Pranav Pranayama (Om Meditation Breathing)

The Pranav Pranayama technique is one of the simplest breathing techniques, which is called the last pranayama according to the “Patanjali Yoga Sutras”. One of the easiest methods of meditation is to calm the mind by focusing on the movement of your breathing.

Pranav Pranayama is one of the simplest as well as the most beneficial breathing meditation techniques in yoga, which is a prerequisite for meditation and is therefore specifically called Om Dhyana Breath (Om Meditation breathing).

Pranav Pranayama Meaning

The word Pranav Pranayama is a Sanskrit term, used as a synonym for the ‘sacred syllable Om’ and Pranayama refers only to the breathing technique.

This is the last seventh pranayama after practicing all the six pranayamas according to the “Patanjali Yoga Sutras”. In this pranayama technique, you need to focus your mind on the sound of “Om” by concentrating on the continuous breath movement (inhaling and exhaling). This is a very simple breathing exercise. What you might call a type of meditation.

This breathing technique involves all our respiratory organs and one can experience complete yogic breathing in each of their breaths.

How to Practice Pranav Pranayama (Om Meditation Breathing)

First of all, to start Pranav Pranayama, choose a very calm and holy place and if the place is close to nature, then there is more joy in doing Pranav Pranayama. Make sure where you can get fresh air.

• Sit cross-legged in a comfortable position with your spine and neck straight. Choose Padmasana, Vajrasana or Sukhasana as per your wish.

• Place your hands on your knees comfortably, facing the sky in Gyan Mudra or Dhyana Mudra.

• Close your eyes and relax your shoulders and neck, keeping your spine straight.

• Now take long, subtle breaths or focus on your normal breathing. And carefully feel the breath entering and leaving the nostrils.

• While inhaling, focus on an imaginary picture of the Om symbol in your inner ear, between the center of the eyebrow. Watch the image of this Om symbol illuminate with a long breathing motion.

• Now while exhaling slowly, imagine that same “light of OM” gradually diminishing with the exhalation, and feel at peace in your mind with the positive energies present in the universe.

• Thus one inhales and exhales makes one round of Pranav pranayama. Do this process for 3 to 5 minutes in this way.

• Once you have done this, raise your hands up and rub your palms together 15 to 20 times and immediately place them over your eyes.

• Slowly open your eyes and feel the warmth of your palms above your eyes.

Benefits of Pranav Pranayama

In this pranayama process, there is no sound of breathing, and through peaceful meditation, the seeker goes deep into the mind. Where its senses are absorbed in the mind, the mind in the prana, and the prana in the soul, the seeker experiences the Supreme Soul.

• With Pranav Pranayama, the mind becomes very concentrated and stable. The mind of the seeker becomes absorbed and accustomed to Omkar. The perfect seeker, while meditating and becoming one in the form of Brahman in the form of Satchidananda, also attains the unique divine bliss of samadhi.

• Through continuous practice of this Pranayama, ‘Sayam’ is attained by the combination of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

• The mind becomes very calm and pure by the regular practice of this Pranayama.

• People with high blood pressure can also get rid of systolic pressure (SP) and reckless heart rate with the practice of Pranav Pranayama.

• By doing Pranav Pranayama, one gets freedom from mental diseases.

• By doing Pranav Pranayama, all the negative thoughts are eliminated from inside us and the heart is filled with compassion and kindness.

• Pregnant women should practice Pranav breathing for a calming effect on the fetus.

Conclusion

Pranav Pranayama is the most subtle and simplest of all Pranayama. This pranayama is done in the last because by doing this the mind becomes completely calm and meditation is also attained. In Pranayama we use Omkar sound.