Energetic Yoga: How to Influence the Prana Vayus with Yoga & Meditation
You’ve probably heard about prana and the energy body.
But how does it really work and how does it relate to yoga?
In this post, I am going to demystify energetic yoga, teach you all you need to know about prana from the yoga tradition and share how you can influence your energetic system with yoga, pranayama, and meditation.
What is prana and the energy body?
Prana refers to the life-force energy that is within us and all around us. It is infinite, it cannot be created or destroyed however its movement through our physical system can be influenced.
Prana is also often referred to as the breath itself, and the breath is seen as the source of our life-force energy.
Within our physical body, we have energies that contain all the elements we find in nature such as earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The location, movement, and effect of all the energies can be mapped out in our bodies.
Tuning into our energetic landscapes
Through dedicated yoga and meditation practice, we can become more sensitive to the subtle flow of energies throughout our energetic system and the effects they have on our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual systems. We do this by slowing down, getting quiet, and turning our gaze within.
The energy body and ancient traditions
Different yoga and ancient spiritual traditions have created frameworks to understand the energetics of our physical body. For example in Taoism we have meridians and Dantians and in the yoga tradition, we have nadis and chakras.
These traditions give us tools such as the breath, movement, and meditation to experience, explore, and influence our energetic landscapes for increased self-awareness, harmony, and higher states of consciousness (and also for the benefit of all beings too of course!).
Prana and the energetic system in the yoga tradition
In the yoga tradition, the flow of prana is mapped using the framework of the 5 prana vayus (energetic winds), the nadis (rivers or channels that the energy flows through), and the chakras (energy centers where different nadis intersect).
The Prana Vayus
The 5 prana vayus and 5 different expressions of prana within the body. The 5 prana vayus are (more about the prana vayus below):
Apana Vayu
Samana Vayu
Prana Vayu
Udana Vayu
Vyana Vayu
Nadis
There are supposedly thousands of nadis in the body, maybe even an infinite number, however, there are 3 that are the most important for us to consciously work with in yoga. They are the left channel (Ida/lunar), the right channel (Pingala/solar), and the central channel (Sushumna)
Chakras
The chakras are the most well-known element of our energetic system. These are the subtle energy centers that sit inside the central channel, in front of the spine. The left and right channels wrap around the central channel and intersect each of the chakras, creating areas of condensed energy.
Each chakra corresponds to different elements, mantras, and states of consciousness. The number of chakras depends on the yoga lineage but the framework for 7 chakras is the most well-known and common.
The philosophies and practices in the yoga tradition provide us with the tools we need to influence our energetic system, help us to process and release any blockages, heal past impressions, and access higher states of awareness, bliss, and consciousness!
What are the Prana Vayus?
The prana vayus are a framework from the yoga traditions. They refer to the 5 energetic winds or currents that move in different directions and emanate from different locations in the body. Each of the 5 prana vayus has a different location, function, direction, and action within the body.
Each vayu differently influences our energetic system and state of mind. By consciously working to influence one of the prana vayus, you can expect to receive specific energetic effects.
In yoga, each of the vayus is influenced by different asana categories as well as different styles of breath control and specific visualization meditations (kriyas).
Here is a breakdown of the 5 prana vayus:
Apana Vayu
Apana vayu creates a state of embodiment, stability, and calm. It governs our ability to let go. Many people experience spirituality from the heart up, without integrating the energies of the lower body, can become ungrounded by spiritual practice, and need to be here fully on the earth. We want to have expansive states of consciousness but also be fully grounded on Earth, which is why we are here.
Grounding down fully in our embodiment by working with this vayu, we can seek higher states of consciousness that are fully integrated into our body on earth, reaching a state of embodied consciousness.
Apana vayu also supports us in letting go or eliminating energy in the form of thoughts, patterns, experiences, and impressions that are no longer serving us.
Location: Lower abdomen, below the navel
Movement: Downward/descending
Function: Elimination and grounding
Pose category: Forward folds & twists
Breath: Extended exhales
Element: Earth
Samana Vayu
Working with Samana Vayu helps us to balance the forces between the higher and lower energy centers. This energetic wind is associated with our inner fire and heat and is located at the navel center. It moves around in a clockwise direction and is associated with balance and equilibrium.
When working with Samana Vayu, it might feel quite intense and confronting as we build up heat and sometimes discomfort in the physical body. This really helps to get the energy moving and flowing and supports Apana Vayu with letting go.
A great time to work with samana vayu is if you are feeling cold or a bit slow and you want to get your energy moving. Samana vayu is lovely to work with in winter to bring balance at this time of year or during summer to amplify the solar energy even more.
