Pranayama Vyana Vayu Breathwork

Prana = raw universal life force current or energy

Ayama = to extend or expand Vyana = the nerves 

Vayu = wind 

This practice serves to expand our energy in such a way that it affects or stimulates the wind of our nerves. There are various 'winds' or energetic forces that move in specific directions to support bodily functions and activities but only vyana vayu pervades the entire body...Vyana Vayu is depicted as the orange flow of energy above but in fact, they could have colored the whole human figure with orange because the flow isn't limited to these areas. These descriptions are very basic (this science runs deep) but even in its summary form you can see the significance of Vyana Vayu, "Necessary for preservation of the body".

When we engage in the practice of pranayama vyana vayu, we are not just preserving the body but extending and expanding its capacity to perform the miraculous things it does for us including regulate the nervous system, purge dis-ease, and regenerate cells (hello youth serum!). When the body is in "fight-or-flight" (the sympathetic nervous system), however, these winds cease to flow smoothly because it's not safe to put energy towards functions like these when there is a threat present. For example, samana vayu controls digestion and this wind will cease to flow efficiently unless we're in the parasympathetic nervous system aka "rest and digest".

We may think of fight-or-flight as something we only experience when there is immediate and serious physical danger present such as a car hurtling towards us but that's not the case, it is much more prevalent than we realize. Anything that triggers a stress response stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. This includes mental and emotional pressures as basic as having to make money to pay bills, commute in traffic, deal with family issues, and process world affairs. The SNS serves a very important purpose but we can't live life in it full-time, we must actively engage in activities that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to balance ourselves in order to be healthy. That's exactly what pranayama vyana vayu does.