Prana

{{Short description|Sanskrit meaning "life force" or "vital principle"}} {{for-multi|the clothing company|Prana (brand)}}

In yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian martial arts, '''prana''' ({{lang|sa|प्राण}}, {{IAST|prāṇa}}; the Sanskrit word for breath, "life force", or "vital principle")<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prana|title=Prana |publisher=Dictionary.com |access-date=2015-04-22}}</ref> permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Sacred journey: living purposefully and dying gracefully |last=Rama |first=Swami |date=2002|publisher=Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust|isbn=978-8188157006|location=India|oclc=61240413}}</ref> In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from the Sun and connecting the elements.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1982/emay82/prana582.shtml |title=Prana: the Universal Life Force |author=Swami Satyananda Saraswati |author-link=Satyananda Saraswati |publisher=Bihar School of Yoga |website=Yoga Magazine |date=September 1981 |access-date=31 July 2015}}</ref>

Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the five ''vāyus'' ("winds"), are described in Hindu texts. Ayurveda, tantra 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, one of the eight limbs of yoga, is intended to expand conscious awareness of prana.

==Etymology==

V.S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for the Sanskrit word ''{{IAST|prāṇa}}'' ({{lang|sa|प्राण}}) including breath or respiration;<ref name="Apte 1965">{{Citation | last=Apte | first=Vaman Shivram | year=1965 | title=The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary | place=Delhi | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers | edition=4th | isbn=81-208-0567-4 |page=679}}</ref> 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);<ref name="Apte 1965"/><ref>For the vital airs as generally assumed to be five, with other numbers given, see: Macdonell, p. 185.</ref> energy or vigour;<ref name="Apte 1965"/> the spirit or soul.<ref name="Apte 1965"/>

Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used by Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing with pranayama, the manipulation of the breath.<ref>Bhattacharyya, p. 311.</ref> Thomas McEvilley translates ''prāṇa'' as "spirit-energy".<ref>{{cite web |last1=McEvilley |first1=Thomas |title=The Roots Of Tantra: The Spinal Serpent P. 94. |url=http://www.abhidharma.ru/A/Ioga/Tantra/Content/0006.pdf |website=Abhidharma |publisher=Harper and Brown |ref=P. 94.}}</ref> The breath is understood to be its most subtle material form, but is also believed to be present in the blood, and most concentrated in semen and vaginal fluid.<ref>Richard King, ''Indian philosophy: an introduction to Hindu and Buddhist thought''. Edinburgh University Press, 1999, p. 70.</ref>

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.{{sfn|Brown|1919}}

==Early references== The ancient concept of prāṇa is described in many Hindu texts, including Upanishads and Vedas. 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 Upanishads, Ayurvedic and Yogic sources includes five classifications, often subdivided.<ref name="Sivananda">{{cite book |last1=Sivananda |first1=Sri Swami |author-link=Swami Sivananda |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=9OCLDgAAQBAJ}} |title=The Science of Pranayama |date=2008 |publisher=BN Publishing |isbn=978-9650060206}}</ref>{{Page needed |date=December 2016}} 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.{{sfn|Eliade|Trask|White|2009|p=104}} Texts like the ''Vaikānasasmārta'' utilized the five prāṇas as an internalization of the five sacrificial fires of a panchāgni homa ceremony.{{sfn|Eliade|Trask|White|2009|pp=111–112}}

=== Vedas and Upanishads === One of the earliest references to prāṇa is found in the ''Chandogya Upanishad'', but many other Upanishads also use the concept, including the ''Katha'', ''Mundaka'', and ''Prashna Upanishads''. The concept is elaborated upon in great detail in the literature of haṭha yoga,<ref name="Mallinson">{{cite book |last1=Mallinson |first1=James |author-link=James Mallinson (author) |title=The Shiva Samhita: A Critical Edition and an English Translation |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=hlQRnDOr178C}} |date=2007 |publisher=YogaVidya.com |location=Woodstock, New York |isbn=978-0971646650 |edition=1st}}</ref> tantra, and Ayurveda.

