Pañcha Vāyu
(picture courtesy Pallavi Tallavajhala)
In my previous post, I spoke about the five kinds of vayus or winds. Each of these five Vayus are related to a particular quality of movement that are responsible for various functions within the body. It is not visible or felt, but they flow through all our internal organs and the mind as well. How they affect these organs in turn affects on how we are feeling in our mind as well. Where they are located in the body, or rather where they are concentrated, affect those particular regions. However, they are powerful enough to bring about change all over. Below I try to explain each of these vayus from everything I've learnt from my teachers and through my own reading, you can find a variety of explanations which differs depending on which school or teacher you are connected to. At the end of the day, you really have to rely on your own practice and experience to feel and understand these very subtle sources of energy.
Prana Vayu
This vayu ensures that the heart goes on beating, our blood circulates around, and also maintains the functioning of all vital organs in the body. It is important for mental function, and when we studied Depression and related causes (and cures), an imbalance of Prana Vayu was often mentioned. Meditation, helps craete space and for the prana vayu to move as does deep breathing, inhaling very consciously as though you are drawing in energy from all your sense. Because of it's immense effect on the mind, some also say the seat of the Prana Vayu is the third eye center or the Ajna Chakra. Sushruta, the ancient father of Indian medicine, is believed to have said, that the Prana Vayu helps "the food travel inwards" and thus supports the functioning of almost everything in the body. The element of prana vayu is Air.
Apana Vayu
Unlike the Prana Vayu, the Apana vayu moves in a downward direction, the literal translation of Apana is "air that moves away". It moves with the force of gravity, in a downward and outward direction, from the lower abdomen (navel area) to the pelvis. It is responsible for removing any unwanted wastes from our body - from bodily wastes to the exhale breath. It is also the energy that governs the reproductive system from insemination to birth - pushing the life out of the woman's body. The seat of the apana vayu is the mooladhara chakra - lower pelvis/perineum region - and it governs qualities like determination, drive, confidence, spurring one into action instead of laziness or inaction.
An imbalance in the apana vayu will lead to illnesses that are related to the elimination of wastes. A good way to focus on Apana Vayu is to be conscious about exhaling, and also think of the exhale breath moving down and out through the feet (this is of course a vsiualization). If comfortable one can also hold the breath briefly post exhalation. Exercising (contracting and releasing) the pelvis floor muscles, through moolabandha also helps maintain the correct apana vayu.
Those who study and practice Kundalini awakening, say having a well balanced Apana vayu in the body is important for Pratthona (the release of energy that triggers the awakening of Kundalini).
There is also a view that says that as we progress spiritually, we need to control the Apana vayu, especially the sexual aspects of it, so that we are not draining all of our energy out through the sexual organs. This school of thought also asks one to focus more on Prana as they walk further on the path if spirituality.
It is governed by the element of Earth.
Samana Vayu
This is the balancing energy in the body with it's seat at the navel region - it brings the two opposing apana and prana vayus together and is also responsible for digestive system as fuels up the digestive fire. It is responsible to brings things to the center through churning, right at the Manipura Chakra.
It is said that yogic practices try to bring the prana and apana vayu together, by moving prana down to the navel region and apana up to the navel region (the pranic center of the body), thus strengthening our energy and awakening our higher faculties - this is also Samana Vayu in action.
Uddiyana Bandha is great for keeping this vayu in balance as well as practices like Kapalabhatti that fire up the belly. A deep inhalation and exhalation, where your expansion and contraction of the belly is exaggerated also helps with Samana Vayu.
Like the digestive system knows what to keep and what to eliminate, how much of the food we eat needs to go to various parts of the body post digestion, similarly the samana vayu helps us discern the beneficial from the detrimental - hence it is of utmost importance when it comes to decision making and also acts as a gatekeeper, helping us decided what thoughts to let enter into our minds and which ones to keep out.
It's obvious that the vayu that helps with digestion, needs to be governed by the element of fire!
Udana Vayu
The area that this energy governs is the head and throat region and is called the upward moving air, which is also what the word ud translates to. Often, it is related to thought expression and the functions of voice and speech and hence is connected to the Vishuddhi Chakra in the throat region. It is related to illnesses of the respiratory system, but also nervous health and weight issues. It is also sometimes known to be associated with the Ajna Chakra, because it helps carry energy from the throat to the head region.
This energy is held responsible for our will power and self-transformation and it is said that it also helps the soul or consciousness move out of the body after death.
The Jalandhara Bandha, helps stimulate and energise the Udana Vayu as does Ujjayi (victorious breath) that activates the throat chakra. Chanting, because it gives expression to our voice and emotions, is a great way to fire up the Udana Vayu, which is also connected with creativity. I was studying about Thyroid asanas in a yoga therapy course I did, and one of the asanas mentioned was Simhasana - such a great way to stimulate the Vishuddhi chakra !
The Udana Vayu, balances the Ether element in our bodies.
Vyana Vayu
Vyana Vayu is the energy that envelops our body; it is often called an aura. It is responsible for coordinating, balancing and bringing together all these energies we have mentioned above. It is said to run through 72,000 pathways (nadis) in the body connecting all muscles, veins and joints.
This energy expands - contracts, bends forwards and backwards and moves to the sides. It also causes sweat to run, along with helping with the flow of blood throughout the body as well as moves the nervous impulses - it thus creates a sense of living energy.
Because it touches the very extremities of the body, on a more subtle level it governs our interactions with the external world. An unbalanced Vyana will lead to a contraction of the self - an inability to reach out to people as well as weak coordination.
It is related to the naval and sacral (Swadishthana Chakra) and it governed by the Water element. A great way to work on your Vyana Vayu, is what one of my teachers called the Prana invocation Mudra : where you start with your hands at the chest, inhale and move the hands out as your draw the air in, and as you exhale you let the breath out and slowly bring your hands back to your chest. A great pranayama is the balancing anulom-vilom.
This was a very brief (and I feel all over the place) commentary on the Pancha Vayu, the more you read on this concept across schools (hatha, tantra, kundalini, ayurveda etc) the more you'll realise how immensely large the subject is and yet how minutely it affects all that we do and all that we are. I encourage you to read and discover the matter for yourself!
Namaste.
This energy expands - contracts, bends forwards and backwards and moves to the sides. It also causes sweat to run, along with helping with the flow of blood throughout the body as well as moves the nervous impulses - it thus creates a sense of living energy.
Because it touches the very extremities of the body, on a more subtle level it governs our interactions with the external world. An unbalanced Vyana will lead to a contraction of the self - an inability to reach out to people as well as weak coordination.
It is related to the naval and sacral (Swadishthana Chakra) and it governed by the Water element. A great way to work on your Vyana Vayu, is what one of my teachers called the Prana invocation Mudra : where you start with your hands at the chest, inhale and move the hands out as your draw the air in, and as you exhale you let the breath out and slowly bring your hands back to your chest. A great pranayama is the balancing anulom-vilom.
This was a very brief (and I feel all over the place) commentary on the Pancha Vayu, the more you read on this concept across schools (hatha, tantra, kundalini, ayurveda etc) the more you'll realise how immensely large the subject is and yet how minutely it affects all that we do and all that we are. I encourage you to read and discover the matter for yourself!
Namaste.
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