The same principle holds good when it comes to the practice of pranayama. An intensive exchange of carbon dioxide with atmospheric oxygen work beyond sustaining your life - it starts reaching out to your organs to the cellular level, to restore natural cellular functioning.

The cellular organelles (nucleus, mitochondria, etc) start responding to the favourable conditions with their full potential so that the system from the cellular level to the level of organ and the body gets on to the path of recovery.

A regular and intensive regime of breathing thus reaches medicinal proportions.

Pranayama benfits organ functioning

Coupled with the strokes of breathing, in the practice of pranayama, are the accompanying strokes of your belly that moves in a similar rhythm. This movement gives continuous exercise to your internal, visceral organs like liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines.

As unhealthy internal organs respond to this massage effect and better delivery of oxygen in the blood, they start to return to normal functioning again.

Your pulmonary (lungs) and circulatory (blood) systems are the first ones to respond favourably to pranayama. The skeletal (bones) system responds after the internal organs. Skin is among the last. Hair condition can also be restored over a period of time.

Yoga is not a religion

Yoga is not affected by or would affect any system of belief. It is not a religion. Hence anyone with any system of faith and belief can participate. Yoga means union - it unites the different into one for the attainment of physical and the spiritual happiness through a definite regime of practices.

Yoga is about restraint, for unbridled freedom is irresponsible too - freedom to eat just anything, sleep just anytime, lead your life just anyway, these all mean going against the tenets of nature, and they all a recipe of physical and mental unbalance.

Yoga helps us restore this balance in a healthy and natural way.