Vayus Recap and Overview

At its most basic understanding, pranayama is known as control of the breath. However, as we discussed in our last meeting, the breath in pranayama is a tool to begin to access and to understand the more subtle energies of the body – the vayus (vital energies).

The Sūtras approach the vayus primarily from the perspective of the siddis (supernatural powers) they can ultimately bestow on the practitioner – such as: levitation/walking on water, super hearing, transparency, etc. In turn, making the vayus a bit more esoteric and than they already are so we spent some time looking at the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the definitions of the five main vayus:

The Pranic Body, with colors highlighting the locations of the various vayus.  Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga.  Swami Muktibodhananda.  p. 154.

• Apana – Elimination, reproduction; urinary/excretory tract – outward current
• Prana – Pranic absorption on a major scale in the thoracic region – inward current
• Samana – Assimilation; stomach region; middle breath – time between inhalation and exhalation
• Udana – further upward current; throat and facial region – up breath and extension of samana
• Vyana – circulatory energy throughout the whole body – pervasive breath.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, provides a more user friendly/practical explanation to how pranayama relates to the vayus (and even deeper understanding of the body sheaths – kosha) for us mere morals.

Nazli assembled a great series of excerpts from the Swami Muktibodhanada translation and commentary.

Please check out the book to help deepen your understanding!

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Astadala Yogamala: Vol. 2.  B.K.S. Iyengar.  New Delhi: Allied Publishers Pvt. Limited. 2001. pp 274 – 287.

Core of the Yoga Sūtras: The Definitive Guide to the Philosophy of Yoga.  B.K.S. Iyengar.  London: HarperThorsons, 2012. pp. 160 – 163.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga.  Swami Muktibodhananda.  Bihir: Yoga Publications Trust, 2012. pp. 149 – 189.

Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. B.K.S. Iyengar. London: Thorsons, 1993. pp. 219 – 225.

Pātañjala Yoga Sūtra Paricaya: An Introduction to Pātañjala Yoga Sūtra-s.  B.K.S. Iyengar.  New Delhi: Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. 2013 (2011). pp. 122 – 126.

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and commentary with Insights from the Traditional Commentators. Edwin P. Bryant. New York: North Point Press, 2009. pp. 368 – 377.