EY Temple Prana Vayus

Online Week Two

Samana & Pran Vayus
 

Body Temple; Prana Vayus Online

Week 2  Samana & Prana Vayu

 

Samana-Vayu

 

Definition: The balancing air

​ Location: Sacral Chakra, lower abdomen

Moon Practice, Tha

Movement: Inward

Action; Assimilation

Element: Fire

Benefit:

Chakra: 2nd, Sacral Chakra, Manipura

​Pose Category: Twists

Breath: Longer exhales, pause at bottom of the exhale

 

Definition

SamanamVayu translates to “the balancing air” the pranic flow of Samana Vayu is from the external or periphery of the physical body inward toward the center of the body. Feeding the internal organs, promoting healthy digestion and assimilation of nutrients including assimilating our daily experiences.

 

​Location

Samana Vayu is located in the second chakra or sacral/naval chakra, it’s home is in the lower abdominal area. Twists focused in the abdominal area activate the pranic energy of Samana.

 

Movement

Inward flow of prana; moving energy from the external or periphery inward into the center of the body, feeding the internal organs of reproduction and digestion with life force and prana.

Action

Assimilation is the focus of Samana Vayu, It governs the digestion and assimilation of all substances including physical and emotional… thoughts, feelings, food, energies, traumas, oxygen and nutrients.

Our overall health and well being is based primarily on the health and vitality of our internal organs. Samana Vayu vitalizes the internal organs of the body, therefore assisting our overall physical and mental well-being.

 

Element

Fire

 

Benefits

Bringing calm and balance to the physical, emotional and mental systems of the body. Healthy Samana Vayu promotes Self-confidence, inner security, passion, drive and motivation, good judgement, positive self-esteem. Also helps peace of mind and mental clarity.

If you are feeling inertia or lack of motivation, mental confusion or restlessness it is time to practice some twists. When we gain mental spaciousness it allows us to assimilate the knowledge and wisdom from our life experiences.

 

Low or depleted Samana Vayu

Digestive issues. Low self-esteem and low confidence, inertia, lack of motivation, discouraged, poor judgement, mental confusion, feeling resigned and powerless. Not assimilating the lessons and knowledge of our experiences and spinning in loops and re-running disempowering stories and pain cycles.

 

Chakra

2nd, Navel, Manipura

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Pose Category

Twists are an excellent pose category to calm overstimulation and restlessness of the nervous system. Twists also bring vitality, prana and life force to the abdominal and reproductive organs.

Moon Practice

Tha in Hatha… inward focus and more yin in nature.

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Twists; Standing twists for example; Triangle, revolved triangle, lunge twists, eagle, revolved half moon, adding twists to forward folds. Seated spinal twist, knee down twist, threading the needle, knee down twist.

Creating a Samana Vayu asana practice would include several twists with some laterals and other poses to balance the practice. You could begin standing offering forward fold twist, lunge twists, triangle, revolved triangle, eagle, revolved half moon…. Then move to the floor and include some seated and supine twists.

 

Example Samana Twist Practice:

Seated opening stretches and movement

Seated spinal twist

Cat/cow with threading the needle

Low lunge to low lunge twist

Down dog, three legged dog with hip opening & gentle twist

Standing forward fold to forward fold twist

High lung twist

Triangle, pyramid, revolved triangle

Balancing half moon, revolved half moon.

Eagle balancing pose

Standing yoga mudra

Supine releases

Supine spinal twist

Supine butterfly

Happy Baby

Savasana

 

Breath, pranayama practice for Samana Vayu

Longer exhales, pause at bottom of the exhale

Kapalabhati

Pranayama that promotes relaxation

 

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Pran-Vayu

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Definition; Forward moving air

Location; Chest

Sun Practice, Ha

Movement: All over, inward & upwards

Action; Crystallization & cyclical

Element: Air

Benefit: Feeds other vayus, eyes, brain, increases reception

Chakra: Heart; Anahata Chakra

Pose category; Back Bends

Breath: Longer inhales, pause at top of the inhale

 

Definition

Forward moving air

Pran vayus is a fundamental energy in the body that supports and feeds all the other vayus.

This HA practice is a complimentary to the THA… rather than letting go it is all about taking in. We will focus on longer inhalations and taking in prana through the inhalation. We will focus on Pran Vayu in the chest or heart area, building the inhalations longer than the exhalations as we open to receive life force energy to fuel, feed and vitalize the entire body.

Home in the chest Pran Vayu is home to both the heart and the thymus gland regulating immunity.

Because Pran Vayu regulates sensory input, when we feel overstimulated this Vayu is in need of attention and balance.

Pran Vayu feeds the five senses and when our five senses are balanced and working optimally we can more easily access the subtle senses as well as the inner workings of our mind. Healthy Pran allows us to deepen our capacity to receive the benefits of kriya practices and internalize the mind,

 

Location

Chest, Anahata Chakra. Pran Vayu is home to the heart, receiving information through the heart and feeding the brain, eyes, ears and 5 senses as well as all the vayus and entire body. It governs everything being received into the body through the senses, the food and nutrients we feed it, even the air we breath in and the thoughts we choose to think.

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Movement

All over, inward & upwards

The basic flow is inward into the heart center… receiving prana into the heart and governing all that is received even thoughts, food and air into the body.

 

Action

Crystallization & cyclical

 

Element

Air

 

Benefits of Healthy Pran Vayu

Feeds other vayus, nourishes eyes, brain, increases healthy reception, governing all things received by the body including food, nutrients, oxygen, thoughts and everything that the five senses perceive.

.-Vitality

-Energy

-Strong immunity and healthy thymus gland

-Increases awareness of the five senses as well as subtle body sensation

 

Weak Pran Vayu

Physical

-Poor immune system

-Low energy

-Shortness of breath

 

Emotional/Subtle

-Worry

-Anxiety

-Inability to focus/concentrate

 

Chakra

Heart; Anahata Chakra

 

Pose category

Back Bends

Sun Practice, Ha

A good morning or early afternoon practice, being more energizing, heart opening, and uplifting. Back bend poses that include extension of the spine are Ha, or sun practices and more enlivening.

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Floor: Camel, bridge, up dog, cobras, bow

Standing: Extended mountain, extended lunge or extended warrior I, also, wild thing, dancer, wheel,

Asana practice can include a sun salutation focusing on extension in mountain, lunges, up dog and cobra. Then move to the floor and include camel, bridge and bow with some forward folds for counter posing.

 

Pranayama/Breath

Bringing the breath and prana all the way from the belly to the chest activates Pran Vayu and increases our vitality.

Longer inhales, pause at top of the inhale, bringing the breath from belly to chest

ranayama practices that benefit and activate Pran Vayu are

Bhastrika, Nadi Shodhana and Ujayi.

3 part yogic breath filling entire chest and clavicular area

 

 

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