Principles of Prana

Featured Article in Yoga + Life Magazine: Summer/Fall 2023 Issue

Yoga, as a contemplative science, can be thought of as a laboratory: a space for experimenting with and experiencing the vividness of life.

Experimentation with the formless dimensions of Prana.

Deep research into the realms of the subtle body.

These energetic constructs are not esoteric, in fact they are accessible technologies to understand and refine the mindful mechanics of the way the life force is balanced and distributed through the nervous system.

It’s been said that this era of practice in the industry of Yoga, and the potential awareness & insights that are available is unlike any other time on the planet.

As Yogis, I really feel we chose to be positioned here and now as practitioners in a collective awakening. As a species, we are at the precipice of groundbreaking evidence-based research in mindfulness and neurological function (in fact they called 2010-2020 the decade of the brain for all the advancements we made in understanding cognitive development), coupled with thousands of years of introspective & contemplative practice under our collective belt as meditators, practitioners & insight seekers.

This means we are at the frontier of “understanding the mystery” through wedding both compelling Western gains and compassionate Eastern insights.

Before outlining the Principles of Prana, it’s helpful to describe this term which can often feel abstract and elusive. Prana itself is indescribable, which is why embodiment practices are the most effective in emphasizing it’s impact on the system. However, analytically we can feel into the vibrational body, and the subtle realms…

Prana is vibrational energy. In Sanskrit, Pra means with, while Na means movement.. it’s the galvanizing of foundational awareness as it moves through the subtle body systems.

Breath is not Prana, but merely a vehicle to move Prana.

We often conflate the two, but in actuality Prana follows the breath.

The two are strong allies.

-The 3 Immeasurables of Prana-

Yoga and Prana interact with one another; there are specific ways in which the practice of Yoga

Asana relates to our Pranic patterns. I call these “the 3 Immeasurables”, because the more you harness this relationship, the more infinite its activity and benefits, a boundless depth of practice life. In short, there are 3 ways Yoga Asana stimulates Qi, or the movement of Prana.

1. Yoga circulates Prana

There are specific pathways of Pranic circulation, called meridians, or Nadis: the streams/channels for Prana’s path to flow, translated as “little rivers”.

Looking close up at a leaf, or the blood vessels of a human, or the river networks on planet Earth… we can see clearly these natural processes all established the same mode of carrying energy, water, Prana, blood flow, Life Force… whatever is essential, through its host.

We use Asana to stimulate this circulation. In Yin Yoga specifically, we hold each shape, practicing stillness to observe the flow of Prana through tissues, the inner circulation and inner dialogue of the organs and the streams which nourish those organs.

These Meridians run through the faschia, or connective tissue, which ensheathes the musculo- skeletal system. As our objective of Yin practice is to lengthen connective tissue through muscular relaxation, we can opens the fascia under muscle to access fluid tubes of meridians.

If Prana is stagnant, the fluidity of the meridian can get sticky, harden, even calcify. Even our thoughts can influence this, which is why in anger the jaw hardens, in grief the upper back rounds. We can lubricate and lengthen these lines to circulate the life force through a system seeking balance.

2. Yoga balances Prana

Prana has two aspects: Yin & Yang. The Yang of Prana (called prana with a little ‘p’) is

experienced as an ascension, carried on the wings of the in-breath, it’s an opening, an

expansion, and vigor and revitalization. It often comes with muscular lengthening, fascial

lubrication, and a levity in the system.

The Yin of Prana (called Apana) descends through the bodymind on an exhale. It’s downward moving, a closing contracting and returning to our basic ground of being. It’s often accompanied by a sense of surrendering, or letting go. The organs prolapse slightly,

even the skeleton softens and the bone marrow releases blood, and the field of the practitioner widens as it settles in.

With this in mind, we can sense that Yoga isn’t stretching, or strengthening, or softening… its Pranic management, organizing the skillful movement and distribution of Prana.

In a relaxed state Prana can flow unimpeded and balance the system. When flowing in and out of specific asanas, it’s essential to remember that a pose is never in and of itself complete, rather it’s a way to notice the balance of prana/apana through the

system and how to cultivate and balance it in each posture. (Am I assuming a stimulating/ Yang-centric pose? Where can I ground? Does this next pose engender more lethargy/sinking in my system, if so where can I increase stimulation and focus?)

3. Yoga increases our access to Prana!

This is a principal concept in the shapes we take – as Yoga Asana becomes a mechanism to build and distribute power/awareness. It’s been suggested that the vital center of the body is the low belly, what the Japanese call ‘hara’. Some joke the Buddha was always pictured with a full round belly because he was so full of Prana!

In Asana we play with the movement of meridians from the center, so that awareness of the storehouse of Prana is emphasized. From the center of your being, this wide abidance, is where Prana flows outward. In fact, in each pose you might inhale into the center of your low abdomen and exhale to distribute the Qi…