prāṇa

Devanāgarī: प्राण Translation: vital force; the breath of life; breath; inward air Similar words:vāta, vāyu Opposite words:apāna Related concepts:candra, sūrya, kuṇḍalinī, haṭha, sthāna, laṅghana, prāṇāyāma, pūraka, recaka, kumbhaka, ojas, samāna, vyāna, udāna

Appears in

Yoga Sūtra:

Chapter 1: 34

Bhagavad Gītā:

Chapter 5: 27

Yoga Rahasya:

Chapter 1: 34 , 45

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Commentaries around

“The power of the breath,
the power of the senses and
physical strength of the body are each distinct properties.
They should not work against each other
but rather contribute to each others well being.”
– T Krishnamacharya commentary on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“Slow and regulated breathing using special techniques to lengthen the the inhale and exhale processes are also helpful techniques to quieten the disturbed mind and reduce the unpleasant consequences of this state. Along with these breathing techniques examination of food habits and changing them to suit is also a must.”
– T Krishnamacharya commentary to Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“Our continued effort
with the breath in Āsana
is that which helps to enliven
our various levels of interaction
with our inner and outer worlds as
expressed through the Pañca Maya.”
– Reflections on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 47

“Mudrā practice is important since it assists the ten Prāṇa to move freely in the Nāḍī.”
– T Krishnamacharya introducing Chapter Three in the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā

“You have to practice in such a way that day to day the breath gets longer and longer.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition, the Yoga Rahasya

“Breath is indispensable for life and its absence is death.
Hence the necessity to make it longer and accumulate the Prāṇa Śakti.
Just as a rich man accumulates money slowly to get wealthy,
so also one should practice every day
through the proper use of the breath in Āsana to maintain good health.”
– T Krishnamacharya‘s response to a question on breathing.

“Without Āsana,
Prāṇāyāma cannot become accomplished.
Without containing Prāna,
the mind cannot achieve steadiness.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
The Yoga Rahasya Chapter One verse 45

“Mind should follow the breath.
Exhale, Inhale and Retention support life.
So during Āsana it is desirable that the mind must follow them.”
– TKV Desikachar commentary on T Krishnamacharya’s composition, the Yoga Rahasya

“Holding the breath gives us a moment when there is nothing happening.
A moment when it should be possible to count.
In fact, the best time to introduce Mantra is not during
inhalation or exhalation but while holding the breath.
It is said that a moment of holding the breath is a moment of Dhyāna.
Some Mantra are very long.
Since we do not have to concentrate on breathing while holding the breath,
these longer Mantra can be recited correctly.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Nine Page 128-129

“Prāṇa is simply the expression of Puruṣa in all parts of the body and beyond.
This Prāṇa has an intimate relationship to the mind
because the Puruṣa sees only through the mind.
Thus Prāṇa, mind and breath are interrelated.
Whatever happens in the mind influences the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Ten Page 135

“What we are trying to do in the practice of Prāṇāyāma
is to confine more and more Prāṇa within our bodies.
When Prāṇa is not able to enter our bodies,
it is because something is there that should not be.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Ten Page 136

“However, in Āsana attention is divided between the breath and the body movement.
In Āsana we use the breath as the medium of movement to affect the body.
Since our attention is divided between body and breath,
the effect upon Prāṇa will not be as much as in Prāṇāyāma.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Ten Page 138

“Nobody can control the Prāṇa,
it has its own movement.
We create a condition in which the Prāṇa returns.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Ten Page 141

“It is beyond our conscious effort to move the Prāṇa.
What is within our conscious effort is the breath,
so we use the breath to make this movement possible.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Ten Page 142

“This is what I mean by having Prāṇa inside the body.
When this is the case,
a person is not affected by the whims and opinions of others.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Eleven Page 148

“If we are completely absorbed in the breath in Prāṇāyāma,
automatically there is Pratyāhāra.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Eleven Page 153

