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yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
,
Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
, and
Indian martial arts Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases "Indian martial arts", deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. arch ...
, prana (, ; the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
word for breath, " life force", or "vital principle") permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects. In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from the
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
and connecting the elements. Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the five ''
vāyu Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
s'' ("winds"), are described in Hindu texts.
Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
,
tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
and Tibetan medicine all describe ''prāṇa vāyu'' as the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise. Prana is divided into ten main functions: The five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Udana, Vyana and Samana – and the five Upa-Pranas – Naga, Kurma, Devadatta, Krikala and Dhananjaya.
Pranayama Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with '' prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the ''prana-shakti'', or life en ...
, one of the
eight limbs of yoga Ashtanga yoga (, "eight limbs of yoga") is Pātañjali's classification of classical yoga, as set out in his '' Yoga Sūtras''. He defined the eight limbs as ''yama'' (abstinences), '' niyama'' (observances), '' āsana'' (postures), '' prāṇ ...
, is intended to expand conscious awareness of prana.


Etymology

V.S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
word ' () including breath or
respiration Respiration may refer to: Biology * Cellular respiration, the process in which nutrients are converted into useful energy in a cell ** Anaerobic respiration, cellular respiration without oxygen ** Maintenance respiration, the amount of cellul ...
; the breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of); energy or vigour; the spirit or soul. Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used by Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing with
pranayama Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with '' prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the ''prana-shakti'', or life en ...
, the manipulation of the breath.
Thomas McEvilley Thomas McEvilley (; July 13, 1939 – March 2, 2013) was an American art critic, poet, novelist, and scholar. He was a Distinguished Lecturer in Art History at Rice UniversityThomas McEvilley, G. Roger Denson (1996), ''Capacity: : History, t ...
translates ''prāṇa'' as "spirit-energy". The
breath Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the neuroscience of rhythm, rhythmical process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of (exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the Milieu intérieur, internal environment, mostly to flu ...
is understood to be its most subtle material form, but is also believed to be present in the
blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...
, and most concentrated in
semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...
and
vaginal fluid Vaginal discharge is a mixture of liquid, cells, and bacteria that lubricate and protect the vagina. This mixture is constantly produced by the cells of the vagina and cervix, and it exits the body through the vaginal opening. The composition, ...
. Scholars are divided on the original meanings of ''prana'' and ''apana''. Some, like Böhtlingk, argue that originally ''prana'' meant inbreathing, while ''apana'' meant outbreathing. Others, like Deussen, claim the opposite, stating that ''prana'' meant outbreathing and ''apana'' meant inbreathing. However, they agree that in later times, these two terms came to refer to air located in different parts of the body, with ''prana'' associated with the upper parts and ''apana'' with the lower parts.


Early references

The ancient concept of prāṇa is described in many Hindu texts, including
Upanishads The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
and
Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
. Prāṇa is typically divided into constituent parts, particularly when concerned with the human body. While not all early sources agree on the names or number of these divisions, the most common list from the ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
'', the Upanishads, Ayurvedic and Yogic sources includes five classifications, often subdivided. This list includes ''prāṇa'' (inward moving energy), ''apāna'' (outward moving energy), ''vyāna'' (circulation of energy), ''udāna'' (energy of the head and throat), and ''samāna'' (digestion and assimilation). Early mention of specific prāṇas often emphasized prāṇa, apāna and vyāna as "the three breaths". This can be seen in the proto-yogic traditions of the Vratyas among others. Texts like the ''Vaikānasasmārta'' utilized the five prāṇas as an internalization of the five sacrificial fires of a panchāgni homa ceremony.


Vedas and Upanishads

One of the earliest references to prāṇa is found in the ''
Chandogya Upanishad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Chāndogyopaniṣad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-1 ...
'', but many other Upanishads also use the concept, including the '' Katha'', ''
Mundaka Mundaka () is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in northern Spain. Mundaka is internationally renowned for the surfing community that takes advantage of its coast and unique ...
'', and '' Prashna Upanishads''. The concept is elaborated upon in great detail in the literature of
haṭha yoga Hatha yoga (; Sanskrit हठयोग, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''haṭhayoga'') is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word ह ...
,
tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
, and
Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
. The ''
Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda (, , from ''wikt:अथर्वन्, अथर्वन्'', "priest" and ''wikt:वेद, वेद'', "knowledge") or is the "knowledge storehouse of ''wikt:अथर्वन्, atharvans'', the proced ...
'' describes prāṇa: 'When they had been watered by Prana, the plants spake in concert: 'thou hast, forsooth, prolonged our life, thou hast made us all fragrant.' (11.4–6) 'The holy (âtharvana) plants, the magic (ângirasa) plants, the divine plants, and those produced by men, spring forth, when thou, O Prâna, quickenest them (11.4–16). 'When Prâna has watered the great earth with rain, then the plants spring forth, and also every sort of herb.' (11.4–17) 'O Prâna, be not turned away from me, thou shall not be other than myself! As the embryo of the waters (fire), thee, O Prâna, do bind to me, that I may live.' (11.4){https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56848). "Let prana and apana stay strong here. They must not go away from this youth. Let them sustain and strengthen his parts of the body system and, further, conduct him to live his full age of good health till fulfilment."(Kanda:3/Suktha-11.6){Tulsi Ram, 2013}. The Upanishads, particularly the Yoga Upanishads, discuss various breaths with specific names and functions. ''Prana'' is consistently regarded as the primary breath, akin to breath in English, while ''apana'' is associated with carrying off excrement. The ''Prashna Upanishad'' first described ''prana'' governing upper body functions and ''apana'' controlling lower functions, based on the concept of distinct airs or gases governing bodily functions. ''
Aitareya Upanishad The Aitareya Upanishad (, ) is a Mukhya Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It comprises the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second book of Aitareya Aranyaka, which is one of the four layers of Rig vedic text. Aitareya Upanishad di ...
'' also support this division of breaths, associating ''prana'' with the nasal region and ''apana'' with the abdominal region.


