It’s a miracle we have prana (PRAH-NA). Prana is the animating, activating force that gives life to all things. It is the power behind our breath, our thoughts, our nervous system and our emotions. While our physical body handles the mechanics of life, prana is the remarkable force that keeps our blood pumping, our heart beating, and our metabolic processes functioning optimally. Western medicine might relate to prana as the autonomous nervous system. This is the aspect of our body’s intelligence that we don’t have to consciously manage. For example, you don’t have to plan breathing; it just happens.
Ayurveda classifies prana more broadly, across many of our biological systems; it is the healing and subtle energy of vata (air and ether), allowing us to grow and expand our awareness. The reason why we feel better after a yoga class is because we have changed our prana. We have moved energy that may have been stuck in our shoulders from a day of working at a computer, and in this way, cleared out any minor blockages that may have built up. Energy also gets stuck when we think the same yucky thoughts, day in and day out. “Oh, I will never be able to leave this job.” “I will never find love.” “My body (finances, husband, life…) will never change.”
Find a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Relax for a minute, allowing your breath to deepen and smooth out. Now slowly start to draw your attention away from your thoughts, emotions or aches and pains, and drop it down into your belly. Bring a loving awareness into your navel. The simple rule is this: Your prana follows your focus. Whatever you focus on, you move your subtle prana energy into. You may be feeling more energy in your belly. It may feel like swirling light, electricity or benevolent honey-gold energy in your belly. You may feel nothing at all. That’s okay. Remember, prana is following your focus—so if you are focused, its working. Take a few minutes to rest in your prana, noticing how—over and over—you can shift your focus and experience your inherent guiding intelligence moving to navel, opening you to the first subtle energy.
Read more in Healthy, Happy,Sexy!
Katie Silcox 