The ''Atharvaveda'' 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).<ref>{{cite book|first=Ralph. T. H.|last=Griffith|title=Hymns Of The Atharva-veda Vol. II|date=1917 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56848 |pages=64–68}}</ref> "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."<ref>{{cite book |author=Tulsi Ram |title=Atharvaveda |location=Delhi |publisher=Vijaykumar Govindram Hasanand |year=2013 |isbn=9788183858762 |page=241}}</ref>

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'' also support this division of breaths, associating ''prana'' with the nasal region and ''apana'' with the abdominal region.{{Sfn|Brown|1919}}

=== Bhagavad Gita === The ''Bhagavad Gita'' verse 4.27 describes the yoga of self-control as the sacrifice of the actions of the senses and of prāṇa in the fire kindled by knowledge.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=25}} More generally, the conquest of the senses, the mind, and prāṇa is seen as an essential step on the yogin's path to samadhi, or indeed as the goal of yoga.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=47}} 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"{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=60}} to practise yoga in a beautiful, undisturbed cave.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=60}}

==Vāyus== thumb|The 5 Vayus - Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana, Vyana 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. 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.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=128, 173–174, 191–192}} The ''Nisvasattvasamhita Nayasutra'' describes five minor winds, naming three of these as nāga, dhanamjaya, and kurma;{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=191–192}} the other two are named in the ''Skandapurana'' (181.46) and ''Sivapurana Vayaviyasamhita'' (37.36) as devadatta and krtaka.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=174}}

{| class="wikitable" |+ Vāyus, according to the ''Nisvasattvasamhita Nayasutra'' (6th–10th century) ! Vāyu ! Location ! Responsibility{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|p=191}} |- | 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== {{Further|Nadi (yoga)}} [[File:SahajaSubtleSystem.svg|thumb|A simplified view of the subtle body of Indian philosophy, showing the three major nadis or channels, the Ida (B), Sushumna (C), and Pingala (D), which run vertically in the body.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=172–173}}]]

Indian philosophy describes prana flowing in nadis (channels), though the details vary.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=172–173}} The ''Brhadaranyaka Upanishad'' (2.I.19) mentions 72,000 nadis in the human body, running out from the heart, whereas the ''Katha Upanishad'' (6.16) says that 101 channels radiate from the heart.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=172–173}} 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 in the centre connecting the base chakra to the crown chakra, enabling prana to flow throughout the subtle body.{{sfn|Mallinson|Singleton|2017|pp=172–173}}

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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sridhar |first=M. K. |date=2015 |title=The concept of Jnana, Vijnana and Prajnana according to Vedanta philosophy |journal=International Journal of Yoga: Philosophy, Psychology and Parapsychology |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=5 |doi=10.4103/2347-5633.161024|doi-access=free|s2cid=147000303 }}</ref>

== Pranayama == {{Main|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 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.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Pranayama, The art and science |last=Nagendra |first=H. R. |publisher=Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashana |year=1998 |location=Bangalore, India }}</ref>

Many pranayama techniques are designed to cleanse the nadis, allowing for greater movement of prana. Other techniques may be utilized to arrest the breath for samadhi or to bring awareness to specific areas in the practitioner's subtle or physical body. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is utilized to generate inner heat in the practice of tummo.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ra Yeshe Senge |title=The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat: The Life of Ra Lotsawa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ycTsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT242 |year=2015 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-698-19216-4|pages=242 see entry for Tummo}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Dharmakirti |title=Mahayana tantra: an introduction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdQKAAAAYAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Penguin Books |pages=126–127|isbn=9780143028536 }}</ref>

