to ferry oxygen to the tissues and remove carbon dioxide, white cells to fight infections, nutrients, messenger chemicals. Efficient circulation depends on a healthy heart and on elastic and unobstructed blood vessels, from the major arteries and veins to the tiny capillaries.

Yoga teachers learn that all the asanas are beneficial to circulation, particularly the inverted poses. Nauli and Kapalabhati massage the heart. The alternate increase and decrease in pressure on the heart created by the asana sequence helps to build a stronger heart muscle. Proper Yoga teacher training courses teach all the above mentioned methods and benefits.