In Sanskrit, the word pranayama is made up of “prana” and “yama”. “Prana” refers to the life energy, which is understood both as the inflowing element and as the life force. The prefix “pra” means “before” or “for”, and “an” refers to breathing, blowing or living. Pranayama therefore refers not only to the process of breathing, but also to the conscious control of life energy.
Prana is more than just the flow of air that enters our body. It also includes the intake of food and the principle of ingestion, which is the manifestation of a universal creative life energy. This process of absorbing “raw materials”, be it air or food, leads to them being processed and metabolized in our body. In this context, the concept of Agni – the digestive fire in the body – plays a central role. Agni is the energy that transforms all ingested substances into digestible and nutritious elements. Incidentally, the word “ignite” comes from the word “Agni”. Just as fire produces ash, the body also produces waste products, which are removed from the body through the principle of Apana – excretion.
Prana stands for the absorption of the “raw materials” that enter the body, while Agni symbolizes their transformation into energy, and Apana is the process of disposing of waste materials. The effect of prana is directed downwards, which corresponds to gravity in the case of solid and liquid foods. With gases such as air, however, the direction is upwards, as the air is exchanged in the lungs. Targeted breathing exercises can be used to train the ability to control the flow of Apana and direct it in the opposite direction. A common mistake made by beginners is to tense the lower middle of the body while exhaling, as if they were on the toilet. This is a natural reflex to move everything that needs to get out of the body downwards. However, in order to direct Apana upwards, the posture must be improved and attention must be directed to the inversion of the movement.
The term dukha (suffering) comes from Sanskrit and is made up of “kha” (space) and “du” (bad, difficult). In yogic practice, suffering is often associated with the feeling of confined space, which refers to both the physical and emotional realms. Sukha, on the other hand, means “good space” or “lightness”. In order to experience this “good space”, a free, centered space must be created in the body in which the energies of Prana and Apana can flow harmoniously. This is achieved by releasing blockages in the system, which is one of the main goals of yogic practice. When Apana works properly, the inhalation of Prana happens almost automatically. Letting go of the unwanted creates space for the needed, which leads to a healing effect – a large part of the healing practice in yoga therefore consists of waste disposal, with around 70% of the CO₂ exhaled being disposed of as waste products.
Breathing is the change in shape of the cavities of our body. The first breath of a newborn baby is of particular importance: it overcomes the surface tension of the lung tissue and marks the beginning of independent breathing after the baby has been separated from the umbilical cord. The development of breathing and the body is a continuous process – for example, the stabilization and mobilization of the body in children is only completed with the development of the lumbar spine, around the age of 10.
A healthy life requires a balance between prana and apana, between breath and posture, and between sukha and dukha. Any increase in volume in the abdominal cavity changes the shape and volume of the thoracic cavity, which affects breathing. The exhalation is passive and without the use of muscle strength, while the inhalation involves stretching the spine and opening the body. The air always flows into areas where negative pressure is created – the atmospheric pressure presses the air into the body. The energy we expend when breathing reduces the pressure in the chest and thus enables the expansion of the body and the unfolding of the universe that fills the space created.
Overall, it shows that breathing is much more than a purely physical process. It is closely linked to inner energy, health and well-being and forms the basis for the harmonious interaction of prana and apana in the body.
