Depression is said to be a medical condition that produces a feeling of misery or dejection that lasts for a long time. But here let us see a different perspective of how you can take these depressive feelings or suicidal thoughts, through the perspective of YOGA. According to yoga, there are panch vayu in the body referred to as Panch prana vayus or five types of energy that flows in the human body and are essentially responsible for the human mechanism to function at its best. 

The Panch vayus are prana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Udana Vayu, Apana Vayu, and Vyana Vayu. Now the question is what is it? How can they help anyone in depression? How balancing the panch vayus in the system benefits us? and how can we balance them? 

This article connects the benefits of Pranayam and the need of Pranayam in our life to function at its peak. if you are interested to know the depth of these five types of vayus human body consists of, and the benefits of balancing these five energy flow in the system, then read on!  

1. Prana Vayu

This is the most fundamental Parana in the body situated between the throat and diaphragm region. This vayu takes charge of the heart and lungs and considered as an upward-moving air responsible to direct the brain and dominates the thought process of a being.

Benefits of balancing the Prana Vayus in the system

• Unshakable psychological balance
• Promotes Heart health
• Improves your immune system
• Reduce the symptoms of shortness of breath ie; Dyspnea
• Since the Prana Vayu is associated with the Anahata chakra, strengthening Prana vayu unleash the energies in the Anahata.

What if Prana vayu is unbalanced?

• If the prana vayu is weak then the person faces an inability to focus and experience anxieties, fear, and uneasiness all the time.
• Imbalance of the Prana vayu fabricates the symptoms of depression
• Weak prana vayu generates health-related problems in the body
• It reduces the ability of the body to withstand infections.

How we can balance the Prana vayu?

•  Prcticing nadi shodahna pranayam is one of the best way to balance this prarana vayu in the system
• Pranayama like Bahstrika and ujjayi also showed favorable results as they strengthen the fundamental vayu in the system
• Yoga postures that involve opening the chest region are beneficial to strengthen the Prana Vayu in the body.
• To encourage the upward flow of the vayu, the inversion pose like mountain pose is reviewed as beneficial to balance Prana vayu in the system.

2. Samana Vayu

Samana Vayu is situated below your diaphragm ie; in the abdomen region of the body with its energies pervaded in the navel. The Samana Vayu is incharge of all the substances like food, water, air, emotions, experiences, and thoughts. The Samana vayu is mainly associated with the Manipura chakra in the body and the flow of the vayu is form the periphery to the center of the body.

 Benefits of balancing Samana vayu

• Balanced Samana vayu improves the disturbed digestive health in the body
• It promotes the intellectual sharpness of the individual
• Samana vayu encourage strong judgment power
• It develops clarity and confidence in the emotions of the individual

Why if Samana vayu is unbalanced?

• An unbalanced Samana vayu in the body manifest poor judgment
• shaky and dysfunctional  emotions
• Poor digestive system
• Lack of clarity in the thought process

How we can balance Samana vayu

• The easiest remedy to balance your Samana vayu is to focus on the postures you perform in any yoga session. Feel the stretch and the way your body is responding to the sequence of yoga you perform.
• Core strengthening poses acts as a catalyst in the process of strengthening of Samana vayu.
• Practicing Kapalbhati Pranayam
• Include atleast 50% of raw food in your daily diet

3. Udana vayu

Udana vayu is located in the neck region of the body and the energies imbue around the neck and head maintaining a circular flow that moves upwards. The main function associated with the Udana Vayu is to govern the expression of an individual.

Benefits of balancing Udana vayu

• This form of energy if balanced promotes mental health in the system and governs the speech of the individual
• The Udana vayu is associated with the Vishudhhi chakra of the body, and if strengthen, relieves the problems associated with the shortness of breath
• It improves the coordination between the movement of the body with the beath.
• Balanced Udana Vayu promotes the health of the lymph nodes present in the neck region

What if Udana Vayu is unbalanced?

• A fragile Udana Vayu is responsible for the speech difficulties an individual face. 
• Lack of coordination in the movements of the body with breath
• Problems associated with throat infections.
• Lack of self-expression

How to balance your Udana Vayu?

• Bhramari pranayama is one of the best breathing techniques to balance Udana Vayu in the system
•  Yogic postures including back bending are favorable to balance the Udana vayu
• Focus on the length of the spine and maintaining correct postures throughout the day
• Practicing ujjayi pranayama and Jalandhar bandha 

4. Apana vayu

Apana vayu is positioned on the pelvic floor and the energy is extended throughout the abdomen region of the body. The energy flow is responsible for the nourishment of the digestive system and governs the elimination of substance form the body, as the flow is downwards and out of the body.

Benefits of balanced Apana Vayu

• Since the association of the Apana vayu is with the abdomen, it promotes fertility in women
• Eliminate menstruation disorders.
• Promotes digestive health and reproductive health of the body
•  Strengthen the organs involved in the elimination like kidney, small intestine, etc. and promotes effective excretion of waste substance from the body in the form of carbon dioxide, urine, and stool.

What if Apana vayu is unbalanced?

• A person with dysfunctional Apana vayu face difficulties in the reproduction process
• Weak Apana vayu creates a weakness in the legs and digestive issues
• disturbed Apana vayu makes the individual more acceptable to the urinary tract infections
• Creates the feeling of ungroundedness

How to balance Apana vayu in the body?

• Since the Apana vayu chakra is mainly associated with the Muladhara, spending some time physically touching the ground helps to stabilize the flow of vayu in the system.
• Practicing Mula bandha and Ashwani mudra regulates the flow of energy in the abdominal region.
• Yogic postures with forwarding bend and Surya kriya regulates Apana vayu.
• Focus on the legs getting engaged in each yoga pose helps the body to the ground with the earth and strengthen its vayu.

5. Vyana vayu

The essence of Vyana vayu is centralized in the heart and lung region of the body, but the flow of the energies is centered and outwards, unlike Apana vayu in which the energy flow is mainly in the upward direction. Vyana vayu is analogous to the Svadisthana chakra and governs the liquid flow in the body

Benefits of balanced Vyana vayu

• An individual with a balanced Vyana vayu posses strong command on the feelings and emotional aspects of life.
• Balanced Vyana vayu promotes healthy blood circulation in the body.
• The clarity in the expressions 
• Stimulation in nerve and reduce the chances of a nervous breakdown
• Reduce the symptoms of depression

What if Vyana vayu is unbalanced?

• Distorted Vyana vayu is responsible for digressive thought process and nervous breakdowns which promote depressive feelings
• Poor blood circulation in the body
• Unbalanced Vyana vayu causes various skin disorders.

How to balance Vyana Vayu

• Practicing the pranayama technique called kumbhaka ( Breath retention ) strengthens the Vyan vayu flow in the system.
• A yogic sequence like sun salutation and vinyasa flow promotes a stable flow of the energies in the body.
• Practicing yoga poses that relates to the heart and lung health of the body.

Here is the five prana energy location summary for you

1. Prana Vayu – chest region
2. Samana Vayu – abdomen region
3. Udana Vayu – neck region
4. Apana Vayu – pelvis region
5. Vyana Vayu – All over the body but centralized in the heart region.

{Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.}