Also, if you sense that you have some energy blockages, stuck emotions, or physical tension, especially in the hips then the energy of samana vayu can be very supportive
Location: Above the navel but below the ribs
Movement: Circulates in a clockwise direction
Function: Transformation, assimilation & digestion
Pose category: Belly down backbends, twists, deep lunges & forward folds
Breath: Equal ratio breathing
Element: Fire
Prana Vayu
Prana Vayu (yes, it is confusingly named the same thing as the term we use to describe all 5 vayus!) creates a sense of rejuvenation and receptivity. It governs our ability to draw nourishment and prana from life. This energy moves inward, yet it is activating.
To work with prana vayu, it can be beneficial to work with the energy of the heart center. Our heart center is the bridge that connects the lower energy centers of the physical body and the earth to the higher centers which are associated more with consciousness and the cosmos above.
Our heart center is also the place where our essence – or soul – resides. This essence of our heart connects us to all other living beings. From this place, we can enter into states of greater presence where we can observe the fluctuations of the mind as a loving witness, without any attachment.
We work with prana vayu and the energy of the heart through the inhale, with backbends and lateral movements.
Location: Chest and head
Movement: Inwards and upwards
Function: Energising, expansive, and vitalizing
Pose category: Backbends and lateral stretches
Breath: Extended inhales
Element: Air
Vyana Vayu
Vyana vayu helps to create a state of vitality and vibrancy. It allows our system to function together as a coordinated and integrated whole.
Location: Whole body & auric field
Movement: Circulates around the outside of the body & through all nadis
Function: Distribution, circulation, integration
Pose category: Lateral stretches, backbends & inversions
Breath: Breath retention on the inhale
Element: Water
Udana Vayu
Udana gayu supports the desire many of us have for spiritual growth and transformation. Working with Udana vayu is all about working with higher vibrations, beyond the physical body. It is the most spiritual and disembodied out of the of the vayus.
Location: Throat
Movement: Upwards through and out the head
Function: Spiritual ascension, personal growth, enthusiasm, and inspiration.
Pose category: Lateral stretches, backbends & inversions
Breath: Breath retention on the exhale
Element: Ether
Pranayama/Breathwork and the prana vayus
The breath directly impacts the vayus through manipulation.
Pranayama (or breathwork/breath control) is the primary way that we influence the energetic currents in our system. The word prana and breath can even be used interchangeably, that’s how intertwined they are.
There are a vast number of different types of pranayama practices which have different effects on our energy and state of mind. They can be activating or calming, they can build heat or help us to cool down.
When it comes to influencing the prana vayus however, it doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated.
As mentioned above under each vayu, we can influence each of the vayus with very simple breathing patterns:
Apana Vayu: Extended the exhale (this is debatable depending on the tradition – some other yoga traditions associate extended inhales with apana vayu).
Example ratio: 4:8
Samana Vayu: Even inhales and exhales.
Example ratio: 8:8
Prana Vayu: Extended inhales (similarly to apana vayu some yoga traditions associate extended exhales with this vayu).
Example ratio: 8:4
Vyana Vayu: Breath retention on the inhale i.e. hold the breath in.
Example ratio: 5:5:5 (inhale 5, hold 5, exhale 5)
Udana Vayu: Breath retention on the exhale ie hold the breath out
Example ratio: 5:5:10 (inhale 5, exhale 5, hold 10)
Yoga Asana and the Prana Vayus
The shapes that our physical body makes have a significant effect on our energetic body. This is because the energetic and physical body is deeply intertwined and connected.
There is a direct relationship between the movements of the spine, the myofascial meridian system, and the stimulation of energy in the prana vayus.
For example, working with the superficial backline with forward folds, we directly influence apana vayu. When working with the superficial frontline with backbends we directly stimulate prana vayu.
Our lateral line helps us to stimulate the circulation of vyana vayu and our spiral line activates fiery samana vayu energy.
When we start to regularly practice yoga asana, we become much more sensitive to the subtle energetic currents and movements on energy within our physical body, as opposed to just feeling our muscles and ligaments stretching. We also become much more aware of the mental, emotional, and spiritual effects stimulating our energy system through asana.
“By using yoga asana to move and open the body, we are directly working on the nadis to open our energetic system, release blockages and allow energy to flow more freely through our system. This helps us to unlock more energy and reach our potential.”
In yoga, in particular yin yoga, we can amplify the energetic effects of different poses by using breath control at the same time. For example, we can more effectively stimulate prana vayu by extending our inhales when we are in a pose like heart on a block, or in caterpillar (forward fold) we can enhance the grounding effects of apana vayu by consciously extending our exhales longer than our inhales.
