As the pandemic hit the world, more and more people are interested in learning about breathing and its benefits. Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian guests on Let’s Talk Yoga today to help us understand what pranayama is, who this is for, and how we can measure our success with this practice. He is a valued speaker in this field and has delivered several talks on this topic. On the show, he discusses his research on incorporating pranayama practice with the biochemistry of the saliva. Learn more about it here in this episode.
In Sanskrit, “prana” means life energy, and “yama” means control. Pranayama is the practice of breath regulation. It’s a main component of yoga, an exercise for physical and mental wellness. The practice of pranayama involves breathing exercises and patterns.
Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian is a Cell Biology researcher and founder of PranaScience Institute. He is a Yoga Biology researcher. A pioneer in the area of research combining Pranayama and salivary stimulation, he discovered Yogic breathing promotes salivary secretion, and it contains factors that are important for our healthy living. His research provides evidence for how Pranayama (Yogic breathwork) could promote wellbeing in health and disease.
Episode Highlights:
- Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian’s background and how he became a pranayama teacher
- Deep breathing and pranayama, are they the same?
- About Dr. Sundar’s work
- Where to learn more about Dr. Sundar’s research
- How pranayama helps cancer treatment
- More people gained interest in learning more about breathing exercises since the pandemic
- Frequency and duration needed to practice pranayama
- Inhalation, exhalation, and retention
- Pranayama for pregnant women
- Is kapalabhati practice safe for women?
- How important is asana in the practice of pranayama?
- Dr. Sundar defines prana
- Measuring success in pranayama
Resources and Links Mentioned:
- Restorative Yoga Teacher Training & Immersion (Module 1)
- Pranayama Yoga Teacher Training & Immersion (Module 2)
- Mind Your Breathing: The Yogi’s Handbook with 37 Pranayama Exercises by Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian
- The National Center for Biotechnology Information
- Discover Magazine
- International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Tirumantiram: A Tamil Scriptural Classic
- PranaScience Institute
- PranaScience Instagram
- PranaScience Facebook Page
- PranaScience Email
