Is prāṇāyāma the same thing as breath-work? Both labels are commonly used to teach similar techniques. They’re also increasingly hard to distinguish, because of ongoing changes in methods and objectives. This conversation with Isabel Tew examines the overlaps as well as distinctions between modern systems.
Isabel started with yoga, which made her curious about prāṇāyāma – a much older form of practice than sequences of postures. However, she’s also explored modern breath-work, and some of its teachings are part of her Breath Cards (published on October 29), which present daily “practices for calm, clarity and renewal”.
Together, we reflect on a general shift in yogic priorities towards well-being, as opposed to ancient goals of renouncing the world. That helps to blur boundaries between East and West, leading teachers of yoga to draw inspiration from a wide range of sources (for more details, see this recent article by Magdalena Kraler).
As we discuss, most contemporary approaches focus on healing in some way, which has parallels with earlier frameworks of transcending suffering. For an accessible overview of prāṇāyāma history, try this talk at truthofyoga.com.
* N.B. there’s still time to join me for The Truth of Yoga online course *
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