In yoga, conscious, deep breathing is called Pranayama. In Sanskrit, “prana” means life force energy and “yama” means expansion or control. Pranayama is a method of circulating this life force energy throughout the entire body.
Benefits of Pranayama
Deep conscious breathing brings with it more benefits physically
and psychologically than you may think. Pranayama is energizing,
and stimulates feel-good brain chemicals known as endorphins, which
reduce stress and anxiety.
This conscious breathing also stimulates the pituitary gland, which is believed to sharpen intuition. It reduces toxins in the lungs, cleanses the blood, and increases vitality overall. Pranayama breathing even regulates your body’s pH balance, which helps with stress management.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can
benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.
These benefits don't end when your meditation session ends,
meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and may
help you manage symptoms of certain medical conditions.
Meditation and emotional well-being
When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that
builds up every day and contributes to your stress. The emotional
benefits of meditation can include:
Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions
Increasing imagination and creativity
Increasing patience and tolerance
Meditation and illness
Meditation might also be useful if you have a medical condition,
especially one that may be worsened by stress. While a growing body
of scientific research supports the health benefits of meditation,
some researchers believe it's not yet possible to draw conclusions
about the possible benefits of meditation. With that in mind, some
research suggests that meditation may help people manage symptoms
of conditions such as:
Anxiety
Asthma
Cancer
Chronic pain
Depression
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Irritable bowel syndrome
Sleep problems
Tension headaches
Be sure to talk to your health care provider about the pros and
cons of using meditation if you have any of these conditions or
other health problems. In some cases, meditation can worsen
symptoms associated with certain mental and physical health
conditions.
Meditation isn't a replacement for traditional medical treatment. But it may be a useful addition to your other treatment.