What is Pranayama?

What is Pranayama, and more specifically, what does Pranayama for Christians look like? Pranayama is one of the eight-limbs of yoga and a basic pillar of any true yoga practice.  The practice of pranayama consists of controlling or expanding the breath, which is considered the vehicle of our “prana” or vital life energy. The breath-work exercises that make up a pranayama practice focus on balancing energies in the body, toning the nervous system, and strengthening and cleansing internal organs by eliminating excess carbon dioxide from the body and providing a rich supply of oxygen to the blood. 

These breath-work practices invigorate the cells and tissues in our bodies and at the same time are known to improve the focus and concentration that is necessary for meditation. Studies show that Pranayama may have far-reaching benefits for our physical AND mental health, including: 

When we breathe consciously, slowly and mindfully, deepening both our inhalation and exhalation, we reset our nervous systems which begins a cascade of amazing health benefits through our bodies. 

Research suggests that pranayama improves the functions of the body including the respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system, and endocrine system all while cultivating a sense of mental clarity and well-being.

Pranayama for Christians

Pranayama, when practiced from a Christian perspective, offers not only these same physical and mental benefits but can offer spiritual benefits as well.  

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22 NIV

Ancient yogic texts and the Bible agree that the breath holds a mystery for us; in fact, there is an element of metaphor within it. Pranayama practices can serve to remind Christians of the ‘breath of Life’ breathed into us by our Heavenly Father and to awaken us to the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives among us and within us. Evelyn Underhill writes of this metaphor and mystery in her book, The Fruits of the Spirit when she says:

“We too easily think of the gift of the spirit as something administered to us or inserted in us- perhaps an influx, perhaps a supernatural seed planted in the soul- ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ But it is God himself in His Reality (not some gift or faculty, some new element) who comes again and again in His creative power into the heart of our life.  ‘Receive the Holy Spirit,’ means ‘Receive God.’ The stress for us lies not on His ceaseless giving but on our receiving. He, as St. John of the Cross says, does not change, but we do.  His pressure on our souls is constant” 

Much like the Holy Spirit, our breath is our constant companion, present with us, and pressing in on us whether we are aware of it or not!  Neither the “breath” around us nor God’s Spirit fluctuate,  but instead it is our ability to RECEIVE both of these things that wavers. 

When practicing Pranayama, we allow what is subconscious to become conscious. Physically, we become aware of our breath, focusing on receiving and letting go. As our breathing changes and the body and mind along with it.  

Likewise, when practicing Pranayama from a Christian perspective, we can become aware of the steady and constant pressure of the Holy Spirit on our souls and we are quickened to receive.  

As we awaken to the Holy Spirit, we invite the Spirit to illuminate the eyes of our hearts and to renew our minds and our lives will be changed. We will be transformed into the image of Christ!

In this way, Pranayama for Christians helps each breath to become a prayer.

Inhale and receive…

Exhale, let go, and give back…

Teaching pranayama from a Christian perspective

Just as a steady breath is vital to our yoga practice, the Holy Spirit is essential to the soul of the follower of Christ.

For the yoga instructor, who is also a follower of Christ, teaching Pranayama for Christians allows us the opportunity to tell a bigger story… 

In the Bible, the breath is used as a metaphor for God’s Holy Spirit and illustrates how this Spirit moves in the world.  This metaphor helps us to visualize “that which cannot be seen” and to understand how God is moving to build the Kingdom “on earth as it is in Heaven”. 

Christian yoga teachers are given the opportunity to share the physical benefits of the breath with our students. Even more, when we are in the place of leadership on our mats, we are given the privilege and opportunity to share the story that God is teaching through the metaphor of the breath with our students. This can be a very powerful teaching tool! Some thoughts we might want share in our classes could be:

  • What is the breath of God?
  • What is the story that God is telling through the breath?
  • What illustrations does God use to teach us about His Spirit?
  • How do we receive God’s spirit?

Are you interested in practicing pranayama from a Christian perspective? Join the waitlist for Yoga for Christians, check out my on-demand courses, or join me for a Christ-centered yoga online and get started learning today!