Beginner’s Guide to Pranic Yoga
Ever heard of Prana? It is a bit tricky for most people to understand. Also, When you connect with the Prana you connect with the surrounding world. Moreover, in the yogic tradition, Prana is the life force that pulses throughout your body via a network of subtle energy channels. To increase this life force, many yoga practitioners adapt to the practice of pranic yoga.
Let us first understand Prana in the yogic context.
Prana – In Yogic Context
There are thousands of references to the sacred prana mentioned in various cultures and traditions. Moreover, Prana is similar to the life-force in the Chinese principle of Chi, the Roman anima, and it is also the mainstay of the ancient yogic traditions.
Want to know how this life force affects your mental and physical health? Keep reading.
Prana and the Sun, Moon and Central Energy Channels
Along with a physical body, you also possess a subtle body that extends beyond your physical self. Moreover, the subtle body helps you sense a person’s energy or act intuitively in a situation.
The subtle body has a central nervous system that contains a network of channels known as Nadis. There are two main channels – the sun and moon and one main channel.
The Sun Channel
The Sun channel is located on the right side of your spine. It is known as Pingala Nadi and is represented by the Sanskrit syllable Ha. It contains energies dealing with anger, jealousy, separateness, and aversion. Thus, the sacred prana flows downward in this channel with an exhale, you experience a disconnection from the outside world.
The Moon Channel
Located on the left side of your spine is the Moon channel, which is known as the Ida Nadi. It is represented by the Sanskrit syllable Tha. It contains energies dealing with desire, craving, attachment, and ignorance.
The sacred prana moves upward through this channel through inhaling. Therefore, this is how it attracts your mind towards objects of desire.
The Central Channel
The central channel is located in the front of your spine and is known as Sushumna Nadi. Moreover, the ultimate goal of pranic yoga is to help you move the energies from the side channels into the central channels.
Now, many yoga practitioners ask –
Why is Prana Important?
Breathing is a vital part of everyone’s lives. Deep breathing helps you achieve good physical and mental health. It is here that pranic yoga can help you invite positivity and energy in daily life. Moreover, prana improves your lung capacity and blood circulation.
What is Pranic Yoga?
As per yogic traditions, energy exists inside and around your physical body.
Pranic Yoga is an integral part of yoga. Just like Hatha yoga helps you enjoy good physical health, pranic yoga is good for your mind.
When you breathe deeply the sacred prana flows throughout your body through the subtle energy channels. With proper inhale and exhale, you can easily improve the quality of this vital life energy.
To help improve this life-force energy, there are some yoga exercises you can practice.
Top Pranic Yoga Exercises
Given below are the best 4 pranic yoga exercises you should do.
1. Meditation
Yes! Meditation is more about connecting with yourself than just sitting in a cross-legged position. You have to sit in the perfect environment and focus on becoming thoughtless. Daily practise of this ancient yogic technique can help you let go of unnecessary stress and improve the prana energy.
2. Kapalbhati
Known as Rhythmic breathing, this is a powerful pranic yoga exercise you can practice in the regular sitting posture. If you suffer from back pain, yoga experts recommend that you rest against a wall or lie down straight on the bed or floor.
Kapalbhati includes active exhalation and passive inhalation and its daily practice can help you lose belly fat.
3. Anulom Vilom
The Anulom Vilom, known as Alternate Nostril breathing is a powerful yoga breathing technique that improves the functioning of your lungs and overall mood. Moreover, it helps relieve headaches and keeps you away from mental health issues like depression.
4. Deep Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing exercises offer you a world of benefits including more power to the lungs. Thus, you can practice pranic yoga breathing exercises like Abdominal breathing, Guided Visualization, and Sama Vrtti.
Conclusion
Do you want to wake up every morning with more energy? Learn everything about pranic yoga by enrolling in a certified yoga school and learning this yoga style under the guidance of yoga masters.