Bhagavad Gita

The ''
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu texts, Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the Hindu epic, epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Ind ...
'' verse 4.27 describes the
yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
of self-control as the sacrifice of the actions of the senses and of prāṇa in the fire kindled by knowledge. More generally, the conquest of the senses, the mind, and prāṇa is seen as an essential step on the yogin's path to
samadhi Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh ''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
, or indeed as the goal of yoga. Thus, for example, the ''Malinivijayottaratantra'' 12.5–7 directs the seeker "who has conquered posture, the mind, prāṇa, the senses, sleep, anger, fear, and anxiety" to practise yoga in a beautiful, undisturbed cave.


Vāyus

One way of categorizing prāṇa is by means of vāyus. ''Vāyu'' means "wind" or "air" in Sanskrit, and the term is used in a variety of contexts in
Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy or Vedic philosophy is the set of philosophical systems that developed in tandem with the first Hinduism, Hindu religious traditions during the Iron Age in India, iron and Classical India, classical ages of India. In Indian ...
. Prāṇa is considered the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise, as well as one of the five major vāyus. Prāṇa is thus the generic name for all the breaths, including the five major vāyus of prāṇa, apāna, uḍāna, samāna, and vyāna. The ''Nisvasattvasamhita Nayasutra'' describes five minor winds, naming three of these as nāga, dhanamjaya, and kurma; the other two are named in the ''
Skandapurana The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvat ...
'' (181.46) and '' Sivapurana Vayaviyasamhita'' (37.36) as devadatta and krtaka. {, class="wikitable" , + Vāyus, according to the ''Nisvasattvasamhita Nayasutra'' (6th–10th century) ! Vāyu ! Location ! Responsibility , - , Prāṇa , Head, lungs, heart , Movement is inward and upward, it is the vital life force. Balanced prāṇa leads to a balanced and calm mind and emotions. , - , Apāna , Lower abdomen , Movement is outward and downward, it is related to processes of elimination, reproduction and skeletal health (absorption of nutrients). Balanced apāna leads to a healthy digestive and reproductive system. , - , Udāna , Diaphragm, throat , Movement is upward, it is related to the respiratory functions, speech and functioning of the brain. Balanced udāna leads to a healthy respiratory system, clarity of speech, healthy mind, good memory, creativity, etc. , - , Samāna , Navel , Movement is spiral, concentrated around the navel, like a churning motion, it is related to digestion on all levels. Balanced samāna leads to a healthy metabolism. , - , Vyāna , Originating from the heart, distributed throughout , Movement is outward, like the circulatory process. It is related to circulatory system, nervous system and cardiac system. Balanced vyāna leads to a healthy heart, circulation and balanced nerves.


Nadis

Indian philosophy Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The philosophies are often called darśana meaning, "to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikī means “critical inquiry” or “investigation." Unlike darśan ...
describes prana flowing in
nadis () is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the human body, physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this philosophical framew ...
(channels), though the details vary. The ''
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad The ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' (, ) is one of the Principal Upanishads and one of the first Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism. A key scripture to various schools of Hinduism, the ''Brihadaranyaka Upanisad'' is tenth in the Muktikā or "cano ...
'' (2.I.19) mentions 72,000 nadis in the human body, running out from the heart, whereas the ''
Katha Upanishad The ''Katha Upanishad'' (, ), is an ancient Hindu text and one of the '' mukhya'' (primary) Upanishads, embedded in the last eight short sections of the ' school of the Krishna Yajurveda.Paul Deussen. ''Sixty Upanishads of the Veda''. Volume 1 ...
'' (6.16) says that 101 channels radiate from the heart. The ''Vinashikhatantra'' (140–146) explains the most common model, namely that the three most important nadis are the Ida on the left, the Pingala on the right, and the
Sushumna () is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this philosophical framework, the na ...
in the centre connecting the base chakra to the
crown chakra Sahasrara (, IAST: , , with many alternative names and spellings) or the crown chakra is considered the seventh primary chakra in Sanatan yoga traditions. The chakra is represented by the colour violet. Hatha yoga The Sahasrara is described i ...
, enabling prana to flow throughout
the subtle body ''The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America'' is a 2010 book on the history of yoga as exercise by the American journalist Stefanie Syman. It spans the period from the first precursors of American yoga, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thoreau, th ...
. When the mind is agitated due to our interactions with the world at large, the physical body also follows in its wake. These agitations cause violent fluctuations in the flow of prana in the nadis.


