Secrets of 5 Vāyus of Yoga

The five prana (vital energy) currents are the Vāyus ("airs" in Sanskrit; The Sanskrit word Vāta literally means 'blown'; Vāyu, 'blower' and Prāna, 'breathing' (note: the breath of life; the *an- in animate). To be aware of these currents and how they influence balance, imbalance is to gain valuable insight and pointers to sustain well-being.

1. Prana Vāyu (feeds energy into other four)

PRANA vāyu is responsible for the INTAKE (forward-moving air). It moves downward and inward, providing the basic energy that drives us. It is primarily located in the head, lungs and heart. Imbalances in Prana flow can show up as anxiety, fear, anger (head); breathlessness, asthma, sleep apnea (lungs); heart palpitations or stroke (heart).

Yoga asanas to focus on balancing the Prana Vāyu:

Inversions

• Kriya Asana Vanekom -Earth Salutation
• Ardha Salabhasana – Half Locust Pose
• Paripurna Salabhasana – Full Locust Pose
• Urdva Mukha Svanasana - Upward Facing Dog Pose
• Nindra Kokkusana -Crane Pose

Poses with Raised Arms

• Talasana -Palm Tree Pose
• Virahdrasana I -Warrior I Pose
• Utkatasana -Chair Pose

Heart Openers

• Ustrasana -Camel Pose
• Setu Bandha – Bridge Pose
• Urdva Dhanurasana - Upward Bow Pose
• Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose

Some breathwork to use in conjunction with Prana Vāyu asanas:

• Ujjaii Breathing (Ocean Breathing)
• Bhastrika Pranayama (Breath of Fire)
• Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

2. Udana Vāyu

It circulates in the head and neck and is responsible for growth. It moves upward and results from other vayus working properly. It governs our ability to stand, our speech, effort, enthusiasm and will. It is concentrated near the diaphragm and throat and is responsible for certain respiratory functions, speech and mental functioning (by supporting the blood movement to the brain). Imbalances in Udana vayu functioning include asthma, emphysema; stuttering, voice hoarseness; depression, poor memory, lack of creativity, direction or goals.

Yoga asanas to focus on balancing the Udana Vāyu

• any of the Warrior Poses
• Gardusana -Eagle Pose
• Minasana-Fish Pose
• Pathi Minasana -Half Fish Pose
• Vilasana- Bow Pose
• Vibaritakarani Asana (Half Shoulder stand)
• Kalapoy Asana - Plow Pose

Some breathwork & other practices to use in conjunction with Udana Vāyu

• Focus on Exhalation, particularly diaphragmatic breathing
• Udana Breath (IN: Breathe in through the mouth, attention at the throat chakra EX: Chant OM)
• Chanting (i.e. Om Kriya Babaji Namo Aum; So-Hum- Om Namah Shivayah)
• Meditations that highlight raising awareness of head and neck

3. Vyana Vāyu

VYANA vayu is responsible for distribution. It moves outward in a circular, pulsating motion. It is located in the heart and lungs and is involved in cardiac activity, circulation and voluntary nervous system. Imbalances may show up as poor circulation, blocked arteries, heart attack, edema; peripheral neuropathy, symptoms of MS.

Yoga asanas to focus on balancing the Vyana Vāyu include:

Side- Bending Asanas

• Preparatory Sidebend (on the back)-
• Utthita Trikonasana- Extended Triangle Pose
• Supta Garduasana- Reclined Eagle Pose
• Balasana-Child's Pose
• Sukasana- Easy Pose
• Parsva Tadasana- Sidebending Mountain Pose
• Parighasana -Gate Pose
• Utthita Parsvakonasana- Extended Side Angle Pose
• Prasarita Padottanasana -Wide Legged Forward Bend
• Janu Sirsasana -Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
• Parsva Upavistha Konasana -Side Seated Wide Angle Pose
• Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana - Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose

Heart Openers

• Sun Salutations
• Namaste Prayer

Breathwork or Pranayana that balance Vyana Vāyu:

• Focus on Inhalation and expansion -Pulse Breathing
• Retention of breath (hold after Inhale)- Wim Hof Breathing
• Vyana Breath (Place the hands on your chest. IN: Bring the arms out, expanding from the center out into the periphery, filling up the lungs; hold 2 seconds; EX: Place the hands back on your chest. Keep your focus at the heart center)
• Any breathing activities that give you joy, touch your heart

4. Apana Vāyu

APANA vayu is responsible for elimination. It moves down and out and also helps retain things in. It is primarily located in the lower abdomen and is associated with functions of elimination, reproduction and bone health (regulating the absorption and retaining of minerals). Imbalances in Apana flow can show up as constipation/diarrhea, IBS; menstrual problems, sexual issues; bone density issues. It helps us go deeper in our seated forward folds. It can also bring a sense of calm and inner strength. Bringing awareness of Apana-Vayu in any yoga pose creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body.

