What is the difference between pranayama and breathwork?

What is the difference between pranayama and breathwork really? Breathing is an essential bodily function, is typically involuntary, governed by the autonomic nervous system that oversees vital functions like heartbeat and digestion. 

Let’s untangling the difference between pranayama and breathwork 

You can practice the breath in many different ways, and some of the maybe two most common practices right now are: pranayama and breathwork. The word breathwork has increased in popularity in recent years and in this article we’re untangling the difference between them. 

 

What is Pranayama?

Pranayama is the practice of breath regulation. Pranayama is for the mind what the yoga asana is for the body. It often involves deliberate slow breathing, a practice known to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation. When it comes to Pranayama, it’s the repetition of the practice that is recommended, not the use of a great amount of effort. 

 

Why Pranayama?

Just a few minutes of yoga with bending and breathing can expand your lung capacity, and with that extra lung capacity we can expand our lives. 

 

Pranayama is fantastic because it can:

• Help to amp up the movement of the diaphragm 
• Bring us into the present moment 
• Activate the parasympathetic nervous system
• Improve digestion 
• Improve circulation 
• Release tension 
• Create harmony in your body 
• Create energy 
• Calm you down 

 

Pranayama, just like any other branch on the 8 folded path of yoga, is about awareness. For Patanjali, pranayama is the natural result of perfect harmony in the body, and as a result of pranayama harmony in the body appears 

 

What is Breathwork? 

Breathwork is the act of controlled breathing.

We breathe 20-25.000 times per day. As we take conscious control over the breath different benefits and effects can be achieved. 

 

Why Breathwork? 

Breathwork is a fantastic modality to: 

• Connect with one’s body 
• Create stillness in the mind and come to a deeply meditative state
• Boost immune system 
• Train respiratory system 
• Release stuck emotions 
• Get energy 
• Stress relief 
• Balance autonomic nervous system
• Reach altered state of consciousness
• Improve CO2 tolerance 

 

There are literally hundreds of different breathing techniques which offer different benefits and effects on our bodies. At our Yoga studio on Södermalm we offer Somatic Breathwork on our schedule. This method uses circular breathing and rhythmic music to trigger emotional release, which might include movements, shaking, or even crying or laughing.