by Rolf Sovik
Prana. The term prana is most commonly used to describe the vital force in its totality, but within the context of the five divisions of pranic energy, the term refers to all the ways in which we take in energy. Inhalation is by far the most important vehicle for absorbing prana, but prana is drawn from other energy sources as well. We also absorb energy from food and water; from sense impressions, such as the sights, sounds, and smells, gathered through the sense organs; and from ideas and impressions communicated to the mind.
Prana is said to enter the body through the mouth (the nose, the ears, and the eyes are also mouths in this sense). While some sources place the primary abode of prana in the chest, the region of the lungs and the anahata chakra (the heart center), others say that prana is focused naturally at the ajna chakra, the center between the eyebrows. It is there that our attention becomes fixed on an object, and this automatically opens pathways that will bring sense impressions and nutrients of one kind or another into the body.
Prana is the support of the body. If we are unable to absorb it, the body will die. The great ayurvedic physician Sushruta recognized its important role when he said that it “makes the food travel inward,” and that, by so doing, it supports the other four functions of energy. Sushruta also observed that disturbed prana leads to hiccups, wheezing, and a variety of illnesses of the breath, senses, and mind.
Samana. Samana is the function of prana that digests and assimilates incoming energy. It operates in conjunction with agni (the digestive fire) and is centered in the stomach and intestines. Thus it is commonly associated with the manipura chakra, the navel center. But samana also functions in the lungs, where the breath is absorbed, and in the mind, where ideas are integrated.
Samana (also in conjunction with agni) supplies the internal heat to “cook” the food we eat. And once it is ready for assimilation, samana carefully separates the various constituents of the food, making them available according to the body’s needs. In this sense, it serves a gatekeeping function, allowing energies into the body in the proportion and order of importance necessary for health and well-being.
Samana is also the gatekeeper of our mental functions. When it is functioning in a balanced way, it allows us to make wise and healthy choices as to which sense impressions and thoughts we allow to enter our mind. Ailments associated with imbalances in samana include gaseous swelling and discomfort in the abdomen, weak digestive fire, as well as overactive digestion leading to diarrhea. When our “eyes are bigger than our stomach,” both prana and samana are involved.
Vyana. Once energy has been drawn into the body, it must be distributed. Vyana is the force that distributes prana by causing it to flow. It expands and contracts, bends downward and upward, and travels to the side. It induces the movement of blood, lymph, and nervous impulses. It causes sweat to run. At a more subtle level, it creates the sense of living energy that we perceive as radiating throughout the entire field of our body/mind.
Unlike samana, which draws energy to a focus at the navel center, where it can be assimilated into the energy system, vyana moves energy outward to the peripheries of the body. Thus vyana is spread throughout the body, coursing through various channels called nadis. The hub of vyana is located at the anahata chakra, the heart center, where it is involved in the functioning of the lungs and heart. As you might imagine, when vyana is disturbed it creates systemic problems that travel through the whole body.
Udana. The pranic function called udana is a bit more difficult to conceptualize. The prefix ud connotes upward movement, such as the movement of energy prevalent in the windpipe, which is used in communication. As air rises and passes through the larynx, it produces speech and song. Thus udana is associated with the vishuddha chakra, the throat center, and the regions above it.
But the upward motion of udana is not wholly defined by one’s ability to speak. The concept “upward moving” also implies something about the quality and use of energy. A strong flow of udana implies that a person is acting from a higher vision. Thus, udana is energy that leads us to the revitalization of will and to self-transformation. It causes us to hold our heads up, both figuratively and literally. And it is said that, at the time of death, udana is the energy that draws individual consciousness up and out of the body. When it is disordered, udana is associated with illnesses occurring in the throat, neck, and head.
Apana. The last of the five pranas is called apana. It is responsible for exhalation and for the downward and outward movement of energy found in the elimination of wastes. Just as the head contains the openings that are suited to the inward flow of prana, the base of the torso contains the openings suitable for the work of apana. Thus apana has its home in the intestines and is focused at the muladhara chakra, the root center. Defecation, urination, menstruation, ejaculation, and the downward impulses that govern delivery in childbirth are all accomplished under the influence of apana.
Since apana moves outward as well as downward, it is associated with the body’s defenses and immune system. Disturbances of apana result in diseases of the bladder, pelvis, and colon, and contribute to immune deficiencies. When both samana and apana are disordered, problems with reproductive and urinary functioning occur.
The chakras, or wheels of energy along the spine, act as homes for the five prana-vayus. And when one of them is disturbed, any of the hubs of energy associated with it (the root, navel, heart, throat, or eyebrow center) will be affected. When there is disorder among all the five pranas and their hubs, Sushruta observes that “it will surely be the undoing of the body.”
