Where the word comes from
The word has two parts. Prana means the breath of life in the tradition; in practice it simply means breath. Ayama is most often translated as "extension" or "stretching", which is how people arrive at "control of the breath". There is no single agreed translation, and schools explain the word a little differently.
In classical descriptions of yoga, pranayama stands beside the poses as a part of its own. Today it is taught at the start or end of an ordinary class and also as a class of its own.
How to say it
Say it PRAH-nuh-YAH-muh, with the main stress on the third syllable. The word runs evenly; no part of it is held long.
What it looks like in class
Usually you sit on a cushion or a chair with a back that can stay upright without effort. The teacher first asks you to notice your breath, then offers a simple technique: an even count for inhale and exhale, a longer exhale, alternate-nostril breathing, or a soft sound in the throat on the exhale as in ujjayi.
Techniques take from a few minutes up to half of a class, with pauses of normal breathing between them. If a technique feels uncomfortable or makes you dizzy, go back to your usual breath. That is always allowed.
Pranayama and the poses
In class breath and poses are directly linked. In vinyasa the inhale and exhale set the pace of the movement, which is already work with the breath, though not pranayama in the strict sense. Separate techniques are taught because at rest it is easier to notice how you breathe and to learn to lengthen the exhale without tensing the shoulders and neck.
A good reference point for a beginner: the breath should never become a struggle. If you catch yourself clenching your teeth or lifting your shoulders, return to an ordinary inhale and exhale. With time simple techniques become a habit and people use them before class, after hours at a computer or before sleep, but that is personal experience, not a guaranteed result.
Common misunderstandings
- "You must breathe as deeply as possible." The aim is not volume but evenness and no strain.
- "Holding the breath is the main thing." You do not need it at the start; holds are added later, carefully, with a teacher.
- "It replaces treatment." Pranayama is a part of practice, not a medical method, and promises nothing.