In the Hindu tradition, "prana" is the word given to a life-sustaining force that pervades all living beings and the universe at large. It is similar to the traditional Chinese medicine idea of qi. Focusing your prana is an important aspect of mystical Hindu traditions, including yoga and meditation.
Identification
The word "prana" is Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language of yoga, and it is challenging to translate precisely because it incorporates a wide range of ideas and concepts. It basically means "energy," but this word does not quite do the concept of prana full justice. Prana flows through the a series of physical channels in your body--called nadis, which correspond with your nerve endings--and ebbs and flows with your overall health.
Types
There are three main nadis, a Sanskrit word meaning energy channels in your body that are similar to the meridians you find in acupuncture. The ida nadi is found on the left side of your spinal column. It is associated with qualities of coolness and receptivity. The pingala nadi is on the right side of your spinal column and is associated with heating and action. For prana to flow properly through your body, it must run through the sushumna nadi, which is the center of your spinal column. The goal of many Kundalini yoga practices in particular is to get your prana to flow through this central channel.
Significance
Prana plays an important role in yoga practices in particular. For example, yoga practitioners practice pranayama, or breathing exercises, to control their prana for optimal health. Various yoga asanas, or positions, are designed specifically to promote the flow of prana throughout your body. In the tradition of ayurveda, the ancient healing practice from India, foods are thought to have different levels of prana. Eating fresh foods, for example, provide your body with more prana than processed ones do.
Considerations
Although prana cannot be quantitatively measured by the objective, scientific means of the West, it does appear to exist. Ayurvedic practitioners, for example, give massages that are thought to transfer the masseuse's prana to a patient; the transfer of prana is what ayurvedic practitioners attribute the healing from massage to.
Sources
According to MedIndia.net, prana is thought to derive from the energy of the sun and can be acquired by drinking water that has been exposed to the sun and taking sunbaths. Prana is also thought to be absorbed from air, which is why breathing exercises are called pranayama. The Earth also is thought to contain prana, which you can absorb from the ground through the soles of your feet.
References
- MedIndia.net: Pranic Healing
- "Sivananda Yoga Teachers Training Manual;" Swami Vishnu-devananda; 2000
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