Hindus and yogis have long understood the power of the breath. In fact, while most people consider asana practice to be the foundation of yoga, the earliest texts on yoga speak little of physical postures, instead emphasizing the power of the breath. Pranayama is a foundation of yoga practice – which can be broken down into prana, meaning ‘life force’ and yama, meaning ‘control.’ And even in yoga asana practice, the breath is a strong, consistent thread. While holding and moving through poses is indeed a physical practice, mindfulness of the breath is woven into each move and each held posture.
