Philosophy · reviewed by a teacher
Prana, breath and life
Prana is the Sanskrit word for breath and, by extension, for the life that breath sustains. In the Upanishads and later hatha yoga texts it is described as a vital force moving through the body, and regulating it through the breath is the purpose of pranayama.
Teacher's note from Joahnna Lee
“I start with the breath you have, not the breath you think you should have.”
The word
Prana comes from the Sanskrit prefix pra, forward or outward, and the root an, to breathe. Its first meaning is simply breath, and from there it came to mean life itself, since a body that breathes is a living one. In yoga philosophy it is also used for a vital force that the breath is said to carry through the body.
This page treats prana as an idea from the texts, not a substance anyone can measure or direct. The practical door into it is the breath, which is why long, slow breathing sits at the centre of yoga for stress and burnout.
Prana in the Upanishads
The Upanishads give prana great importance. In a well-known story told in both the Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, the senses argue over which of them is most essential to the body. Speech, sight, hearing and mind each leave in turn, and the body carries on. When breath begins to leave, all the others are pulled with it, and they agree that breath is the chief. The Taittiriya Upanishad goes further and names a whole layer of the person after it, the pranamaya kosha, one of the five koshas, the sheaths around the self. The Prashna Upanishad, one of the shorter texts, is built around questions to a teacher, and several of them are about prana: where it comes from and how it divides in the body.
The five vayus and the nadis
Later texts divide prana into five currents, called vayus, or winds. Prana in its narrow sense draws in and moves upward. Apana moves down and out. Samana works at the centre, in digestion. Udana rises and is linked with speech. Vyana spreads through the whole body. Ayurveda uses the same five names for the subtypes of vata, one of the three doshas of Ayurvedic theory. The list is a traditional way of describing the body’s movements, much as early writers elsewhere described the body through humours or elements. The same five names appear in Ayurveda, the classical medical tradition of India, as five forms of vata.
Medieval hatha yoga texts add a network of channels, nadis, along which prana is said to flow, often numbered at seventy-two thousand. Three matter most in those texts: ida on the left, pingala on the right and sushumna through the centre of the spine. The hatha yoga texts build much of their practice around keeping these channels clear.
From prana to pranayama
Pranayama joins prana with ayama, extension, or with yama, restraint, depending on how you split the word. Either way it means working with prana through the breath. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika makes the link plainly: when the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady, and when the breath is steady, so is the mind. The techniques themselves are on the page about pranayama and how to practise it safely.
How it shows up in a modern practice
In a class you will hear prana in cues more than in lectures. “Breathe into the back of the ribs.” “Let the breath lead the movement.” Some teachers speak of energy, and some speak only of breath. Both are describing the same practice: paying attention to how you breathe and letting it slow down.
If you want a practical start without any philosophy, breathing exercises for stress gives a few simple patterns to try at a desk or before sleep.
Starting with your own breath
A sensible place to begin is the breath you have, not the breath you think you should have. Notice where it moves, lengthen the exhale gently, and let it set the pace of each posture. No breath should be held in a way that strains, and if you feel dizzy, stop and breathe normally.
Other words on this page are explained in Sanskrit yoga terms in one list.
Questions
Is prana the same as breath?
Not exactly. Prana means breath, and the texts also use it for the life force that breath is said to carry. The breath is the part you can feel and work with, which is why yoga texts approach prana through breathing.
What are the five pranas?
Prana (the inward, upward breath), apana (the downward, eliminating force), samana (digestion and balance at the centre), udana (the upward force linked with speech) and vyana (circulation through the whole body). They are often called the five vayus, or winds.
Can science measure prana?
No. Prana is a concept from Indian philosophy, not a quantity that instruments detect. What can be studied is the breath itself, its rate, depth and rhythm, and how slow breathing affects things like heart rate.