Musings on Prana

This is part of my response paper to Science of Breath, a teacher training assignment.

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Much of my life has been a process of searching for the precise threshold, or link, where the mind and body (and possibly spirit) become interwoven. And upon discovering the power of the breath through meditation, I finally felt like I'd found the key.

However, the key is not the link. Prana, a concept that emerges often throughout this book, is commonly believed to be the link between – or the medium that connects – body, mind, and spirit. It is often said, in this book and elsewhere, that prana rides on the wave of the breath. The implication is by learning to direct the flow of breath, you can direct the flow of prana, thereby controlling the state of your body, and perhaps even gaining conscious control of its involuntary processes.

But what does it mean to direct the flow of breath? We are often exposed to that idea, in yoga classes, and in popular writing. It is problematic to equate the flow of breath to the flow of prana, however, for one main reason: Breath doesn’t enter regions of the body beyond the lungs – oxygen does, by way of the vast networks of capillaries and alveoli and whatever else comprises the structure of the lungs. Rather the conscious direction of breath is better understood metaphorically, as a quick way to say, "Study your breath to deepen internal awareness, and then direct that awareness to specific regions of the body."

However, it was very illuminating for me to read the portion of the book that described the locations of the various large nerves and plexuses – the vagus nerve, the solar plexus, the cardiac plexus, etc. This gave me the "aha" moment I needed when considering the mechanisms for deepening awareness of the body. It seems these plexuses could provide a means for learning how to release muscular tension, or for observing digestive and excretory processes, or for becoming aware of non-obvious pulse points throughout the body. They might also provide a means for insight into deeper and subtler processes of the body, such as the structure of the nadis and locations of the chakras, as well as the fabric or sheaths of the koshas.

At the gross level, I understand the mechanism like this: Breathing in and out (diaphragmatically) creates a controlled sense of expansive and contractive rhythm. This rhythm fosters a specific vibration in the tissue fields inside and surrounding the lungs. This rhythm then stimulates the nerves and plexuses closest to the lungs, and depending on the depth of one’s breath, extends to nerves and plexuses further from the lungs. Diaphragmatic breathing, if practiced consistently over time (thereby establishing this rhythm as the primary vibrational habit of the regions surrounding the lungs), these major nerves and plexuses become increasingly sensitive to stimuli. It "wakes them up", so to speak, and conditions them to respond to subtler changes in their environment – to internal and external forces such as the flow of blood and other fluids, the electrical charges between nerves, and perhaps even subtler phenomenon not yet observable by modern science.

But even if this is possible, this still does not identify or reveal prana, the supposed link between body and mind. Prana is often described in vague terms as a kind of energy, or an animating force for life. If it is, is it even accessible to us? Can we observe it directly, and therefore harness or control it, just as we can with breath?

At this point I find it helpful to think of prana in this sense:
Prana is the phenomenon of mind that emerges when it becomes aware of the holistic functioning of the body’s processes. Here is what I mean by that:

Take the cardiac plexus, and assume the above argument is true – that deep, conscious, diaphragmatic breathing can stimulate the cardiac plexus from within. Then assume that this stimulation generates a sensation, detectable by the mind of the conscious observer. This sensation is generally identified as the heart chakra. In my experience, this sensation appears to ebb and flow, moving in synchrony with the breath, yet there is also a steadiness to it – a presence that is simultaneously fluid and uniform. Within the ebb and flow there is another kind of movement – a swirling akin to how cream interacts with coffee, or how tide-pools form in bodies of water. The sensation appears to move on its own accord, as if it contains its own intelligence, yet paradoxically, it also seems susceptible to influence or control of the mind.

So, although we can define prana as the causal agent for the above-described sensations, we cannot deny the role awareness plays on its manifestation. Prana moves on its own and causes sensation, but awareness of prana both causes and directs the flow of sensation. To bring it back into scope, this awareness can be confined to a region such as the cardiac plexus, or extended to the body as a whole, or even to realms beyond the body. So then, prana becomes the potential link to union with any object of the mind, revealing our minds as inextricably connected to all things animated by prana.

I’m grateful for any opportunity to let my mind roam in this way. At some point I would like to clarify or improve upon much of what I've written. I would also like to explore my understanding of kundalini, as well as the chakras. It is important for me to express these things in written form, since it provides a clarity and structure to my inner experience. It is also helps to know that someone, somewhere, might be reading it. So, whoever is reading this, thank you.