Prana
(Devanagari: ?????, praNa) is a Sanskrit word meaning 'breath'
and is understood as the vital, life-sustaining force of
living beings and the vital energy in all natural processes
of the universe. It is a central concept in Eastern medicine
and Yoga where it is understood to flow through a network
of fine subtle channels called nadi. The three main channels
are: the ida, the pingala, and the sushumna. The ida and
pingala channels are said to correlate with left and right
uninostril breathing. If Prana enters a period of uplifted,
intensified activity, the Yogic tradition refers to this
stage of Prana as Pranotthana (Sovatsky, 1998). Its first
expounding came in the Upanishads, where it is part of the
worldly, physical realm, sustaining the body and the mother
of thought and thus also of the mind. Prana suffuses all
living form but is not itself the Atma or individual soul
The
popular understanding of prana as being the same as air
could be said to be a misunderstanding, or a simplification
of the concept. The incorrect assumption that Prana is respiratory
air arises from the popular understanding of the practice
of Pranayama, in which the control of Prana is achieved
(initially) from the control of one's breathing. According
to Yogic philosophy the breath, or air, is merely a gateway
to the world of prana and its manifestation in the body.
In yoga, pranayama techniques are used to control the movement
of these vital energies within the body, which is said to
lead to an increase in vitality in the practitioner. However,
the practice of these techniques is not trivial, and Kason
(2000) mentions circumstances where pranayama techniques
might disrupt the balance of a person's life. The possibility
of adverse effects resulting from these techniques must
therefore not be underestimated.
In
practical terms, prana can be explained in various ways.
Feelings of hunger, thirst, hot, cold, etc. in the body
could, according to this worldview, be interpreted as pranic
manifestations. All physical feelings or energies that arise
or flow within the body might also be interpreted as evidence
that prana is at work. The presence of prana is said to
be what distinguishes a living body from a dead one. When
a person (or any other living being such as an animal) dies,
the prana, or life force, is thought to leave the body through
one of several orifices.
Prana
is also a term which can be further classified into subcategories,
referred to as pranas. According to Hindu philosophy these
are the vital principles of basic energy and subtle faculties
of an individual that sustain physiological processes. There
are five 'Pranas' or vital currents in the Hindu system
: Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana. The pranas constitute
the second sheath (kosa) of a human being (who is essentially
the Atman or the Self). The kosas are listed below.
Annamaya Kosa (Gross Body)
Pranamaya Kosa (Vital Air Sheath)
Manomaya Kosa (Mental Sheath)
Vigyanamaya Kosa (Intellectual Sheath)
Karanamaya Kosa or Anandmaya Kosa (Causal Sheath)
