May Prana – The Energetic Force Be With You!
There is a concept in Ayurveda called prana or in other words life force energy.
Everything that I share with you will boost your prana. I promise you that my little golden gems of knowledge will help you step into your power and vitality.
Breathwork is sacred to me. In practicing yoga, I get to dance with my breath. Learning this sacred dance of the breath has been crucial for me to heal my body pain. Seriously!
Before I tapped into my breath and how to move and groove with it, I was literally in chronic pain wrestling with high levels of stress hormones and chronic fatigue, and later on diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
If you haven’t experienced the power of breathwork, then you haven’t experienced life to the fullest.
Prana is the Energy That Drives Life
Breathwork is just one way to build prana in the body, but there are a multitude of ways to build prana. Prana is also in the food we eat, the vital living force of living plants not frankenstein processed foods. Prana is the energy that drives life, the power that animates the body, enlivens our minds, and is in attune to the soul. Prana is in every living organism and inanimate object on this planet, and we are in a constant dance with pranic energy all of the time.
Chakras and Nadis
I liken prana to atomic energy. Prana literally translates to the breath of life, and it is dynamic in how it enlivens our bodies. When prana is balanced, it flows freely through our chakras, and through all of the intricate channels of our bodies called nadis or meridians. There are said to be thousands of nadis throughout the body. Thus, prana is at work in each living cell in our body.
Some people have described prana as lifetrons. In other words, it is the cosmic vibratory energy that is omnipresent in the universe, structuring and sustaining all things. It pervades all atoms in the universe and every place in the cosmos. It is considered the primal, direct, subtle link between matter and spirit.
Prana is the intelligent force that the soul directs, or in other words the force that the soul uses to bring life into the body – the force between the soul and the body. When our body is no longer enlivened by the breath (the life force) we die, but after prana leaves the body the soul carries on beyond the physical form.
Prana, Tejas and Ojas
Prana, Tejas and Ojas are considered subtle forms of Vata, Pitta and Kapha the three Doshas. These three forces are interrelated. Prana is considered the energy and strength that comes from Ojas (immunity). Ojas is the stamina of the mind and nervous system for holding both tejas and prana. You can think of prana as the electricity that courses through our Electromagnetic Field.
Prana is the subtle form of Vata responsible for respiration, digestion (Samana Vayu), circulation, excretion and much more. It is the vital force of Prana that flows through the seven invisible wheels of energy (chakras) correlated to our major nerve plexuses.
Prana governs movement in the body, and thus why it animates the body. When prana becomes disturbed the breath is shallow, and thus leads to a host of diseases, such as breathlessness, asthma, bronchitis, cold, congestion, cough, etc.
Depleting Prana
Prana can become depleted when we are stressed, overworked, and our digestive fire is weak, then our immunity suffers. The quickest way to weaken prana is through too much mental activity when the mind is moving a mile a minute. Fear, anxiety and overwhelm are signs that prana is depleted.
When we are constantly extending our energy outward, then we deplete our vital life force. Our society has trained us to always be on the go. As a culture, we are driven to constantly be working, doing, succeeding, thriving, accomplishing, achieving, etc.
Tips to Restore Prana
- Eat fresh, organic living plants
- Aim for quality sleep to restore the body
- Reduce Stress
- Spend time with living plants in nature, forest bathing, earthing, etc.
- Practice Pranayama (Breathwork)
- Practice Yoga to Move Stagnant Prana in the Body
- Practice Slowing Down the Mind through Meditation
- Establish Nourishing Routines and Self Care
To learn more about how to restore your life force, check out my yearlong course The Alchemy And Art of Ayurveda – A Journey Into Ayurvedic Healing.