Pranayama: a divine power in sports
Vinuta Muktamath, Umesh Muktamath, Basavaraj Ganiger
British journal of sports medicine September 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2010.078725.230 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Pranayama Meditation |
| Topics | Breathwork |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that stress hampers sports performance and that pranayama and meditation, as limbs of ashtanga yoga, can reduce stress and improve physiological measures and athletic tasks such as the 50 m dash, standing broad jump, and agility. The author proposes these practices are simple, inexpensive, and adaptable to any field. |
Abstract
In day to life stress became a big problem in our society, especially in sports. Though a top class sportsman is having scientific coaching and proper nutrition, still he is lacking in showing top class performance because of more stress. Stresses always hamper the performance of an individual in sports competitions. Pranayama is the fourth limb and meditation is the seventh limb of ashtanga yoga. Its full significance has to be properly understood and appreciated. It consists of two components, pran and ayama. Pran is introduced by Sri Yogendraj has bio-energy and ayama means control or discipline. The real meaning of pranayama, therefore, is control of bio-energy. Prana is an essential living activity agent that works in the human body and makes the various function of the body possible. Since the stress is a main hurdle to the performance of sports men it shall be given higher priority to be treated. Numerous physiological effects have been reported due to meditation and pranayama. Lowering the heart beat rate and metabolism, as well as respiration and blood pressure. Also, the meditators significantly improve in the 50 m dash, standing broad jump and in an agility test. Since it does not require any costly instrument, simple in nature, it can adapt to any field to get rid of stress.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on breathwork, most cited first.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Breathwork as a Therapeutic Modality: An Overview for Counselors | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Breathwork in body psychotherapy: Clinical applications | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Enhancement of inter-hemispheric brain waves synchronisation after Pranayama practice | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Relationship and Mechanism Underlying the Effect of Conscious Breathing on the Autonomic Nervous System and Brain Waves | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Holotropic Breathwork, Second Edition | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |