No. You can practice Pranayama without sitting on a mat or holding poses, and it does not require a specific location to practice. You can practice Pranayama anywhere and in any posture.
Yes, you can choose any comfortable seating to practice Pranayama. Depending on the exercise, it may be beneficial to keep the back straight. Consult with your instructor on the posture for individual Pranayama and your specific condition.
Anything comfortable is good! Just make sure that the clothing does not hinder your deep breathing; what you wear should not be blocking your abdominal movement during deep breathing exercises.
Not necessarily. Most Pranayama techniques are easy to practice at any posture. However, some postures are best for certain types of breathing to be practiced.
Yes, those terms can be used interchangeably. It can also be called breathwork or regulated breathing.
No. There are no specific dietary restrictions required to practice Pranayama. However, it is best to practice two or more hours after eating or before a meal. Bloating can cause discomfort during specific exercises.
PranaScience has multiple sessions designed for various target groups. There are programs designed specifically for children, and some programs have no age limitations. However, there are specific programs designed for adult participants only. Please see the details for each program. If you would like to organize a kid’s practice session, please use the Contact Page to reach out to us.
Yes, we specifically design appropriate Pranayama exercises for older adults. We have been providing these gentle breathing exercises for memory care units, residents, and senior living facilities in South Carolina. Additionally, Dr. Sundar is researching the effects of gentle yoga and breathing exercises among older adults. These studies will be helpful to deepen our knowledge in this area.
There is a common misconception that pregnant women should not practice Pranayama. Pranayama can help to relieve stress and help you feel energized during pregnancy. PranaScience has a selection of Pranayama practices for pregnant women. After childbirth, Pranayama can help with improving mood, lactation and reducing potential mental health challenges. Introducing breathing exercises early on in pregnancy can make things easier in all stages of childbirth.
We understand that we all live in different time zones and have different work schedules. That is why we record all our sessions and make them available for you to view and practice later. A video link will be sent out at the end of each session and remain open for one week. These videos will be archived in our library and will be available for subscribed members.
Please refer to our Events Page for the most updated events list. Early morning Pranayama, Weekend Pranayama Series, and Pranayama Teacher Training are some of our standard courses.
Yes, one-on-one consultations with Dr. Sundar are available. However, spots are limited for individual sessions. These sessions will provide a space for you to discuss any underlying conditions or any other concerns specific to your pers practice. Please follow the Calendly instructions to schedule your consultation: https://calendly.com/pranascience/30min
Dr. Sundar speaks in over 100 events annually. Our programs are set up several weeks in advance. We will be happy to schedule Dr. Sundar for your event. Please fill out the appointment form, and someone will contact you within 24 hours.
Stress is proven to be a key determinant for several addictive behaviors, and breathing exercises are valuable tools to reduce stress. Based on both ancient wisdom and recent scientific studies, PranaScience uses Pranayama to help break addictive behaviors. Pranayama, in general, dramatically improves mood, relaxation, and overall well-being that together can aid in quitting an addictive behavior.
Dr. Sundar’s groundbreaking research has proven that Pranayama stimulates several biochemicals related to the nervous, immune, and circulatory systems. These biochemicals can improve the function of those systems. Dr. Sundar’s published papers and other popular articles explaining the science are listed here (RESEARCH).
Dr. Sundar has published numerous articles in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The complete list is available on his Google Scholar page (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=2E9w-LgAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate). More information on Dr. Sundar’s books available on BOOKS page. These books are also available through Amazon worldwide.
Depending upon the type of Pranayama, this might change. For example, one can practice the slow deep breathing exercise for as long as they are comfortable. However, we recommend that exercises such as Kapalabhati only be practiced briefly and incorporate intervals for resting, for example, three times a day, each for 10 minutes with intermittent resting and watching periods. Again, Pranayama is a personal experience, and it will vary from person to person.
Ideally, one should practice Pranayama every day. Our programs will help you find ways to keep up with the practice daily in this busy life.
Yes! The vital energy (Prana) layer has to be conditioned before one can reach the Mind layer. For conditioning, the vital energy layer has to use Pranayama methods. In the Siddha tradition, Pranayama is considered the ultimate tool for improving meditation and self-realization.
You can practice Asana according to your physical ability. You can do these practices on the floor or in a chair. This practice will improve your breathing and help you prepare for Pranayama; however, even if you cannot perform Asanas, you can still practice Pranayama.