Kriya Meditation and Prana Vayus
There are specific meditation and visualization techniques known as kriya that can also directly influence our energetic system. Much like yoga asana, the effects of the kriyas can be amplified by coupling them with relevant breath manipulation techniques.
Kriya meditations involve active and passive components. We use the mind (visualization) and the breath to actively move energy in a particular way.
After we have finished working with a specific technique, we take time to rest our awareness so we can absorb and integrate the effects of the practice.
Are you curious to dive deeper into energetic yoga and learn the different kriya meditations, breathing practices, and yoga poses to influence your energetic system?
If so, consider signing up for our new course by Christina Miller, Energetic Yin Yoga!
Energetic Yin Yoga is a four-part series where we explore four different complete yin yoga practices informed by the energetics of the prana vayus.
Each series has a 10-15 minute meditation class, a 10-15 minute pranayama class, and a 60-minute yin yoga class.
We combine specific pranayama practices, meditation techniques and yin asana sequences for the purpose of activating a specific energy within the physical, energetic, mental, emotional and spiritual layers of your being.
Not sure if you’re ready to invest? Try one of the kriya meditations from the course for FREE
What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga is an approach to yoga asana that provides us with the tools and maps to safely and effectively influence the myofascial meridian systems of the body, primarily using gravity as our guiding force.
When we practice Yin Yoga we move through four phases: Create a shape, find stillness, hold for a time, and carefully release. Yin utilizes props in a customized way to ensure every student, no matter their flexibility or range of motion can find stillness.
Yin Yoga with Christina offers a collection of tools and maps from the yoga tradition, including asana, pranayama, and meditation to help students navigate and transform their physical, energetic, and mental bodies.
This yin yoga course is for you if you:
Are constantly in your yang energy, feeling burnt out, exhausted, and always go, go, go.
Only practice strong styles of yoga such as vinyasa, ashtanga, and hot yoga
Want to start integrating yin yoga into your regular practice
Are after more than just asana – you would like to learn a complete practice of asana (physical postures), pranayama, and meditation
Love to deepen your understanding of the energetics of yin yoga, meditation, and pranayama
Want to practice in an intentional way with a physical and energetic outcome
Are interested in learning about working with the 5 Prana Vayus
Are a human being. This course is for everyone!
We journey from the root upwards:
Series 1: Embodied
We start with a grounding, embodied yin yoga practice. In this embodied yin series we will be working with the grounding force of apana vayu. This is downward moving energy located in the pelvic region of the body.
Series 2: Fiery
Moving upwards to the navel for a fiery yin yoga practice. This fiery practice will help you burn up, transform, alchemize, and digest your experiences, emotions, and physical tension, leaving you feeling balanced, purified, and clear. Reabsorbing what you can, strengthening the energy body, and letting go of what you can’t hold any longer.
Series 3: Heart Opening
Then we move to the heart space for a heat-opening yin yoga practice.
In this practice, we will be working with all sides of the heart, the front, back, sides, top, and bottom. This will help us to clear any energetic armor that we have built up for ourselves as protection around our heart space and allow us to crack our hearts open so we can draw in the infinite love all around us.
Series 4: Harmonizing
We end the four-part series with a harmonizing yin yoga practice to tie everything together and integrate the different vayus into one balanced and restorative practice.
In this practice, we will be working with more restorative practices that touch on all of the vayus that we have already worked with. The purpose is to bring your system into balance and harmony on all levels and really help you to drop into your parasympathetic nervous system of rest and digest and access beneficial brain wave states by going into a deeper state of consciousness.
It can be beneficial to do this practice when you are feeling a bit off and uncentered. If you are feeling exhausted and your body is craving deep rest and relaxation this is also a very supportive practice.
This course includes
Four 10-15 minute meditation practices
Four 10-15 minute pranayama practices
Four 60-minute yin yoga classes
FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE
About Christina
Originally from New Zealand, Christina is a passionate yogi and traveler. Christina has been practicing yoga for over 8 years and completed her first yoga teacher training in Hatha & Ashtanga in Rishikesh, India in 2018. In 2021 Christina completed her Yin yoga teacher training with Yin Culture’s Nik Robson in New Zealand.
Christina has experimented with many styles of yoga in her personal practice from Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Bikram, Yin, and everything in between during her time living in London and India. She is also a student of classical Tantra in the Trika lineage of Non-Dual Shaiva Tantra.
Christina teaches Yin Yoga, integrated with pranayama and meditation techniques to help students deeply relax, gently release the body’s fascia systems and tune in to their inner landscapes, bringing harmony to their everyday life.
Christina’s Instagram: @christina.miller44
