Pranayama is carefully defined as a complex form of yoga, which should be practiced only by those experienced in it and under the supervision of a guru.
It is the one most prone to accidents, like pneumothorax.
There are many different forms, all of them variations in breathing through varying techniques in aspiration and expiration, and breath holding, and, it is a form of yoga through which trance is achieved through stopping all breathing.
Most of the knowledge availabe is in Sanskript (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama).
It is ancient, there are many different types and and fashions, and its origins are shown in the Bhagavad Gita; it is used medically, for stress disorders, although a Cochrane Review could not find an effect.
The amazing figure, Breath of fire, according to one of the authors, Greg Dunn, “explores alternative ways of interpreting the mind and brain. It is directly inspired by my practice of meditation and experiences inside my sensory deprivation tank. The chosen color scheme suggests the intensity of sensations during the practice of pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) by likening them to the colors of a smoldering flame. It is essentially a “heat map” of where the awareness of subtle energy that develops with practice is felt most intensely in the body.”
Dr Paulo Bittencourt
figure by Greg Dunn and Brian Edwards at www.gregadunn.com
