Why practice Yogic Breathing Technique Pranayama

Breathing is a natural process where we don't have to think or make any extra effort. Due to this we don't give much importance to breathing technique. Scientific research shows that mindful breathing—paying attention to your breath and learning how to manipulate it—is one of the most effective ways to lower everyday stress levels and improve a variety of health factors ranging from mood to metabolism.
Therefore, here are a few reasons why we should practice pranayama...
1. Happiness + emotional stability
Manipulating the breath can alter how we feel. As mental faculties like emotions, thoughts and imagination affect our body so negative emotions, mental stress, when prolonged can drain all the energy making us cranky, unhappy and depressed. Pranayama has the capacity of calming our emotions and bringing awareness to the physical and mental blockages before it gets worse.
2. Weight Loss
Yogic breathing practices increase levels of leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue that signals the brain to inhibit hunger, according to research from Shirley Telles, PhD, director of the Patanjali Research Foundation in Haridwar, India.
3. Better exercise stamina
A cardiologist at the University of Pavia, Italy, compared a group of mountaineers who practiced slow breathing an hour a day for two years before attempting to climb Mount Everest to a group who didn’t. The breathing group reached the summit without needing the supplemental oxygen the other group did, and their blood and exhalation samples showed they were using 70 percent of the surface area of their lungs, an amount that maximizes the O2 taken in
4. Longer life
Just one session of relaxing practices like meditation, yoga, and pranayama influenced the expression of genes in both short-term and long-term practitioners, according to a Harvard study. Blood samples taken before and after the breathing practices indicated a post-practice increase in genetic material involved in improving metabolism and a suppression of genetic pathways linked with inflammation. Since chronic inflammation has also been associated with such deadly diseases as Alzheimer’s, depression, cancer, and heart disease, it’s probably fair to say that better breathing may not only change your life but may also save it.
5. Spiritual practice

Pranayama is a step before meditation. Pranayama evokes body and breath awareness which is crucial for meditation practice. If you are comfortable in your posture and your breathing rhythm is calm and quiet  then you can practice your meditation with more ease .