Pranayama

Pranayama is the fourth generation of Raja Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga or Kriya Yoga) to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and is the merging of body and mind through breathing exercises. The other seven stages of Raja Yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

"Prana" is a term for life energy (see also Qi), "Ayama" can "control" or translated as "expand" with. The term "Pranayama" thus refers to the conscious regulation and deepening of mindfulness and breathing through constant practice. Because the breathing is the carrier of life energy, prana can be translated as "breath" - the original use of the term, however, has a larger range of meanings. A continued focus on the processes of breathing and conscious breathing techniques executed can affect the processes of consciousness. Similar effects have been observed in numerous meditation and relaxation techniques.