Prana

Prana (प्राण, prāṇa) is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root prā "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus "full"). It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" (nose, mouth, eyes, ears and mind; ChUp. 2.7.1).

In Vedantic philosophy, prana is the notion of a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy, comparable to the Chinese notion of Qi. Prana is a central concept in Ayurveda and Yoga, where it is believed to flow through a network of fine subtle channels called nadis. Its most subtle material form is the breath, but it is also to be found in the blood, and its most concentrated form is semen in men and vaginal fluid in women.[1] The Pranamaya-kosha is one of the five Koshas or "sheaths" of the Atman.

Prana was first expounded in the Upanishads, where it is part of the worldly, physical realm, sustaining the body and the mother of thought and thus also of the mind. Prana suffuses all living forms but is not itself the Atman or individual soul. In the Ayurveda, the Sun and sunshine are held to be a source of prana.

In the Hindu philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, prana is regarded as an aspect of Shakti (cosmic energy).

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Nadis

Further information: Nadi (yoga)

In Yoga, the three main channels of prana are the Ida, the Pingala and the Sushumna. Ida relates to the right side of the brain, and the left side of the body, terminating at the left nostril and pingala to the left side of the brain and the right side of the body, terminating at the right nostril. In some practices, alternate nostril breathing balances the prana that flows within the body. In most ancient texts, the total number of nadis in the human body is stated to be 72,000. When prana enters a period of uplifted, intensified activity, the Yogic tradition refers to it as Pranotthana.[2]

The Five Prāṇas

In Ayurveda, the Prāṇa is further classified into subcategories, referred to as prana vayus. According to Hindu philosophy these are the vital principles of basic energy and subtle faculties of an individual that sustain physiological processes. There are five pranas or vital currents in the Hindu system:[3]

  1. Prāṇa : Responsible for the beating of the heart and breathing. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system.
  2. Apāna : Responsible for the elimination of waste products from the body through the lungs and excretory systems.
  3. Uḍāna : Responsible for producing sounds through the vocal apparatus, as in speaking, singing, laughing, and crying. Also it represents the conscious energy required to produce the vocal sounds corresponding to the intent of the being. Hence Samyama on udana gives the higher centers total control over the body.
  4. Samāna : Responsible for the digestion of food and cell metabolism (i.e. the repair and manufacture of new cells and growth). Samana also includes the heat regulating processes of the body. Auras are projections of this current. By meditational practices one can see auras of light around every being. Yogis who do special practise on samana can produce a blazing aura at will.]]).
  5. Vyāna : Responsible for the expansion and contraction processes of the body, e.g. the voluntary muscular system.

The Five Upa-Pranas

In Yoga the Prana is further classified into subcategory Upa-prana with following items:[4]

  1. Naga : Responsible for burping.
  2. Kurma : Responsible for blinking.
  3. Devadatta : Responsible for yawning.
  4. Krikala : Responsible for Sneezing.
  5. Dhananjaya : Responsible for opening and closing of heart valves.

Pranayama

Pranayama is the practice in which the control of prana is achieved (initially) from the control of one's breathing. According to Yogic philosophy the breath, or air, is merely a gateway to the world of prana and its manifestation in the body. In yoga, pranayama techniques are used to control the movement of these vital energies within the body, which is said to lead to an increase in vitality in the practitioner. However, intensive practice [5] of these techniques is not trivial. Kason [6] describes situations where intensive pranayama techniques may have adverse effects on certain practitioners. According to kundalini yoga, intensive and systematic practice of pranayama can lead to the awakening of kundalini.

See also

References

  1. ^ Richard King, Indian philosophy: an introduction to Hindu and Buddhist thought. Edinburgh University Press, 1999, page 70.
  2. ^ Sovatsky, 1998
  3. ^ Rammurti S. Mishra Yoga Sutras: The Textbook of Yoga Psychology
  4. ^ Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, The System “Yoga in Daily Life”, 2005 by Ibera Verlag, ISBN 3-85052-000-5, p. 390-396
  5. ^ In this context: indicating increased emphasis or force.
  6. ^ Kason, 2000. p. 270–71.

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