Feeling the Juice: Discover Prana - Your Body's Energy

It's 6 pm again. You just came home from a long and exhausting (work) day as usual. You know you should be doing some chores, catch up with friends and also do something fun or productive. But before you can even start, the day is gone and a new one begins. You just feel so drained.. You feel like you don't have enough juice at the moment. What is this juice anyways and how can we fill it up again?

What is Prana?

In Yoga there is this term called Prana, a sanskrit word that can translate to "life force" or "breathing forth". It's the energy that permeates the universe at all levels. The principle of energy responsible for the body's life, heat and maintenance. It's the vital force that flows through our subtle energy body and powers our physical body. It's the purusha, the cosmic being or universal principle who was sacrificed by the gods to create all life. It's our breath. It's our life energy. And as you surely know, in latin breath means spiritus. I'll leave it at that 😏

Prana is not just a concept unique to yoga philosophy. It's found in many different cultures and religions, each with its own interpretation. In Chinese philosophy, it's known as Qi, the vital energy that flows through the body and things. If you know the anime One Piece 🏴‍☠️, it's referred to as Haki, a mysterious power that is possessed by all living beings, quite difficult to master and basically gives you super powers. Being balanced and recognizing/utilizing the flow of the universe (Dao) ☯ gives the characters in Hell's Paradise also immortality.

So we want to have that. We want high energy levels. With yoga we stimulate this flow and also remove any obstacles preventing it, all to harness this power. It would be good if we could relax ourselves or improve our concentration whenever we can. That's were Pranayama, one of the eight limbs of yoga, comes in. It's essentially learning how to breathe.

What is the Pranic body?

Let's look at the Pranic body now. Imagine an onion. When you first look at it, you see its outer layer, the skin. This is like the Annamaya Kosha, the physical body that we can see and touch. It's the layer that interacts with the world through the five senses. It's the part of us that needs food, rest, and exercise. Koshas are the layers that which cover the true Self and each covers a different aspect of our being. Going all the way to our innermost self, which is all about joy and peace. So we are talking here about the whole you ❤️

Now peel back the skin of the onion, and you'll find the next layer. This is like the Pranamaya Kosha, the energy body. It's not something we can see with our eyes, but we can feel it. This layer is all about our life force or energy, known as Prana. It's the part of us that breathes and circulates energy throughout our body. As this blog post is about Prana, we'll take a look at it in more detail below. The practices of Pranayama work mainly with this Kosha.

Peel back another layer of the onion, and you'll find the Manomaya Kosha, the mental body. This layer is all about our thoughts and emotions. It's the part of us that processes our experiences and reactions.

Go even deeper, peel back another layer, and you'll find the Vijnanamaya Kosha, the wisdom body. This layer is about our deeper understanding and intuition. It's the part of us that makes sense of the world and our place in it.

Finally, at the very core of the onion, you'll find the Anandamaya Kosha, the bliss body. This is the deepest, most inner layer of our being. It's the part of us that experiences joy, peace, and a sense of connection with all things.

Just like an onion, each layer of our being is connected to the others. They all work together to make us who we are. And just like peeling an onion, exploring these layers can lead to tears (of frustration or joy), but also to a deeper understanding of ourselves.

What are Vayus?

Before we delve into the types of Prana, let's briefly touch on Vayus. In ancient Hindi it means wind, kinda related to the air we breath. So these words are sometimes used similar. Vayu in Hinduism is the deity of life, god of the wind and a divine messenger. And also born from the breath of purusha. His first avatar is the god that looks like a monkey Hanuman 🐵.

There there are 10 types of Vayus, let's ignore the 5 minor ones like burping, blinking or sneezing for now and concentrate on the 5 major ones:

1. Prana Vayu - inward moving : That is the fundamental Vayu that governs the intake of substances and energy. Located in the chest and head, it is responsible for our ability to breathe in air, consume food and drink, and experience sensory perceptions. It's all about intake, inspiration, propulsion, forward momentum, aspiration, pursuit, and desire.

2. Apana Vayu - descending: This Vayu is located in the pelvic floor and lower abdomen. It governs the downward and outward flow of energy, including the excretion of waste from the body and the expulsion of carbon dioxide from the lungs. It's all about elimination and downward movement.