Creating Balance
a balance of energies
Is it possible to correct energy imbalances and enhance the synergistic effects of the five energies using the techniques of yoga? The answer, of course, is yes—yoga includes many practices with just these objectives in mind. The following technique, called “point-to-point breathing,” can be employed as a general tonic by any yoga student. It is powerful and easily integrated into daily practice; it is a wonderfully soothing exercise; and it is especially useful when the mind is fatigued or when the body feels lethargic and heavy.
In this exercise a relaxed, focused awareness is first combined carefully with diaphragmatic breathing. This enhances the cleansing and nourishing properties of the breath and creates a clear, steady mind. Next, the centering power of this fortified awareness is systematically directed toward each of the five pranas. This is accomplished by breathing to each of the centers of energy associated with the pranas. By consciously directing your breath, you nourish and refresh the energies of each center. Smooth, quiet, and unbroken, your breathing will transmit its calming influence and restore healthy functioning.
During the exercise, be sure that your awareness and the breath travel downward together through the body with each exhalation, and return to the crown with the inhalation. You will be breathing to eight points, starting with the toes and moving progressively upward (see illustration and accompanying table). After completing all eight levels of breathing in an ascending order, reverse the pattern, gradually moving the breath back down to the toes.
Throughout this exercise it is important to let the breath flow smoothly, without pausing between breaths. And even though the distance your awareness travels in the body becomes shorter, the breath nonetheless should remain smooth and relaxed. With regular practice this will result in a refined breath that flows slowly and smoothly. Your concentration will improve, and at the conclusion of the exercise, the entire body will feel refreshed.
Exhaling, breathe from the crown of the head down to each point listed on page 114. Inhaling, the wave of the breath returns to the crown.
Point-to-Point Breathing
• Rest in the corpse pose, allowing the body to become still.
• Establish relaxed, diaphragmatic breathing.
• Observing your breathing, exhale as if the breath is flowing from the crown of your head down to your toes. Inhale back to the crown of the head. Repeat t
wo to five times here and at all subsequent points except as noted.
• Exhale from the crown down to the level of the ankles and inhale back to the crown.
• Exhale down to the level of the knees.
• Exhale down to the level of the base of the spine.
• Exhale down to the level of the navel center.
• Exhale down to the level of the heart center.
• Exhale down to the level of the throat.
• Exhale down to the level of the eyebrow center.Breathe back and forth between the crown and the eyebrow center, refining the breath and resting, five to ten times.
• Now reverse the order and descend, first to the throat center, then to the heart center, to the navel center, and so on, until you return to the toes.
• Finish by breathing as if the whole body breathes. Let the exhalation flow downward as if the breath is a wave flowing through the soles of the feet and on to infinity. Inhaling, breathe as if the breath flows upward through the crown of the head and on to infinity. You are lying in the center of this infinite wave. Let your breathing remain deep and feel the breath as you relax your body and mind.
Breath Awareness
Breath Awareness
Formal concentration practice begins with breath awareness. The sensation of the breath in the nostrils is a calming focus that steadies and grounds the mind in meditation. By sustaining awareness on the touch of the breath, powers of concentration are strengthened and distracting mental energies are gradually dispelled.
Breath awareness evolves out of the practice of relaxed diaphragmatic breathing. Refinements in diaphragmatic breathing lead to a steady focus, supported by good breathing skills. “Mindful Breathing” outlines the steps that lead from diaphragmatic breathing to breath awareness.
Breath awareness is its own discipline. You can begin your training at work or in your home away from your meditation seat. “Techniques for Breath Awareness” describes the process. It also explains how to practice counting the breaths, an effective tool for cultivating breath awareness.
“Breathing Through Emotions” explores the natural connection between emotional life and patterns of breathing. Awareness of that connection can help you cope more skillfully with negative emotions. It will also strengthen your meditation.
The final chapter in this section, “Nadi Shodhanam: Alternate Nostril Breathing,” presents the pranayama practice nadi shodhanam, or channel purification. It then summarizes the art of refining breath awareness, a technique called sushumna breathing. These practices lead to a quiet inner experience of peace and well-being.
Mindful Breathing
Sometimes I think and other times I am.
—Paul Valery
A boat is tied to a sturdy wooden post. The sea pulses and the boat is lifted and lowered, gently rocked and slowly turned. Occasionally a larger wave tosses the boat, throwing it into momentary turmoil. Despite this, the lashing holds firm and the post and boat are not separated.
You are resting in that boat. Your eyes are closed and at first you are tuned to its movements. As the boat’s center of gravity shifts, your body reacts, and your mind probes for signs of the next undulation. But you have tied the rope firmly, and you become accustomed to the rhythmic movements. Your confidence grows and you feel certain of your mooring. You relax.
