According to human physiology, the human body is comprised of five bodies or Sheaths. The Sheaths are called ‘Kosha’, which means layers of existence. These five Sheaths are known as Annamaya Kosha / Physical / gross body, Pranamaya Kosha / Pranic / vital air body, Manomaya Kosha / mental body, Vijnanamaya Kosha / intellect body and Anandamaya Kosha / bliss body. The Pranas constitute the second sheath (The Pranamaya Kosha).

THE FIVE VAYUS

There are five principle elements of nature; these are Earth, Air, Water, Ether & Fire. Air is the principle element & one of the minute forms of cosmic energy. This energy is also present in the human body as well. When you breathe in slowly, deeply & consciously you can feel this cosmic energy circulating in each cell, each tissue, each muscle, each nerve, each organ & each part of your body. It gives us light, a life, strength, courage, vigour & power. Although Prana is one, it has five subdivisions based on its location in the human body & called Punch Prana. They are Prana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Udana Vayu &Vyana Vayu. Each govern specific areas of the body, not just physical, but govern emotional qualities and mental energies fundamental to physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. All five flows have to be working well for a person to be completely healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Regular breathing exercise can keep Pranamaya Kosha healthy & balanced.

PRANA VAYU

The breath is the key action for Prana & can be experienced strongly as it moves within the head in practices of Pranayama and Meditation. It circulates in the area around the heart and throat. It gathers at the navel and from there is distributed throughout the body. The Prana Vayu is the energy of the Anahata / Heart Chakra. It governs the intake of energy via food, drink, breath, impressions, emotions, thoughts and consciousness. Its element is air. It maintains the life system by filtering & warming up the air taken in through the nose. When Prana is sufficient, no disease can affect us. It brings right receptivity, love & compassion. When Prana is not sufficient, we start feeling weaknesses, stiffness & negativity in the body & mind. Diseases like asthma, anxiety, insomnia, headache, high or low BP and ringing of the ears can affect us. The awareness of Prana-Vayu creates a focus to lift, lengthen and open the upper body.

APANA VAYU

Apana Vayu circulates in the lower region of the abdomen between the navel and the rectum including the large intestine & reproductive organs. The healthy functioning of the Apana Vayu is as vital as that of the Prana Vayu. It controls excretory functions (urine, faeces, toxins & waste materials). It is also responsible for bleeding, labour pain, childbirth, stomachache, the semen and the elimination of carbon dioxide through the breath. Its element is Earth. It is related to Mooladhara / Root Chakra. When Apana Vayu is in balance, it brings stability, security, abundance & values. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to instability, insecurity, scarcity, egoistic, biased feeling, complaints, rejection, demands & mental weaknesses. Diseases like constipation, anemia, diarrhea, body pain, jaundice, piles, vomiting & gas can affect us.The awareness of Apana Vayu creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body.

SAMANA VAYU

Samana Vayu is a circular flow of breath around the waist. The main function of the Samana is to maintain the balance between Prana & Apana. It circulates between the heart and navel center including the small intestine & the umbilical region. It stimulates the digestive juices, thus facilitating digestion. Developing Samana Vayu properly nourishes all parts of your body and the energy supplied by food is evenly distributed because it separates nutrients and waste from food & separates useful and not useful thoughts. Its element is Fire. It is related to Manipur / Solar Chakra. When Samana Vayu is in balance, it brings peace, balance, harmony, equilibrium strong will power, wit, wisdom, brilliance, bravery, courage, generosity, forgiving within ourselves and with our natural environment. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to attachment, greed, passiveness, not God fearing, revengeful, pervertion & lust. Diseases like Indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, gas problem, skin, blood related, TB, chicken pox, cancer, acidity can affect us. The awareness of Samana Vayu creates a focus to open and relax the body.