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Sunday 19 July 2009

What Is Prana?

For centuries it has been widely recognised that in certain parts of our planet ... high mountains, pine forests, by the sea, in the fields ... the air possesses particularly powerful, invigorating, energy-charging, even healing properties. This extra something is cosmic energy, life force, known in yogic text as prana. It is present in all forms of life and in all things having life. Prana is in the food we eat, in water, earth, sunlight, above all in the air we breathe. Since it is thus taken into the body in breathing, improved inhalation means increased supplies of life force.

In prana, the root word "pra," meaning "to fill," is added to the root word, "an," ("to breathe" or "to live") creating the new meaning "the life that fills with the breath." In other words the life principle in action. Prana commonly translates as "air," "breath," "spirit," "life," "life force," "energy," "subtle energy," or "the upwards moving energy currents within the body.".

Prana is a subtle form of energy. Prana literally means “breathingforth” the universal life force. Through practicing asana and pranayama, prana is brought into and stored in the body, increasing vitality. Prana mainly flows through the body in the nadis, or nerve channels of the astral body.

Prana exists as a negative energy as well as a positive energy. Prana moves upward and apana moves downward. When the two unite at the muladara chakra (base of spine) kundalini (dormant cosmic energy) is awakened.
(Yoga.net)