Inyoga,Ayurveda, andIndian martial arts,prana (प्राण,prāṇa; theSanskrit word for breath, "life force", or "vital principle")[1] permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects.[2] In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from theSun and connecting theelements.[3]
Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the fivevāyus ("winds"), are described in Hindu texts.Ayurveda,tantra andTibetan medicine all describeprāṇa vāyu as the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise.
Prana is divided into ten main functions: The five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Udana, Vyana and Samana – and the five Upa-Pranas – Naga, Kurma, Devadatta, Krikala and Dhananjaya.
Pranayama, one of theeight limbs of yoga, is intended to expand conscious awareness of prana.
V.S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for theSanskrit wordprāṇa (प्राण) including breath orrespiration;[4] the breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of);[4][5] energy or vigour;[4] the spirit or soul.[4]
Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used by Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing withpranayama, the manipulation of the breath.[6]Thomas McEvilley translatesprāṇa as "spirit-energy".[7] Thebreath is understood to be its most subtle material form, but is also believed to be present in theblood, and most concentrated insemen andvaginal fluid.[8]
Scholars are divided on the original meanings ofprana andapana. Some, likeBöhtlingk, argue that originallyprana meant inbreathing, whileapana meant outbreathing. Others, like Deussen, claim the opposite, stating thatprana meant outbreathing andapana meant inbreathing. However, they agree that in later times, these two terms came to refer to air located in different parts of the body, withprana associated with the upper parts andapana with the lower parts.[9]
The ancient concept of prāṇa is described in many Hindu texts, includingUpanishads andVedas. Prāṇa is typically divided into constituent parts, particularly when concerned withthe human body. While not all early sources agree on the names or number of these divisions, the most common list from theMahabharata, the Upanishads, Ayurvedic and Yogic sources includes five classifications, often subdivided.[10][page needed] This list includesprāṇa (inward moving energy),apāna (outward moving energy),vyāna (circulation of energy),udāna (energy of the head and throat), andsamāna (digestion and assimilation).
Early mention of specific prāṇas often emphasized prāṇa, apāna and vyāna as "the three breaths". This can be seen in the proto-yogic traditions of the Vratyas among others.[11] Texts like theVaikānasasmārta utilized the five prāṇas as an internalization of the five sacrificial fires of apanchāgnihoma ceremony.[12]
One of the earliest references to prāṇa is found in theChandogya Upanishad, but many other Upanishads also use the concept, including theKatha,Mundaka, andPrashna Upanishads. The concept is elaborated upon in great detail in the literature ofhaṭha yoga,[13]tantra, andAyurveda.
TheAtharvaveda describes prāṇa: 'When they had been watered by Prana, the plants spake in concert: 'thou hast, forsooth, prolonged our life, thou hast made us all fragrant.' (11.4–6) 'The holy (âtharvana) plants, the magic (ângirasa) plants, the divine plants, and those produced by men, spring forth, when thou, O Prâna, quickenest them (11.4–16). 'When Prâna has watered the great earth with rain, then the plants spring forth, and also every sort of herb.' (11.4–17) 'O Prâna, be not turned away from me, thou shall not be other than myself! As the embryo of the waters (fire), thee, O Prâna, do bind to me, that I may live.' (11.4)[citation needed]
The Upanishads, particularly the Yoga Upanishads, discuss various breaths with specific names and functions.Prana is consistently regarded as the primary breath, akin to breath in English, whileapana is associated with carrying off excrement. ThePrashna Upanishad first describedprana governing upper body functions andapana controlling lower functions, based on the concept of distinct airs or gases governing bodily functions.Aitareya Upanishad also support this division of breaths, associatingprana with the nasal region andapana with the abdominal region.[9]
