Pranayamas may be of several kinds. Among these, a set of eight types of Pranayama have been described originally such as:

• Ujjayi Pranayama which is associated with high pitch voice, during the practice.
   

• Surya bhedana which is characterized by inhalation through the surya nadi i.e. right nostril.
   

• Sitkari which is characterized by production of a special type of sound during the practice. 
   

• Sitali which is associated with a cooling effect generated by inhaling air inside while keeping the tongue protruded.
   

• Bhastrika is characterized by breathing like a bellow.
   

• Bhramari is characterized by production of humming noise, stimulating the sound of humming of bees during inhalation and exhalation. 
   

• Murcha to make the brain inactive during Pranayama. 
   

• Plavini is the kind of Pranayama which enables the practitioner to swim over the water during Pranayama.

Ordinarily Puraka means to inhale, Kumbhaka means to withhold the breath with inhaled air and Rechaka means to exhale.

• Pranayama occupies second place in Hatha Yoga while it constitutes the fourth step of Ashtanga Yoga. 
   

• A serious student of yoga is expected to start practicing Pranayama when he becomes well versed in aasanas i.e. when a stage of aasanjaya is achieved so that one can sit for hours together, steadily and comfortably.
   

• The word Pranayama is formed by two words i.e. 'Prana' and 'Ayama'. 

'Prana' means a subtle life force which provides energy to different organs (including mind) and also controls many vital life processes (e. g. circulation, respiration etc). 

• Breathing is one of the vital activities governed by 'prana' on primary level. Yoga has taken best advantage of this situation, considering that the mind could be controlled effectively with the voluntary control over breathing which in turn would control materialistic inclinations of the mind. 
   

• Therefore, Pranayama essentially becomes a process by which 'prana' is controlled by regulating the breathing voluntarily. 
   

• For our understanding, 'Prana' is simply a breath and 'Ayama' means control over it. 
   

• Just like we have 'speed breakers' on the road to control the flow of traffic, we bring a 'pause' in our breathing. So Pranayama means a voluntary and temporary pause in the movement of breath.