Breath Control (Prāṇāyāma)

Prāṇāyāma is the disciplined control of the breath. Because breath and mind are held to move together, regulating the one is a direct way to still the other: by slowing, lengthening, and suspending the breath, the yogin quiets the mental fluctuations and gathers the vital energy. It is the fourth of Patañjali's eight limbs and, in haṭha-yoga, an elaborate practical art with many specific techniques. Mishandled, the texts warn, it harms; rightly done, it prepares the mind for deep meditation.