Pranayama Practice: Samana Breath
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Pranayama
In Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga, the 4th limb is dedicated to pranayama. Prana is that pervades the whole universe and all living things. Prana means “ vital life force” and ayama means “expansion”. Therefore, pranayama means “expansion of the vital life force”. As we practice pranayama, we are expanding our breath and the capacity of the lungs.
There are many forms of pranayama in Ayurveda. Some increase lunar energy like Adham Pranayama or Shitali Pranayama. While others increase solar energy like Kapalabhati Pranayama or Bhastrika Pranayama. Finally there are pranayama practices that balance both the lunar and solar energies like Nadi Shodana Pranayama, Bhramari Pranayama, or Ujjayi Pranayama.
In Ayurveda, there are five pranas or vayus or subdoshas of vata. Vayu is another word for prana and is associated with the element of air. Vata dosha’s main element is air with its secondary being space/ether. These five vayus or pranas, control all the movement in our body. This includes the movement of digestion, respiration, circulation, speech and communication, etc. The five vayus or five pranas are:
Prana: forward moving air, propulsive in nature, setting things in motion and guiding them, vital energy of the head and third eye, governs reception of all types like eating, drinking, breathing, sensory impulses, mental experiences
Apana: downward moving air, vital energy of lower abdomen, governs elimination and reproduction and is the basis of our immune function
Udana: upward moving air, vital energy in the throat, governs speech, self-expression, growth of body, ability to stand, effort, enthusiasm and will
Samana: balancing air, moves from the periphery to the center through a churning, vital energy in the navel, governs digestion
Vyana: outward moving air, moves from the center to the periphery, vital energy in the heart and lungs, governs circulation
Each one of the five pranas has a corresponding pranayama practice to help bring balance into the powers of the air element. We’ve previously discussed Apana Pranayama and Udana Pranayama. However, in this post we will discuss Samana Pranayama or the ascending breath.
Samana Pranayama (Centering Breath)
Samana Pranayama is also known as “centering breath.” To practice this breathing technique follow these steps or listen to our audio recording of how to practice Samana Pranayama:
Sit comfortably on a chair with your spine straight and your feet firmly planted on the earth, or in a comfortable sitting pose like siddhasana (easy crossed legs pose) or virasana (hero pose).
You practice samana pranayama by inhaling through the nose and feeling the breath coming through the nostrils and following to the navel center.
Retain the breath for a moment at the navel center. (contraindications: retentions shouldn’t be practiced by people with heart conditions, especially high blood pressure, as well as children and pregnant women). This is the location of the 3rd chakra, the manipura chakra. This is the seat of our samana vayu as well as of digestion and agni, the digestive fire.
As you exhale, feel the breath expanding out from the belly, providing nourishment to the entire body, mind and spirit. This breath provides nourishment in the same way when we properly digest our food, it is absorbed, assimilated and transformed into nourishment for our whole being.
Repeat the cycle again for a total of 10-20 rounds.
Samana breathing is used in Ayurveda to strengthen agni and the action of digestion not only of ahara or food, but also of impressions the mind takes in and the breath the lungs digests. Traditionally it has been used to help people with digestion, absorption, assimilation, transformation and metabolism.
Music by Fried Coffee.
“He/She/They has/have no disease, nor old age, nor death, who has attained a body born of the fire of Yoga.”