Breathwork is a major part of any yoga practice as there are lots of different styles of pranayama that help with various things. Pranayama can be translated as controlling the life force, the prana, within the body. Prana is often related to the breath but it's not – it's the energy within the body, the energy that gives us life, and this energy is linked to the breath. So, to control the life force, we need to learn to control the breath.
Practicing these breathing exercises can help reduce the chances of you catching a cold. By building heat in the body through breathwork, this helps to stimulate your immune system and can help fight off colds and other bugs that surface in winter. It can also help to keep our sinuses clear even before we get a cold and if we do come down with one, these exercises can help relieve sinus pressure we might feel.