“The choice of a proper ratio involves two things,
what can be done and what should be done.
What can be done involves a given person’s capacity
to inhale, hold the breath, exhale and hold the breath.
What should be done involves
our direction of movement, our aim, our need.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Choosing a Ratio and the proper technique for Prāṇāyāma’
Chapter Twelve Page 163

“What can be done can be easily established if we observe our breath in Āsana.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Choosing a Ratio and the proper technique for Prāṇāyāma’
Chapter Twelve Page 163

“As Uḍḍīyāna Bandha is done on holding the breath after exhalation,
one of the most important requirements
is that we are able to do a long holding of the breath
without sacrificing the quality of the inhalation and exhalation.
If this is not possible we should forget about Bandha for the time being.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘The Concept, Preparation and Techniques of Bandha’
Chapter Fourteen Page 197

“We should anticipate a great reduction in our ability to do
long breathing and holding the breath once we introduce the Bandha.
There is quite a lot of effort involved in doing them.
If a person can do 10.10.20.10, I have found
that with Bandha the breath is reduced to 6.6.12.6,”
– TKV Desikachar ‘The Concept, Preparation and Techniques of Bandha’
Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Fourteen Page 200

“Many people have this problem of maintaining attention during the practice.
You can place your attention on a particular part of the body
but there must be something happening, a movement.
Thats why the best movement is the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Various Approaches to Yoga’
Chapter Seventeen Page 237

“The number of times you say OM on inhalation, holding the breath,
and exhalation is influenced by the length of the breath.
We cannot fix the number of recitations on the basis of the Praṇava itself.
We can only fix it on the basis of a person’s capacity of breath.
If you are simply using OM, it can go with almost any ratio.
If you are using something more complex, say Gāyatrī Mantra,
it is very long and has different structures so there are regulations on
how many times you say it when you inhale, hold the breath, and exhale,
and in what part of the Mantra you can break, etc.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Various Approaches to Yoga’
Chapter Seventeen Page 238-239

“If we relate to part of the breath,
we are related to all of the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“If we direct the mind onto one part of the breath,
then the mind affects the other parts of the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“The test for intelligent effort is the response of the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“Of the Four Aspects of the breath which is more important,
(such as) holding after inhalation by will and so on?”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“Before studying Prāṇāyāma one must understand something about the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“My understanding of Prāṇāyāma is that the Kumbhaka should be an aid.
The aim is to get a feeling difficult to put into words, but different from normal states.
The question is how much does Kumbhaka play a part in this?
So Investigate the use of Kumbhaka and only use it when it helps you be with the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“Do not make a style or fashion out of Kumbhaka.
Only use it if it helps you feel the breath and
what is happening inside the body.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“By observing how the breath responds in Āsana i.e.
Forward Bends.
Backward Bends.
Lying Postures.
Inverted Postures.
Twist Poses.
As to whether there is a better quality in either inhalation or exhalation,
one can decide how to proceed in Prāṇāyāma.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

1. Know the Breath from the feelings in the Āsana.
2. Choose a ratio close to that used in Āsana.
3. Choose a technique to suit the day.
4. Choose a proper posture for the spine.
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978

“The Āsana in which you sit can alter the characteristics of the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar 1980

“We can use Āsana to explore the breath and
then use Prāṇāyāma to experience the breath.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“According to Krishnamacharya,
one who has not mastered the Bāhya Kumbhaka,
has not mastered the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar 1988

“Then he has certain ideas also about Kuṇḍalinī.
The force is Prāṇa,
the force called Śakti or Kuṇḍalinī is indeed Prāṇa.
The only means that can have any effect is the use of Prāṇāyāma,
with emphasis on exhalation and the Bandha,
aided by devotional chantings.
And the evolution of Kuṇḍalinī is very much linked to the person’s state of mind and Vairāgya.”
– TKV Desikachar from lectures on ‘The Yoga of T Krishnamacharya’,
given at Zinal, Switzerland 1981.

