Tread Softly: Sanskrit word: PranaFrom the root an ( “to breathe” ) and pra (...

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Sanskrit word: Prana

From the root an ( “to breathe” ) and pra ( “forth” ), prana means “breath,” “vital air,” “breath of life,” “life-force,” “vitality.” This ancient Sanskrit term appeared first in the Vedas. Although it is commonly thought of as the external air we breathe through the nose and mouth, it also refers to the internal life-force energy in the individual, otherwise known as ki ( in Japanese ) or chi ( in Chinese ). The ancient sages first related the breath to the vital life-force energy. According to Vedic philosophy, there are five vital life forces in the body. These are: prana ( ascending air ), apana ( descending air ), vyana ( that which holds prana and apana ), samana ( digestive breath; the energy that carries gross matter such as food to the apana and brings subtle matter to the limbs of the body ), and udana ( that which carries the energy of food and drink up or down through the body ). The Atharva-Veda details seven types of prana, seven types of apana, and seven types of vyana.

That the breath is so closely linked to the life-force energy is not surprising. Breath is the one thing that human beings cannot live without for any length of time. We can live for days without food, water or shelter, but when we stop breathing, we stop living. As the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states, “As long as there is breath in the body, there is life. When breath departs, so too does life. Therefore, regulate the breath.” 

Namaste.

Taken from:Sacred Sanskrit Words

Leza Lowitz and Reema Datta

Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, California