3. Samana Vayu - equalising: Situated in the abdomen, Samana Vayu is responsible for the digestion and assimilation of all substances and experiences. It governs the processing and assimilation of food, as well as the processing of sensory experiences and emotions. It's all about assimilation, discernment, inner absorption, and consolidation.

4. Vyana Vayu - diffusive: This is the expansive Vayu that permeates the entire body and integrates the other four. It governs circulation, expansiveness, and pervasiveness. It's responsible for the circulation of blood and nutrients throughout the body, as well as the movement of thoughts and emotions through the mind.

5. Udana Vayu - ascending: This one is located in the throat and head. It governs growth, upward movement, enthusiasm, speech, expression, and strength. It is responsible for the upward movement of energy, including the ability to stand, speak, and grow.

Practical examples:

Cool, now we know all that. How can I feel it? Just because your heart isn't beating doesn't mean it stopped. You just didn't tune into it. And it's the same with Prana.

🪩 Example 1: Kamehameha - your Energy ball

• Imagine a ball of energy near your lower belly, about five cm below your navel. This is your body's energy center. Visualize this energy as a bright, glowing ball of light. If you don't feel it, pretend!!
• Slowly, start to move this energy ball up your body, from your belly to your chest, then to your throat, and finally to your head. Feel the energy flowing through your body, like a gentle stream.
• Next, bring your hands in front of your belly, palms facing each other but not touching. Imagine that you're holding the energy ball between your hands. Just like Goku 🐉 preparing his Kamehameha (here they call the energy Ki), feel the energy pulsating between your palms.
• Move your hands together and apart, like you're shaping the energy ball. Can you feel a gentle resistance, a warmth, or a tingling sensation? That's your Prana Energy Ball!
• Harness this energy. You can push it outwards, sending positive energy into the universe, or you can bring it back into your body, nourishing yourself with your own life force.

🙌Example 2: Moving your arms

• Stand comfortably with your feet hip-width apart. Let your arms hang naturally by your sides. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
• As you inhale, slowly lift your arms up towards the sky. As you do this, visualize the Prana, the uplifting energy, flowing through your body. Feel it moving your arms, guiding them upwards.
• Notice the point where your arms seem to move upwards by themselves, as if being pulled by an invisible force. That's the Prana at work!
• As you exhale, slowly lower your arms back down. As you do this, visualize the Apana, the grounding energy, flowing through your body. Feel it pulling your arms down, grounding you.
• When your arms are fully lowered, turn your palms to face the ground. Feel the Apana energy pulling you down, grounding you further.
• Repeat this process several times. Each time you lift your arms, visualize the Prana energy. Each time you lower your arms, visualize the Apana energy. Feel the energies moving your arms, guiding your movements.

Remember, yoga is all about connecting with your body and your energy. So, take your time, be patient with yourself, and most importantly, enjoy the process of becoming a super hero.

Ending Note

Here's a little nugget of wisdom for you: Energy creates posture. In Yoga classes, the focus is often on the Annamaya Kosha, our physical body. We align our bodies, stretch our muscles, and hold our poses. And that's a great place to start! But remember, Yoga is a journey inward.

As we delve deeper into our practice, we start exploring, the Pranamaya and Manomaya Koshas, our energy and mental-emotional bodies and even more. You'll find that your body's alignment begins to be guided by your energy flow. As we become more attuned to this energy, we might find that our bodies move in ways that feel more natural and intuitive, rather than following strict alignment cues.

For instance, if I were to instruct you to raise your arms in a class, you might find that some of you raise them from the front, while others might prefer to raise them sideways. That's your energy guiding you. It's already within you, wanting to be felt and expressed.

Of course, we still want to feel our physical bodies. But next time you're practicing alone, try this: go into a pose, then come out of it. Repeat it a few times. Can you feel the different Pranas, the different types of energy flowing through you? Does a slight change in the position of your hand or toe change how the energy feels?

Take a moment to really feel into it. This is your body's 'Life Juice' at work. If you're interested in exploring these kinds of energy flows further, you might want to look up Vinyasa Krama, a style of yoga that emphasizes the sequencing of poses in harmony with the breath and the subtle energies within us.

Remember, yoga is not just about the physical postures. It's about tuning inwards, connecting with our energy, and letting it guide us. So, keep exploring, keep feeling, and most importantly, keep enjoying your yoga journey! ✨