Online Meditation Practices Day 12 - Pranayama for Total Well-Being The Five Pranas There are five pranas that feature in the body, driving everything in the body. In a generic way, we call them pranas, but in the yoga teachings, the five individual pranas have separate names. - That which moves the breath moving the breath meaning opening up the lungs to breathe in and that which operates the senses, that is called the generic name prana. - That which pushes away is called apana. So we have that apana power in bowel action, in breathing out, in everything to do with pushing out or emptying. - There s a prana that works the digestive process; it s called samana. - There is one that works all circulatory processes, called vyana. - And there is that which moves upwards, called udana. So in speaking, in standing, Kundalini everything that moves upwards uses udana prana. As you become more aware of these, begin to observe how they operate within you. Of interest to us in meditation will be the breath. Each time we breathe in, activate the senses and open up the lungs, we re using prana in every breath. And every time we push out the breath, we use apana, a different kind of prana; the action feels different. So we need to
create harmony or balance in the prana and apana, hence the rhythmic breathing. When you begin to use the mind to project energy, the mind engages prana, so the mind also has pranic power. If you want to manage the breath, it s the same prana that s activating the mind. So you will be able to manage the mind as well if you begin with the breath, and to manage the prana of the breath. You are empowering all the powers of the senses. And you have powers of knowledge and powers of action. But I will deal with the powers of action separately. So every time you act in grasping, in speaking, in moving, in sexual action and in bowel movement you are applying pranas. They power up those karmindriyas, which are senses of action. Right and Left Nostril - Solar and Lunar Prana What is interesting is the way we bring prana into the body through the breathing action. Breathing action brings air into the lungs, but breathing action simultaneously brings prana from what I will call that pranosphere around us, into the body. So each time you breathe, you re bringing prana into the body, and the prana comes through two nadis. Left nostril brings in a cooling prana you can actually feel that, perceive that, experience that. And the right nostril brings in a heating, warming prana into the body. You can actually feel that. The body feels different with the cooling prana. It influences the mind. And the body feels different with the heating prana; it activates the vitality into the body. It s the solar power. Right nostril brings a solar prana and left nostril brings a lunar prana. Left nostril breathing influences right brain, and right nostril breathing influences left brain, so these are pranas that influence the brain. So you can see how important breathing action is. Prana and the chakras When we breathe prana through these nostrils, both the heating prana and cooling prana move to every chakra. We breathe prana into the throat chakra, into the heart chakra, into the navel chakra, into the sacral chakra, into the root chakra. Each time you breathe you are actually bringing prana into the chakras. If you breathe without awareness of those chakras, you are not able to experience what s happening in them. But if you were to anchor or centre your consciousness in these energy centres as you breathe, then you will find that energy centre where the prana is going to, and you will begin to be aware of how that prana, when it goes to that particular place, is energizing the nervous system
there. It s energizing the cells in the body. It s energizing the organs there. It s energizing the endocrine system in the area. It s amazing when you breathe into these areas, giving consciousness to the prana and to the energy centres, how differently you feel. Mind becomes influenced. Emotions become influenced. Vitality becomes influenced. Physicality becomes influenced. Every level in your being is influenced by the prana that you breathe in. Hence it s extremely important to observe the prana.
And I ask you to keep a firm spinal column straight and firm that you may really engage in revitalizing every level of being. Of course, becoming aware of the prana and these centres that I speak about, there needs to be a jump in consciousness. That s why we need Masters in the space. That s why we need group work. That s why we need these sessions. In engaging, you can shift the consciousness and become more aware of how the prana is entering into every part of you, and how the prana is influencing all of your actions. It is prana that flows through the actions; it is prana that flows through the body. The body cannot move without prana. The mind cannot think without prana. So we need to bring balance to the heating and cooling, which we will do in another session, but today I want you to become a little more aware of this pranic energy as you meditate. Because when you bring that prana to every chakra or energy centre, the senses are involved there. So you are charging up the senses, making them sharper in their function, and you are bringing more vitality to the nervous system and endocrine glands in those areas, and generally to the cells in the entire body. So pranayama is marvelous! Before I even eat or drink, I charge up my body with prana. It makes my thirst and taste better, it makes my drinking better, it makes my eating better because the samana energy in the navel gets more charged up. It brings all the experiences of the senses to a more empowering action or activity.
Contemplation A guide for your personal reflections and self inquiry Pranayama We need to stay prana conscious. Prana is always moving inside of us. We need to become aware of it. After today s inspiration, have you noticed yourself breathing a little more deeply? During the day do you make time to be conscious of every level of being? Are you more aware of the senses? Would you say you are carried away by any one of the senses?