Oxygen

• Yoga breathing, also known as Pranayama, is aimed at drawing more oxygen into a person's body. Yoga embraces the belief that each person has a vital life energy, known as prana. Doing yoga breathing exercises revitalizes this prana by enriching the body with oxygen. According to the ABC of Yoga site, this means there will be more oxygen in the bloodstream and it will also help feed the brain.
  
  

Nutrition

• The ABC of Yoga site says that one of the main purposes of yoga breathing is to nourish the body. Oxygen is just as vital to doing this as food and water. If the brain is not getting enough oxygen, the ripple effects can harm the other body organs. Yoga breathing promotes whole-body health by keeping the brain properly nourished so the rest of the body can stay healthy.
  
  

Purification

• Because yoga breathing increases oxygen in the bloodstream, it contributes to purification of the body. Blood flows throughout the body, reaching every area and promoting health of all the body's organs. The site ABC of Yoga cites a Baylor University study that showed arterial disease could be reversed in lab monkeys by pumping oxygen into their arteries.
  
  

Posture

• In order to do yoga breathing, you must be in a position that allows you to breathe in deeply. This is impossible to do when you are slouched because poor posture diminishes your lung capacity. Yoga breathing benefits you by teaching you what proper posture feels like and getting you in the habit of maintaining it.
  
  

Stress Reduction

• Yoga breathing is slow and deep, which is the opposite of the way you breathe when you are under stress. Anxiety usually causes rapid, shallow breathing. If you switch to yoga breathing at stressful times, it will promote relaxation and release of anxious feelings.