Pranayama and Tesla: Unexpected Connections

Pranayama is the fourth limb of Ashtanga yoga framework developed by Maharshi Patanjali. As mentioned in his yoga sutra’s, pranayama is defined as follows.

तस्मिन् सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः॥२-४९॥

tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsyor-gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ ॥2-49॥

Pranayama is the control of the motion of inhalation and exhalation after mastering the posture.

This control can be interpreted in two different ways. 

1. Control the motion by slowing down inhalation and or exhalation or both. Slow inhalation or slow exhalation or slowing down the entire respiration results in slowing down our breathing rate considerably which helps in getting your mind calm, quiet, etc.

2. Control the motion by stopping the motion of inhalation or exhalation or both.

From the hatha yoga point of view, this is called as Kumbhaka or holding the breath after inhalation or after exhalation. Not practising this adequately under the guidance of an expert yoga teacher, this can cause negative effects to our body. Especially, when breath is hold for a long duration after inhalation oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide levels rise in our body. Hence, kumbhaka needs to be avoided initially.

Tesla, an automotive company, manufactures electric vehicles and they are quite popular across the world now. Tesla uses a regenerative braking system. Basically, if you release the accelerator pedal in the car, it starts to slow down the motion of the car in such a way that if used correctly you hardly need to use the hard braking. It provides multiple benefits. Since you don’t need to use the brakes, they are preserved and its life increases and this also helps in charging the battery marginally.

If we compare this with the Maharshi Patanjali’s definition of pranayama, slow breathing, either inhalation or exhalation or both is like regenerative braking of Tesla. It reduces the breathing rate, slows down the oxygenation process in the lungs and ultimately improves the longevity of a person.

Maharshi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are a perfect guide for every human being and it is so pragmatic that it guided human beings in the past, its guiding now and it will continue to guide the human being for many generations to come.