Yoga asanas that focus on balancing the Apana Vāyu:

• Standing postures (especially standing on one foot)- Eka Pada Utkatasana-Figure Four
• Paschimottanasanas-Seated forward folds
• Half Bound Lotus Forward Bend | Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
• Parivrritta Sukasana - Seated Twists

Breathwork, Pranayama or other Practices that help balance the Apana Vāyu

• Nauli Kriya- Abdominal Massage
• Agni Sara Kriya- Fire Essence Purification of Abdomen
• Ashvini Mudra

5. Samana Vāyu

SAMANA vayu is responsible for processing things and moves toward the center in a churning motion. It is concentrated around the navel. It is responsible for digestion on all levels, including the mind. It is associated with processes of digestion, absorption and assimilation. Imbalances in Samana vayu function include metabolism issues, poor digestion, bloating, loss of appetite.

Yoga asanas to help get Samana vayu re-balanced:

• Supine Twisting Postures
• Planks
• Arm-balancing poses

Breathwork, Pranayama & other practices to help get Samana vayu back ' on-track':

• Focus on Exhalation with abdominal contraction (i.e. Kapalabhati)
• Suspension of breath (hold after Exhale)
• Progressive abdominal contraction (Zip-up)
• Uddiyana Bandha-like practices
• Samana breath (IN: Imagine pulling the energy in toward your belly EX: Contract the abdomen, imagine the energy becoming more concentrated; hold contraction for a moment.)
• Kapalbhati (to stimulate agni)
• High-vibrational food & fasting

7 Tips to realize the impossible

Its common to create dreams and also very common to doubt or talk yourself out of them.  What if you could realize the impossible more often?  What if the steps are available to you now if you choose to take them? What if everything you think is pointing to or guiding you toward completely new, different and unforeseeable experiences, even the unthinkable experience of immortality?

1) Believe what you want is possible 

The psychology of believing: this brings the vibration of possibility into your conscious awareness. As everything is energy,  you must realize that your thoughts are energy and your every thought is creating your reality. We have to question the belief systems given to us by our societies in order to liberate ourselves from them in a practical way.  This is about understanding why we come to believe in self-created limitations and taking steps to stop lying to ourselves. What if you could begin a 7-Day Kickstart Program to begin reclaiming control of your focus?

2)  Make the unconscious death urge conscious

The philosophy of believing (or not): the  idea exists that death is inevitable and also that death is optional. Realize every apparent obstacle, injury or illness you encounter relates back to the unconscious death urge.  This is about what Leonard Orr calls Breaking the Death Habit. From the moment you believe in time, you exist in the conditioned idea your time (and life force/ body) is running out. Notice where you place your attention and how you reinforce your belief with thoughts, projections, and experiences. Fear-based vibration from within you can only be reflected back as materializing versions of fear (i.e. not getting, not being, not having- all versions of the illusion of separation). 

3)  Unravel what comes up to the surface

You have to work with the mind directly, learn to go inside yourself and root out all self-sabotaging, victimizing thoughts which you have about yourself. This begins in pre-infancy and infancy consciousness in this timeline, yet baggage may emerge from before and beyond too, if you are open to that.  For now, in this life, body memories arise, get out of control and are reinforced consciously and unconsciously in our habits of living which develop into longstanding patterns. Your life is about decoding your patterns and correcting your misperceptions. 

4) Stop believing in programming

Demonstrate our rational mind can change our emotional mind so then the emotional mind produces immediate results through our physical body. We have to take responsibility for the subconscious mind and make conscious changes. Genes are programs passed on genertion to generation.  Insurance companies bet you will die of approximately the same age and symptoms of our same sex symptoms. Death occurs due to collective disbelief or ignorance of natural divinity (i.e Orthodox religions reinforce this), and our diet. Imagine what happens as you internalize The Science of Everlasting Life.  Recognizing and overcoming this urge involves making the belief conscious, seeing through illusion of fear.  People hide the possibility of immortality from themselves because they do not wish to take full personal responsibility for every aspect of their life.

5) Survive senility and aging

One view is that this is just a stage of the human condition. Yet when people believe death is inevitable and beyond control, there belief exists that this is the end. What if, this is not the end? What if this is simply a stage and a second childhood? What if senility has rejuvenation built in? Your own book of life comes up. If you read it, trace out cause and effect relationships, see the causes and effects, heal the causes, then the effects also change.  Imagine stories about thriving centenarians is only a glimpse of what is and can be.

6) Activate your own Bio-circuitry

The basic guidance is keep surrendering to divine nature, view your body energy flowing (kundalini) or as points of light, allow these points as light to become responsive to your thoughts and feelings.  See every experience as a pointer to your own divine light.  Physicists see energy as points of light in form. Smallest point is thought which combine into points of light that can join. Every cell in the body emits photons. You have to be in an enlightenened state in order to literally illuminate the body to its true destiny. Some yogis do manage to do this without healing the emotional mind completely. Healing the emotional mind is the typical path to transform the body into light.

7) Recognize your connection to the cosmos

As consciousness awakens up through every chakra system, earth, air, water, fire, mind elements are intelligently interacting with each other. The spiritual practices involve bathing or cleansing regularly (purification), doing pranayamas (breathing consciously), interfacing consciously on different levels with each of these 5 elements. It may be said the highest mission is to recognize cosmic purpose and consciousness. You can relate all this to the process of mastering time, working your way through cleansing the chakras and energy bodies. Monk Thích Nhất Hạnh reminds us, "Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts."