Prana and Pranayama · Yoga and Meditation ·Jul 23, 2017

The Five Pranas and How They Changed My Life - Part I - What Is Prana

➡️ This is the second article in a series. Get your head around what is going on by reading the fist one here

What Is Prana

Prana is the life force energy. Prana is that part of you that is alive, passionate and full of compassion. Prana is that which leaves your body when you die and with it, takes what was you, maybe to somewhere else or back to the source.

Prana is that which is constantly moving. Like the wind shakes the leaves on the trees, rises kites high into the sky and generates electricity by spinning the arms of the windmills, similar prana is the wind in our body that is responsible for the movement of life.

We can't see the wind but we know that it is there. We notice it as it filters through our hair and when it slows us down on our bikes. We cannot see prana, but we can feel it.

What Keeps You Alive?

It is not the food that keeps you alive, nor the breath. You can stop eating, for some time, and you'll be okay. You can live without water, not for long, but you can and you are still you. You can even very briefly (and I am not suggesting you should) hold your breath, and you are still alive. So what is it that sustains life as we know it? What enables us to move, act and be who we are (or trying too hard to be who we want to be)?

The Answer Is Prana

Where there is movement, there's is life, and where there is life, there is prana. Everything is constantly in motion. Even the most static elements, such as rocks and stones, walls and ceilings. If we zoom in, we will discover that it isn't the solid thing we believed it to be, rather it is billions of particles in constant movement. It is alive with prana.

The Source Of Prana

We begin life with a certain amount of prana gifted from our parents. Then it is up to us to gather prana ourselves and keep the quality high. We receive prana from four sources:

Food,
Environment,
Breath and
Higher Connections.

Locating Prana

Prana enters our body and runs in our nadi system. The nadi system is much like our veins and arteries. These nadis circulates the prana within the body.

As the prana enters the body it splits into 10 aspects located in different areas of the body and therefore being responsible for different aspects of your being. Within the 10 pranas there are the 5 Mahapranas (the 5 most important aspects of prana).

Prana Vayu
Located in the area of the chest, Responsible for everything you bring into your body, food, thoughts, impressions, inhalation and ideas.

Apana Vayu
Located in the area below the navel and around the hips. Responsible for all outgoings: speaking, elimination, purification, moon cycle, sweat, and exhalation.

Samana Vayu
Located in the area of the navel. Equalises prana and apana. Responsible for digestion of food and thoughts and the balancing in and out goings.

Viyana Vayu
Viyana Prana is everywhere in the body and is responsible for the circulation of nutrients and oxygen.

Udana Vayu
Located in the area between the throat and crown of the head. Responsible for our intuition. Udana vayu makes us smile and laugh. Links our deepest longing of the heart with the rationalism of the brain. Connects thoughts and actions and enables us to go where our heart leads us.

When Diseases Arises

Blockages in the nadis affect the flow of prana in the body and ultimately lead to diseases and complications in the physical body.

Knowing about the prana and the five aspects gives you the opportunity to feed, and move your body in such a way that prolongs your life, gives your more energy and helps you to connect with higher knowledge.