Definition: Breath control. Although breathing is one of our involuntary bodily functions (it happens whether you think about it or not, if you are alive) we can also control the breath to some extent. Exercises in breath control, such as breath retention and deliberate methods inhalation and exhalation for specific mental and physical benefits are called pranayama.
Examples: Kapalabhati pranayama is a method of breath control where a forceful exhale is followed by a passive inhale, usually in rounds of thirty breaths, which clears the nasal passages and offers relief from allergies.
