Prana yoga flow: Here’s how you can feel the difference in yourself!

Prana is a Sanskrit word that translates to ‘vital life force’. Prana suggests the existence of two bodies—the physical and the more tangible body that we all know to exist and the energetic or the spiritual body. Yoga practitioners have experienced the existence of energy and its flow through their spiritual bodies. The prana yoga flow that we experience is organic and consistent. It helps the body to remain active, and build a robust immune system. Prana inflow is also responsible for the quality of thoughts and circulation in different parts of the body. But how do you experience it?

What does prana yoga do to your body?

Just like the physical body is made of a skeletal system, organs, five senses, tissues, and blood vessels; the spiritual or the energetic body consists of a network of channels. These are known as nadis which is made up of a main central channel, two side channels and thousands of smaller channels. The two side channels are commonly known as the sun and the moon channels based on the right and left sides of the spine, respectively. The goal of Hatha Yoga through prana yoga flow is to attain full integration by combining the ‘sun’ and the ‘moon’ sides of the spines to the central spine. Once the full integration is achieved, a yogi experiences complete bliss and a flow of knowledge and wisdom through his spiritual self.

What are some yoga poses that activate the chakras?

Yoga poses like bridge pose, tadasana and pranayama are known to activate specific chakras or energy centres in the body. They have positive and impactful effects on the glands associated with the chakra. Like, when you do meditative sessions, prana yoga focuses on the breathing exercises and increases the concentration power of your mind and makes you more attentive and productive towards your work.

There are five different vayus or prana that move through your body and these different winds have very distinct impacts on your body. These different vayus can be accessed through pranayama and yoga asanas.

The 5 different vayus are:

1. Apana vayu
2. Samana vayu
3. Prana vayu
4. Udana vayu
5. Vyana vayu

Prana yoga inflow is highly associated with the breath that we intake. Prana is thus a vital force of energy that exists in all things, in the food we consume, the air we breathe and the energy that we absorb from the universe. Through yoga poses, we can channel the breath that flows in our body and learn to connect the spiritual being with the physical being of ourselves.