“The breath is related to the intellect, chest, respiratory system, digestive system, etc.
So one should consider and understand the relevance of the breath to these areas.
Also how these areas are in students before we start applying specific principles of breathing,
otherwise it could aggravate the area and any inherent problem.”
– TKV Desikachar from my 121 lessons 1981

“The difference in chest to stomach and stomach to chest
breathing is minimal in the length of the breath.
How you bring about the length of the breath affects Āsana differently.
Apart from medical restrictions,
to give respect to the chest, the spine and gravity
we need to breathe chest to stomach on the inhale.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“Prāṇa is that which helps us handle things.
It is not something we can handle.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“To influence Prāṇa,
we have to influence the mind.
This is achieved by the by means of the breath.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“There are categories of Sādhana relating to Body, Breath, Senses and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France August 1983

“The request for learning must come from the aspirant.
Only then can be the process be step by step.
First one question which is understood, then the next.
For example Annam is Brahma,
then Prāṇa is Brahma.
This was the traditional approach by the aspirant.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The ancient people introduced holding of the breath
to stop, to quieten the mind,
considered as linked to the movement of Vāta.”
– TKV Desikachar December 1987

“The first step in the practice of Āsana is the linking of the mind to movement and breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 26th 1988

“A question:
Who in you linked breath to body movement?”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 26th 1988

“The breath makes Āsana part of Yoga.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The attention is within the posture if we concentrate on the breath.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“Some people felt that it was dangerous to interfere with the breath during Āsana practice,
it was felt better to segregate Yoga practice into Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Meditation (Dhyānam).”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The breath makes it possible to find ways to achieve access to the posture,
it is possible to adapt a posture through the breath.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“So much happens in the spine with the breath,
we need to be aware of our breathing to have a maximum effect on the spine.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“Exhalation is the most important part of the breath,
it encourages the inhalation.
By increasing the exhalation we bring attention to the lower abdomen.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The breath becomes very short using Bandha.
It is necessary to have a very long exhale
before it is possible to work with them effectively.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The great yogin Yājñavalkhya said that the constant and intensive practice of Prāṇāyāma brought Prāṇa and Agni together,
and gradually the obstacle at the base of the Suṣumnā would be totally dissolved.
He gave this block the name ‘Kuṇḍali’ meaning coiled or ‘Kuṇḍalinī’ meaning ‘rolled up’ in other texts.
Kuṇḍalinī represents that which blocks access to the central energetic channel.
When this obstacle is eliminated, Prāṇa penetrates and begins to rise in the central channel.
This is the most precise description we have of the process.
This is also the most clear and coherent.”
– ‘Concerning the Cakra’ by TKV Desikachar

“Conscious breathing is one of the greatest tools to influence the effect of the postures
without changing the posture.”
– TKV Desikachar

“The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”
– TKV Desikachar

“The act of establishing contact with the external world is called Yoga.
It is continuous, inevitable, swiftly changing.
Yoga is a basic fact of life.
However it is the quality of the relationship that leads to a healthy life and well being or otherwise.
The clarity and strength of the force involved in the contact and awareness of the contact
is reflected in the flow of what is called Prāṇa Śakti,
What is it that disturbs this flow?”
– TKV Desikachar

“Prāṇa is the élan vital.
It is the mover and the sustainer of the body in all living beings.
Because of this all pervasive movement and irrepressible vitality,
it is also hard to keep reined in through the ten sensory horses.
When the personalised field of Prāṇa becomes unreined,
it transforms into Vāta and the system becomes disturbed.
The primary practice in Yoga to minimise the conversion of Prāṇa into Vāta is Prāṇāyāma.”

“Āsana is an interface between the body
and the systemic energy processes.
Prāṇāyāma is an interface between the
systemic energy processes and the psyche.
Dhyāna is an interface between the psyche
and the awareness that pervades our sense of being.”

