Science of Pranayam, Meditation

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Each cell in our body also requires energy (called Prana) to survive. This energy is created in a specific part of the cell called Mitochondrion which uses oxygen to oxidize glucose.

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 If the quality or quantity of oxygen reaching the cell is less, the energy output is also less. But since energy cannot be compromised, the mitochondria immediately demands more oxygen and hence the lungs inhales (refills) air again and the cycle repeats.body & energy efficiency can be improved by:
1) Improving blood circulation
2) Improving capacity of lungs
Although Asanas address the blood circulation throughout the body, there are several internal organs & tissues which are beyond the scope of Asanas. For example, we need different techniques (other than asanas) to rejuvenate the the brain cells, nervous system & nadis. This is where Pranayama comes to the rescue. Pranayamas are basically breathing exercises which involves combinations of inhalations, exhalations, vigorous breathing, breath control and more. Just like how we have several asanas, we also have several pranayamas, each catering to certain aspect. Each pranayama can either improve blood circulation or improve lung capacity or do both.

For example, Kapalabhati pranayam improves blood circulation in the brain while Bhastrika pranayam improves lung capacity. Ujjayi regulates blood pressure whereas Anulom Vilom cleanses & tones the nervous system. This way, practicing the right set of pranayamas can eventually result in increased lung capacity & improved blood circulation.

It is widely acknowledged that Yogis, despite having similar lung size as that of an average human, can inhale 3-4 times more air because regular practice of Pranayama would have increased their lung capacity i.e They fill their lungs completely (almost 100%) with air during every inhalation, and exhale it completely before the next inhalation.
Renowned Yoga master BKS Iyengar demonstrates his lung capacity in this 2 min clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcPjvp4La8A

With increased lung capacity & improved blood circulation, the breathing rate (number of times the lungs are refilled) decreases. As with any machine which has wear & tear and a shelf life, our body also has a shelf-life which is proportional to the number of breaths it takes throughout its lifetime.

study of Pranayama has gained prominence in the medical field, with experiments ranging from measuring reaction time, to long term analysis of health benefits. Due to the acknowledgement of the benefits of Pranayama by medical sciences, it is being recommended by doctors throughout the world and Yoga teachers with entrepreneurial minds have turned it into big business.



http://www.ijpp.com/IJPP%20archives/2003_47_2/229-230.pdf
Despite several such proofs & acknowledgement of the benefits of Pranayama in the western world, surprisingly, it is yet to be recognized in its own country i.e India.
When it was recently introduced in Indian schools (along with Yoga), there was a severe backlash from several communities in the name of secularism and the matter is now in the Supreme Court to decide whether Yoga & Pranayama can taught in schools or not.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939514/pdf/jcdr-8-10.pdf



Source-Modified from guruprasad.net 

science and effect of yoga

Meditation, Yoga have long been heralded as having a wide range of immediate and long term benefits and as science delves deeper into the mechanics of the metaphysical, evidence continues to build in their favor. These practices have been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, enhance learning, memory, and cognition and even enhance immune system function and reduce risk of heart diseases. However, the understanding of exactly how these changes take place in the mind and body has been somewhat elusive.

Researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center trained 26 adult subjects without prior experience in various relaxation techniques such as meditation, mantra (the repetition of ‘sacred’ sounds) and mindfulness practice. Participants were given blood tests immediately preceeding and immediately following 20 minutes of self directed practice. By looking at 22,000 different gene sequences, researchers were able to identify and measure any changes that occurred during/after practicing various relaxation techniques (meditation, mantra, mindfulness).

The results were nothing short of remarkable. All of the 26 participants showed measurable changes in the genes that researchers have identified as being responsible for or related to relaxation (reduced cell energy production), aging, metabolism and even insulin response. These changes were shown to be indicative of a reduced stress response and initiated activity in telomere maintenance genes, meaning that the meditation, mantra and mindfulness practice may have actually initiated changes in the body that led to repair of DNA.

Importantly, this study demonstrates that during one session of RR [relaxation response] practice rapid changes in gene expression (on the order of minutes) are induced that are linked to a select set of biological pathways among both long-term and short-term practitioners that might explain the health benefits of RR practices. These genes have been linked to pathways responsible for energy metabolism, electron transport chain, biological oxidation and insulin secretion. These pathways play central roles in mitochondrial energy mechanics, oxidative phosphorylation and cell aging [48], [51]. We hypothesized that upregulation of biological oxidation gene sets may enhance efficiency of oxidation-reduction reactions and thereby reduce oxidative stress.

Furthermore, the changes were not only observed in novice practitioners. The study also used a group of advanced meditators as a control group, measuring their blood both before and after practice as well. The results demonstrated the the experienced practitioners experienced even more pronounced and immediate results than the novice group. The researchers also noted that advanced practitioners also had unique genetic patterns of expression compared to the amateur group, suggesting that long term practice has different effects than it does initially, although both groups had plenty of overlap.

Analysis of the transcriptome data revealed that temporal modulation of gene expression occurred in both short- (N2) and long-term (M) practitioners as compared to novices (N1). Long-term RR practitioners exhibited more pronounced and consistent immediate gene expression changes as compared to short-term practitioners. Some genes were modified only in long-term practitioners (Long-term patterns), whereas others were modified in both short- and long-term practitioners with a greater intensity in the latter (Progressive patterns).

This research is groundbreaking because it shows that yoga can have a dramatic effect on the human body. It can change you right down to the genetic level. It demonstrates that yoga, and in particular yogic breathing, pranayama, has an instantaneous positive effect on how our genes work and express. This may be one of the reasons we feel so well after a yoga class, and why the regular practice of yoga supports ongoing growth and improvement in health and well being.