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Prānāyāma (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम) is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In Sanskrit, prāṇa means "vital life force", and yāma means to gain control. In yoga, breath is associated with prāṇa, thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the prāṇa ṣakti, or life energies. Prānāyāma is described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Later in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. Prāṇāyāma (Devanagari: प्राणायाम ) is a Sanskrit compound. It is defined variously by different authors. Macdonell gives the etymology as prana (), breath, + āyāma and defines it as the suspension of breath. Monier-Williams defines the compound as "of the three 'breath-exercises' performed during (See , , ". This technical definition refers to a particular system of breath control with three processes as explained by Bhattacharyya: (to take the breath inside), (to retain it), and (to discharge it). There are other processes of prāṇāyāma besides this three-step model. V. S. Apte's definition of derives it from + and provides several variant meanings for it when used in compounds. The first three meanings have to do with "length", "expansion, extension", and "stretching, extending", but in the specific case of use in the compound he defines as meaning "restrain, control, stopping". Ramamurti Mishra gives the definition: Expansion of individual energy into cosmic energy is called (, energy + , expansion). Pranayama is mentioned in verse 4.29 of the Bhagavad Gītā, which states "Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice." Pranayama is the fourth "limb" of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga mentioned in verse 2.29 in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

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