Prana

✨ A universal energy that flows in currents in and around the body ✨⁣

Have you heard of Prana? In the practice of yoga, ‘pranayama’, or the practice of breath regulation, is frequently addressed. This breathing exercise is considered an effective means of self-regulation and the facilitation of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and is one of the major components of yoga. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

When translated literally, the word prana means ‘vital force, ‘breath of life’, or ‘life force energy.’ Prana is an energy that pulses through the body along a network of subtle body channels. Similar to the central nervous system, the channels of the subtle body, or nadis, connect the mind and body and serve as a channel for energy, or prana.⁣⁣⁣⁣

Yogic tradition marks five different types of movement or flow of prana, also known as ‘vayus’. These five vayus steer and regulate the activities within your physical and subtle bodies. Your body and mind are known to reach their full potential when all the vayus are functioning harmoniously, meaning that your prank energy is working its magic.

⁣⁣⁣⁣Physically, as prana moves more freely you may feel an electric charge run through the body. When we “get the shivers” or a “gut feeling” we are responding to prana and the sixth sense of the subtle body. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

We can also recognize the state of our prana by watching the breath. As the electricity of prana runs through the right side channel, for example, it exits the right nostril. In these moments, the logical, left side of the brain is most active. When the left nostril is active, the creative, right side of the brain dominates.⁣⁣⁣⁣

Normally, one nostril or the other is dominant, changing approximately every hour. When we’ve reached a state of nirvana, or complete absorption in meditation, we will finally breathe equally through both sides of the nose.

⁣⁣⁣⁣So, at this moment, notice the current state of your prana. Pay attention to your breath and notice sensations that you’re experiencing. Is your breathing fast and anxious? Slow and peaceful? And what might you do to change those sensations, if that’s what you’d like? Let this be your moment to decide.