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yusquera t1_jbpxnls wrote

It sounds like they are talking about pranayama which is the yogic exercise of altering the breath to have different effects. It isn't necessarily the same as meditation because you might not do it repeatedly for long periods of time, which is basically what meditation is, but pranayama could be viewed as meditation because you are focusing on the breath and building awareness, and maybe doing it for some amount of time and repetition. This is why in zen they say everything is zen.. because whatever you are doing, for one second or one hour, is, in a sense, meditation. If anything there are different types of meditations. Some would say meditation is a key element of yoga, whether you are practicing pranayama, asana, or whatever, you are supposed to be meditating, otherwise it isn't yoga.

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smallcoder t1_jbspng1 wrote

I'm partially disabled with mobility issues, and recently started Kum Nye meditation with my yoga teacher. I am a complete cynic about new age stuff in general but the combination of the breathing exercises and meditative focus is amazing in how it has given me more energy and lowered my general anxiety and pain levels.

I've no idea what the science is behind it all, and frankly it is unimportant to me as long as it works :)

I just have to agree that focused breathing exercises - which are part of the Kum Nye method - are amazing.

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yusquera t1_jbsux78 wrote

Yes, the yogis were aware of this from a long time ago. Breathe properly and oxygen enters your blood, cells, and brain properly, and you feel relaxed and energized. It is kind of amazing how aware people were a long time ago.. yoga is an ancient art.

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