In Ayurveda and therapeutic yoga, pranayama is utilized for many tasks, including to affect mood and aid in digestion. A. G. Mohan 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".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mohan |first1=A. G. |author1-link=A. G. Mohan |last2=Mohan |first2=Indra |title=Yoga Therapy: A Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Yoga and Ayurveda for Health and Fitness |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=H8YMAAAACAAJ}} |date=2004 |publisher=Shambhala Publications |location=Boston |isbn=978-1590301319 |page=135 |edition= 1st}}</ref>

According to Theos Bernard, the ultimate aim of pranayama is the suspension of breathing, "causing the mind to swoon".<ref>{{cite book | last=Bernard | first=Theos | author-link=Theos Casimir Bernard | title=Hatha Yoga: The Report of A Personal Experience | publisher=Harmony | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-9552412-2-2 | oclc=230987898 |page=57}}</ref> Swami Yogananda 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".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yogananda |first1=Paramahansa |author-link=Paramahansa Yogananda |title=The Essence of Kriya Yoga |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltl1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10 |date=2005 |publisher=Alight Publications |isbn=978-1931833189 |edition=1st |page=part10 (online)}}</ref>

== Similar concepts == Similar concepts exist in various cultures, including the Latin ''anima'' ("breath", "vital force", "animating principle"), Islamic and Sufic ruh, the Greek pneuma, the Chinese qi, the Polynesian mana, the Amerindian orenda, the German od, and the Hebrew ruah.<ref name="Feuerstein">{{cite book |last1=Feuerstein |first1=George |author-link=Georg Feuerstein |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=Ok54ngEACAAJ}} |title=The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice |date=2013 |publisher=Hohm Press |isbn=978-1935387589 |orig-year=1998}}</ref> Prāṇa is also described as subtle energy<ref name="Srinivasan2017">{{cite journal |last1=Srinivasan |first1=TM |year=2017 |title=Biophotons as subtle energy carriers |journal=International Journal of Yoga |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=57–58 |doi=10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_18_17 |pmc=5433113 |pmid=28546674 |doi-access=free}}</ref> or life force.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Rowold |first=Jens |date=August 2016 |title=Validity of the Biofield Assessment Form (BAF) |journal=European Journal of Integrative Medicine |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=446–452 |doi=10.1016/j.eujim.2016.02.007}}</ref>

==See also==  * Aura * Chaitanya (consciousness) * Chakra * Meridian (Chinese medicine) * Nadi (yoga) * Qi * Qi Men Dun Jia * Scientific skepticism * Subtle body * Vijñāna * Yoga Sutra

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==Sources== * {{Cite journal |last=Brown |first=George William |date=1919 |title=Prāṇa and Apāna |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/592721 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=39 |pages=104–112 |doi=10.2307/592721 |jstor=592721 |issn=0003-0279|url-access=subscription }} * {{cite book |last1=Eliade |first1=Mircea |author1-link=Mircea Eliade |last2=Trask |first2=Willard R. |last3=White |first3=David Gordon |author3-link=David Gordon White |title=Yoga: Immortality and Freedom |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=V07l6gThaV0C}} |date=2009 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0691142036 }} * {{cite book | last1=Mallinson | first1=James |last2=Singleton |first2=Mark | author1-link=James Mallinson (author) |author2-link=Mark Singleton (yoga researcher) | title=Roots of Yoga | publisher=Penguin Books | year=2017 | isbn=978-0-241-25304-5 | oclc=928480104 }}

==External links== {{wiktionary}} {{Wikiquote}} * [https://hara-hara-mahadev.blogspot.com/2009/09/hymn-to-prana.html Prana - A Overview as per vedic scriptures along with a hymn to Prana from Atharva Veda] * [http://veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/prana.htm Prana – overview] * [https://www.yogicwellnesssecrets.com/amazing-secret-to-health-and-wellbeing-as-per-yogic-science-prana/ Prana – Amazing Secret To Health and Wellbeing as per Yogic Science]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prana}} Category:Energy (esotericism) Category:Vitalism Category:Hindu philosophical concepts Category:Yoga concepts