The image of relaxing in a boat tethered in restless waters is a metaphor for the process of breath awareness, which is a kind of mental mooring. When you focus attention on the breath, your mind is anchored. Currents and crosscurrents of thinking continue to create sensations of movement in the mind, but a steady focus on breathing prevents these mental provocations from disturbing your equilibrium. Bound to the sensation of the breath, you can relax your mental effort. As your concentration deepens and you gain distance from the process, you will find that you are now watching the mind watch the breath.
How does concentration on the breath become so well established? Learning to follow the breath and to prevent your attention from wandering is a process of inner training. This chapter will outline the important stages in that practice, leading from awareness of the general movements of breathing, to breath awareness in the nostrils, and beyond.
Breath Awareness
Tuning yourself to the cycle of the breath and following it again and again is the foundation for breath awareness. The pace of breathing is slow. While we breathe on average sixteen times in a minute, during relaxation and meditation the tempo of breathing may slow to eight or fewer breaths a minute.
To begin practicing breath awareness, sit in a comfortable meditation posture and pay attention to this slow movement of the breath as it flows out and in. This is deceptively difficult. In the beginning, the mind is active and thoughts move much more rapidly than the breath—the speed of the breath feels painfully slow compared to the speed of thinking.
The act of concentration may even seem boring at first, but the process of watching the breath influences the mind. As you watch the breath, the frenetic pace of thinking is gradually calmed and a steady focus on the sensation of breathing develops. Each exhalation feels relaxing and each inhalation feels equally nourishing.
Five Qualities of Good Breathing
Once the mind has begun to track the slow pace of breathing, then the breath needs to be shaped so that physical and mental tensions that have altered breathing can be relieved. The process of giving the breath a new shape requires time and experience. If you try too hard, you may create new problems. With too little effort, you will continue to maintain breathing tensions that are largely outside awareness.
The qualities of optimal breathing are listed here. Using this list, you can refine your breathing and gain confidence in it.
Optimal breathing is:
As you shape the breath, scan for difficulties in each of these areas, unblocking tension and allowing a relaxed flow of the breath to unfold with the passing moments. The development of these five qualities prepares the way for the next step.
“It Breathes”
As breath awareness continues, a surprising new development takes place. You will discover that “it breathes.” That is, the effort to breathe is entirely relaxed and yet the breath continues to flow, prompted by a deep and unseen instinct.
This instinct, of course, has been functioning all along. We are actually aware of breathing only for short periods of time in a day that is otherwise fully occupied. The breath flows whether we give it our attention or not.
But during this phase of breath awareness, you will meet the instinct to breathe face-to-face. On the first meetings, this can be disconcerting. You may lose your balance, again “taking charge” of breathing yourself. Gradually the joy of watching the breath begins to outweigh the joy of commanding it, however, and meditation deepens.
The Touch of Breath
The next step in breath awareness is to bring your attention to the touch of breath in the nostrils. Feel it passing slowly there again and again. Since your efforts to breathe are almost completely relaxed, you will find that nearly all your awareness can be given to the sensation of the breath passing through the nostrils. This will make your mind calm and stable.
It will take some time to anchor your focus, but once you have done it, stay with the sensation of breathing. Feel it through the length of each breath and through the transitions leading from one breath to the next. Don’t leave it despite the distractions that compete for your attention. Remain focused on the breath for a number of minutes in this way. Gradually you will experience a quieting in your mind that you have not experienced before. This is the beginning of mental stability.
During this phase of breath awareness, however, it will be tempting to abandon your concentration altogether. Because the breath flows effortlessly, it is surprisingly easy to do something else with your attention—to become distracted. But follow each breath and be attentive to the transition from one breath to the next. This will strengthen your concentration and hig
hlight the distinction between random thoughts and the flow of awareness.
In the Boat of the Mind
By resting awareness on the sensation of the breath in the nostrils, you have entered the boat of the mind. But now you will find yourself closer than ever to the waves and currents that disturb it. These waves and currents will lift your mind on crests of excitement, lower it into troughs of lethargy, toss it about in storms of emotion, and turn it first toward one desire and then another.
It will be difficult at times to maintain much semblance of stability. Three general principles will help you toward your goal. First, maintain your focus on the breath. When the Greek hero Odysseus sailed past the island of the Sirens—the voices of sensuality that called out to passing ships—he lashed himself to the mast of his vessel before he came within earshot. Like Odysseus, you must lash yourself to the mast of your breath.
Second, while maintaining your concentration, witness the thoughts and emotions that arise in you. In moments of frustration we often wish that we could get rid of our thoughts and feelings. We wish we could trade them in for some new version of ourselves or perhaps rest in the realm of “no-thought” for a while. These approaches to quieting the mind seem appealing but never really resolve the problem we face.