TheBhagavad Gita verse 4.27 describes theyoga of self-control as the sacrifice of the actions of the senses and of prāṇa in the fire kindled by knowledge.[14] More generally, the conquest of the senses, the mind, and prāṇa is seen as an essential step on the yogin's path tosamadhi, or indeed as the goal of yoga.[15] Thus, for example, theMalinivijayottaratantra 12.5–7 directs the seeker "who has conquered posture, the mind, prāṇa, the senses, sleep, anger, fear, and anxiety"[16] to practise yoga in a beautiful, undisturbed cave.[16]
One way of categorizing prāṇa is by means of vāyus.Vāyu means "wind" or "air" in Sanskrit, and the term is used in a variety of contexts inHindu philosophy. Prāṇa is considered the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise, as well as one of the five major vāyus. Prāṇa is thus the generic name for all the breaths, including the five major vāyus of prāṇa, apāna, uḍāna, samāna, and vyāna.[17] TheNisvasattvasamhita Nayasutra describes five minor winds, naming three of these as nāga, dhanamjaya, and kurma;[18] the other two are named in theSkandapurana (181.46) andSivapurana Vayaviyasamhita (37.36) as devadatta and krtaka.[19]
| Vāyu | Location | Responsibility[20] |
|---|---|---|
| Prāṇa | Head, lungs, heart | Movement is inward and upward, it is the vital life force. Balanced prāṇa leads to a balanced and calm mind and emotions. |
| Apāna | Lower abdomen | Movement is outward and downward, it is related to processes of elimination, reproduction and skeletal health (absorption of nutrients). Balanced apāna leads to a healthy digestive and reproductive system. |
| Udāna | Diaphragm, throat | Movement is upward, it is related to the respiratory functions, speech and functioning of the brain. Balanced udāna leads to a healthy respiratory system, clarity of speech, healthy mind, good memory, creativity, etc. |
| Samāna | Navel | Movement is spiral, concentrated around the navel, like a churning motion, it is related to digestion on all levels. Balanced samāna leads to a healthy metabolism. |
| Vyāna | Originating from the heart, distributed throughout | Movement is outward, like the circulatory process. It is related to circulatory system, nervous system and cardiac system. Balanced vyāna leads to a healthy heart, circulation and balanced nerves. |
Indian philosophy describes prana flowing innadis (channels), though the details vary.[21] TheBrhadaranyaka Upanishad (2.I.19) mentions 72,000 nadis in the human body, running out from the heart, whereas theKatha Upanishad (6.16) says that 101 channels radiate from the heart.[21] TheVinashikhatantra (140–146) explains the most common model, namely that the three most important nadis are the Ida on the left, the Pingala on the right, and theSushumna in the centre connecting thebase chakra to thecrown chakra, enabling prana to flow throughoutthe subtle body.[21]
When the mind is agitated due to our interactions with the world at large, the physical body also follows in its wake. These agitations cause violent fluctuations in the flow of prana in the nadis.[22]
Prāṇāyāma is a common term for various techniques for accumulating, expanding and working with prana. Pranayama is one of theeight limbs of yoga and is a practice of specific and often intricate breath control techniques. The dynamics and laws of Prana were understood through systematic practice of Pranayama to gain mastery over Prana.[23]
Many pranayama techniques are designed to cleanse thenadis, allowing for greater movement of prana. Other techniques may be utilized to arrest the breath forsamadhi or to bring awareness to specific areas in the practitioner's subtle or physical body. InTibetan Buddhism, it is utilized to generate inner heat in the practice oftummo.[24][25]
InAyurveda and therapeutic yoga, pranayama is utilized for many tasks, including to affect mood and aid in digestion.A. G. Mohan stated that the physical goals of pranayama may be to recover from illness or the maintenance of health, while its mental goals are: "to remove mental disturbances and make the mind focused for meditation".[26]
According toTheos Bernard, the ultimate aim of pranayama is the suspension of breathing, "causing the mind to swoon".[27]Swami Yogananda writes, "The real meaning of Pranayama, according to Patanjali, the founder of Yoga philosophy, is the gradual cessation of breathing, the discontinuance of inhalation and exhalation".[28]
Similar concepts exist in various cultures, including the Latinanima ("breath", "vital force", "animating principle"), Islamic and Suficruh, the Greekpneuma, the Chineseqi, the Polynesianmana, the Amerindianorenda, the Germanod, and the Hebrewruah.[29] Prāṇa is also described as subtle energy[30] or life force.[31]