Pranayama

Prāṇāyāma is a common term for various techniques for accumulating, expanding and working with prana. Pranayama is one of the
eight limbs of yoga Ashtanga yoga (, "eight limbs of yoga") is Pātañjali's classification of classical yoga, as set out in his '' Yoga Sūtras''. He defined the eight limbs as ''yama'' (abstinences), '' niyama'' (observances), '' āsana'' (postures), '' prāṇ ...
and is a practice of specific and often intricate breath control techniques. The dynamics and laws of Prana were understood through systematic practice of Pranayama to gain mastery over Prana. Many pranayama techniques are designed to cleanse the
nadis () is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the human body, physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this philosophical framew ...
, allowing for greater movement of prana. Other techniques may be utilized to arrest the breath for
samadhi Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh ''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
or to bring awareness to specific areas in the practitioner's subtle or physical body. In
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
, it is utilized to generate inner heat in the practice of
tummo In Tibetan Buddhism, ''tummo'' (; ) is the fierce goddess of heat and passion. Tummo is found in the Mahasiddha Krishnacarya and the '' Hevajra Tantra'' texts. Tummo is also a tantric practice for inner heat, developed around the concept of ...
. In
Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
and therapeutic yoga, pranayama is utilized for many tasks, including to affect mood and aid in digestion.
A. G. Mohan A. G. Mohan (born 1945) is an Indian yoga teacher, author, and co-founder of Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda. Mohan was a longtime disciple of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), the "father of modern yoga". Mohan co-founded with T.K.V. Desikachar ...
stated that the physical goals of pranayama may be to recover from illness or the maintenance of health, while its mental goals are: "to remove mental disturbances and make the mind focused for meditation". According to
Theos Bernard Theos Casimir Hamati Bernard (1908–1947) was an American explorer and author known for his work on yoga and religious studies (particularly in Tibetan Buddhism). He was the nephew of Pierre Arnold Bernard, "Oom the Omnipotent", and like him b ...
, the ultimate aim of pranayama is the suspension of breathing, "causing the mind to swoon".
Swami Yogananda Swami Yogananda () was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, the 19th-century mystic. He took his formal initiation from Sarada Devi, the "holy mother" of Ramakrishna paramhansa Order and spiritual consort of Ramakrishna. He was the first ...
writes, "The real meaning of Pranayama, according to Patanjali, the founder of Yoga philosophy, is the gradual cessation of breathing, the discontinuance of inhalation and exhalation".


Similar concepts

Similar concepts exist in various cultures, including the Latin ''anima'' ("breath", "vital force", "animating principle"), Islamic and Sufic ruh, the Greek
pneuma ''Pneuma'' () is an ancient Greek word for "breathing, breath", and in a religious context for "spirit (animating force), spirit". It has various technical meanings for medical writers and philosophers of classical antiquity, particularly in rega ...
, the Chinese qi, the Polynesian
mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...
, the Amerindian
orenda Orenda is the Haudenosaunee name for a certain spiritual energy inherent in people and their environment. It is an "extraordinary invisible power believed by the Iroquois Native Americans to pervade in varying degrees in all animate and inanim ...
, the German od, and the Hebrew ruah. Prāṇa is also described as subtle energy or life force.


See also

* Aura *
Chaitanya (consciousness) Chaitanya () refers variously to 'awareness', 'consciousness', 'Conscious Self', 'intelligence' or 'Pure Consciousness'. It can also mean energy or enthusiasm. The meaning of name Chaitanya also stands for "State of Conscious Energy". Etymolog ...
*
Chakra A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...
*
Meridian (Chinese medicine) The meridian system (, also called channel network) is a pseudoscientific concept from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that alleges meridians are paths through which the life-energy known as " qi" (''ch'i'') flows. Meridians are not real an ...
*
Nadi (yoga) () is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this philosophical framework, the na ...
* Qi *
Qi Men Dun Jia ''Qimen Dunjia'' is an ancient form of divination from China. It is still in use in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. It is one of the Three Styles () of Chinese divination, ...
*
Scientific skepticism Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking scientific evidence. In practice, the term most commonly ref ...
*
Subtle body A subtle body is a "quasi material" aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, according to various Western esotericism, esoteric, occultism, occult, and mysticism, mystical teachings. This contrasts with th ...
*
Vijñāna ''Vijñāna'' () or ''viññāa'' ()As is standard in WP articles, the Pali term ''viññāa'' will be used when discussing the Pali literature, and the Sanskrit word ''vijñāna'' will be used when referring to either texts chronologically subse ...
*
Yoga Sutra The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' (IAST: Patañjali yoga-sūtra) is a compilation "from a variety of sources" of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras ( ...


References


Sources

* * *


External links


Prana - A Overview as per vedic scriptures along with a hymn to Prana from Atharva Veda



Prana – Amazing Secret To Health and Wellbeing as per Yogic Science
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prana Energy (esotericism) Vitalism Hindu philosophical concepts Yoga concepts