The ancient Yogis called the life force that permeates all existence Prana.  Prana cannot be controlled directly, but it can be affected by your Yoga practice - and one of the definitions of a Yogi is "one who has all his Prana within."

Due to poor posture, our Prana constantly "leaks" out, leaving us drained, tired, in foul mood.  By manipulating the body into a better alignment we re-direct energy in the body, concentrate it, build it, and in turn, Prana in the body is increased.

Prana is made up of five "winds" or vayus, and one or more of these winds could be weak, throwing you off-balance.

One way to add an extra layer in your Asana practice is to incorporate the five vayus - Prana Vayu (upward moving wind located in the chest), Apana Vayu (downward moving wind located in the lower abdomen), Samana Vayu (inward and circular moving wind located in the solar plexus), Udana Vayu located in the throat and governing the function of speech, and Vyana Vayu - an all-pervading wind that distributes the energy from the core out to the periphery.

Prana is that which enters the body, it is governed by the inhale, and is increased by poses that expand the body.  If this wind is weak, back bends take too much energy to do, making one feel dizzy and tired instead of invigorated.  Weak Prana also means that Apana can accumulate.  Apana is that which exits the body, the waste in the lower belly which tends to collect there if the body is out of balance.  When a person is slow, sluggish, it is said that they have too much Apana.  We need Apana as a strong wind to move the waste products out.

Samana is our ability to digest the experience of life (along with food).  Vyana is our ability to distribute this nourishment and also our consciousness everywhere in our body.  It governs our ability to stay evenly balanced between the right and the left side.  And Udana Vayu can be stoked with breathing practices.  All Pranayama, to be exact, affects these winds, and that is a whole other and lengthy subject altogether.

In this blog I wanted to share how I have been incorporating my understanding of these vayus into my Asana practice as well, by using my awareness to affect the flow of Prana and its five winds in my body.  Prana goes where the mind goes!

You too, can practice these five directions of inner reach from within in every Asana.  Some Asanas emphasize the upward moving wind (like a back-bend), some emphasize downward moving wind (like knees to chest), some, like twists or abdominal work, concentrate more energy in the solar plexus, asking us to move toward the core, to firm up in the belly, and all Asanas should cultivate a sense of inner expansion.

But just because a back bend invites the energy to move upward in the body, that does not mean we should neglect our grounding, which often happens.  Quite the opposite, we need to learn to balance one direction by moving in the opposite direction with equal amount of effort.  The more intense the back bend, the more attention one should be diverting toward proper grounding of the body into the earth, to finding proper support for the openness that is being created.

For example, next time you are moving into Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), create an even and equal reach out of the crown of the head as well as down through the sitting bones.  When you feel "ground zero" at your navel center, begin to roll the ribs out into the Triangle pose, while at the same time creating a sense of firmness in the belly, of moving toward the core.  As your pose blossoms, reach both arms out of the shoulders evenly, the supporting arm and shoulder in exactly the same position and working the same as the one that is reaching up.  As you revisit the lengthening of the spine, the firmness of the belly, create a sense of inner expansion from the heart center out through the big toes and thumbs.  Open the back palate, engage a bit of Jalangdhara Bandha (Chin lock), and allow the breath to dwell freely and fully....

Notice which of these directions is easier for you to do, and which seems harder.  That may be your "weaker wind."  Use your mind to gently, but firmly penetrate and permeate into the "weaker" direction.  Give special attention to grounding in your poses if you feel that it is lacking.  This will bring your body, mind, and Prana into better balance.

Namaste.