The opening breathing exercise of the Bikram Hot Yoga series is the Pranayama Breathing exercise or Life Force Control ; it teaches you how to control your breathing better and helps unify your mind and the physical body. The breath is the only bodily process we have any conscious control over, making it a unique and vital function. In the world of yoga, the breath is what connects the mind, body, and spirit. The rest of our bodily functions operate from the subconscious and work on autopilot without putting too much thought into them