The phrase “prana” is without doubt one of the mostly used phrases within the yogic custom. All of your efforts of working towards yoga, pranayama, and meditation are in direction of rising the stream of prana vitality and maintaining it wholesome.
Prana (written as “Praan” in Sanskrit) could be interpreted as “life drive”, “vitality” or “important precept”. It may also be damaged down into the foundation phrases pra means “forth” and an means “motion” or “to breath”. Thus, prana is the respiratory forth of significant vitality.
You could assume that prana is just like respiratory. It’s partially appropriate, however prana is extra than simply respiratory. It’s vitality or shakti that programs via the assorted vitality channel or nadis to supply the important life drive to the physique.
One of many sources of prana is breath via which the vitality is transported through our blood. And it’s not solely the breath however meals, water, info, perceptions, speaking, listening, sensations, and so forth additionally contribute in direction of prana vitality for us to maintain.
Prana has 5 vitality subtypes – Prana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Udana Vayu, and Vyana Vayu. Out of those subtypes, the prana vayu is taken into account a particularly important or elementary vayu.
On this collection of 5 Prana vayus, we’ll clarify what precisely is prana vayu and the way it’s important for our day-to-day functioning.
What’s Prana Vayu?

Prana Vayu is without doubt one of the 5 subtypes of prana vitality and is taken into account probably the most elementary. It’s related to the inward and upward motion of air, primarily liable for the consumption of vitality. This vayu governs the breath, the absorption of meals and water, and sensory perceptions. Actions similar to coughing, sighing, and swallowing additionally fall beneath its area.
Situated within the coronary heart chakra (Anahata) and the chest, the place the lungs reside, Prana Vayu facilitates the consumption of air, a major supply of prana. Some traditions additionally affiliate Prana Vayu with the third eye chakra (Ajna), emphasizing its function in focus and the connection to the component of air.
Capabilities of Prana Vayu
Prana Vayu performs a number of essential roles within the physique:
- Respiration: It controls the growth and contraction of the lungs, thereby affecting the motion of the guts and making certain environment friendly respiratory and circulatory features.
- Swallowing: This vayu facilitates the downward motion of chewed meals from the mouth to the abdomen.
- Saliva Manufacturing: It stimulates saliva manufacturing, aiding within the tasting, chewing, and preliminary digestion of meals.
- Digestive Assist: It not directly helps the features of Samana Vayu (digestion and assimilation) and Apana Vayu (elimination).
- Nerve Capabilities: By enhancing mental capability, it helps nerve features, sensory notion, thought manufacturing, and knowledge processing.
Indicators of Imbalance in Prana Vayu
Wanting on the above features, evidently the prana vayu is all-pervading. There may be not a single physique space the place the prana vayu doesn’t play an vital function. The opposite subtypes additionally rely upon the proper functioning of the prana vayu.
Therefore it goes with out saying that even the slightest imbalance within the prana vayu can result in disturbances. When you have the below-mentioned indicators, your prana vayu could also be in a toss.
- Breathlessness, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, hiccoughs
- Chilly, congestion, cough
- Hoarse voice
- Low immunity and vitality
- Poor circulation,
- Coronary heart palpitations
- Sleep apnea
- Poor posture
- Extreme anxiousness, fear, concern, anger
- complications
- Lack of focus
- Emotional blockages attributable to imbalances within the coronary heart chakra
Methods to Stability the Prana Vayu

Sustaining a balanced Prana Vayu includes a number of practices:
- Yoga: Dynamic poses that promote fluid motion and open the higher physique, similar to Little one’s Pose, Cat/Cow Pose, Bridge Pose, Bow Pose, Camel Pose, Dancer Pose, Cobra Pose, Chair Pose, Warrior Poses, and Downward Canine Pose.
- Pranayama: Managed respiratory methods like Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath), Bhastrika (Bellows Breath), and Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Respiration) assist improve and stability Prana Vayu.
- Meditation: Common meditation brings consciousness to the prana stream and psychological state. Practising Prana Mudra (becoming a member of the guidelines of the ring and little fingers to the thumb) can stimulate vitality channels, clear chakra blockages, and stability elemental energies.
- Way of life: A balanced weight loss program, walks in nature, and surrounding oneself with optimistic stimuli like colours, aromas, and sounds can help wholesome Prana Vayu.
Prana Vayu is crucial for our day-to-day functioning, influencing every little thing from our respiratory and circulatory techniques to our psychological readability and emotional well-being. By understanding and nurturing this important vitality, we are able to promote total well being and vitality.
Conclusion
The physique’s sustaining system is named prana. Take a minute to discover what your physique requires when you’ve reached a state of understanding of how your breath flows all through your physique. An important place to start is to develop into conscious of your prana vayus and their numerous roles.