“Ultimately our experience of the Āsana is refined
through the mystery of the breath,
rather than the mastery of the form.”

“In Āsana, the Breath is an accessory to the Āsana.
In Prāṇāyāma, the Āsana is an accessory to the Breath.”

“Yoga is more about exploring
the movement of the mind, whilst
Āsana is more about exploring
the movement of the body.
The vehicle common to exploring both
is the movement of the breath.
The yoking of all three is towards the goal of
experiencing the source of all movement.”

“Actively contract the abdomen when exhaling to emphasise Apāna Sthāna.
Actively constrict the abdomen when inhaling to emphasise Prāṇa Sthāna.”

“Cikitsā Krama is to gather dissipated Prāṇa.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is to conserve gathered Prāṇa.
Śikṣaṇa Krama is to intensify conserved Prāṇa.”

“Contemplate the Source of the Breath.”

“When bending towards the lower limbs during forward bend Āsana,
move firstly by as if rounding from the lower back,
before ultimately rounding from the upper back.
In terms of a Bhāvana during the movement,
the focus is on exhaling from Apāna Sthāna towards Prāṇa Sthāna.
Thus breathing as if from the lower abdomen towards the upper chest.”

“When moving away from the lower limbs during forward bend Āsana,
move firstly by as if arching from the arms and upper back,
before ultimately arching from the lower back.
In terms of a Bhāvana during the movement,
the focus is on inhaling from Prāṇa Sthāna towards Apāna Sthāna.
Thus breathing as if from the upper chest towards the lower abdomen.”

“Keep the arms up as you go down
Thus moving from from Apāna Sthāna to Prāṇa Sthāna.
Lift the arms first as you come up.
Thus moving from from Prāṇa Sthāna to Apāna Sthāna.”

“One aspect in the refinement of Nāḍī Śodhana is
the experience of the breath as a subtle vibration
rather than an audible sound.”

“The journey into the breath in Āsana is one where we
evolve from firstly, exploring the breath within ourself
towards ultimately, exploring ourself within the breath.”

“Āsana is the primary choice to work the breath.
Prāṇāyāma is the primary choice to refine the breath.”

“In terms of ageing mainframes and creaking joints,
it is perhaps useful to remind ourselves that
Yoga practice is much more than just Āsana.
In other words, even as the body slows down,
can we continue to slow the Breath down,
can we continue to slow the Mind down,
can we be still within the distraction of age?”

“The slower the breath,
the longer the movement.
The longer the movement,
the stronger the effect.
The stronger the breath,
the slower the movement.
The slower the movement,
the longer the effect.”

“Within the energetic processes in Haṭha Yoga
the concept of Candra is that which can direct
Prāṇa and Apāna in order to influence the activities of Sūrya.”

“Constancy of the body
reveals the inconstancy of the breath.
Constancy of the body and breath
reveals the inconstancy of the mind.
Constancy of the body, breath and mind
reveals the constancy of awareness.”

“When using the Antar Kumbhaka to lengthen the breath,
always factor in its effect on the length of the exhale.
It should be able to stay the same length and quality.
If it is affected, change the length of the Kumbhaka,
rather than compromising the flow of the breath.”

“According to the teachings of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar,
Āsana involves extending the length of the breath beyond the body,
rather than the extending of the body beyond the length of the breath.
The purpose is to facilitate the field of Prāṇa accumulating in its intensity.”

“When using Mṛgi Mudrā to control the nostril flow in Prāṇāyāma,
the ring finger and thumb remain as if glued onto the nostrils,
with one nostril being fully closed and one nostril partially closed,
with adjustments to the pressure according to technique and ratio.
Even when using Ujjāyī within techniques such as Anuloma Ujjāyī,
the finger and thumb remain as if sealed on the sides of the nostrils.
Externally it’s as if there is nothing to observe in terms of the body.
Internally there is a vibrant flow within the dynamics of the breath.”