What are the Vayus?

Does the word vayu mean anything to you? Surely if you practice yoga, even more the Apana vayu and the Apanasanas attributed to it. In Mudra Yoga, we often talk about sub-prana, but what can this mean? Follow us in this article to learn more about the art of breath.

What are vayus and their relationship with Prana 

When you start yoga, you will soon be confronted with the concept of vayus without even realizing it. First of all, we need to know what Prana is. We explain this clearly in our article on Pranayama, which we recommend.

Knowing this, vayus are simply the areas of your body where Prana, the universal vital energy, flows. Vayu means the breath of life, Vayu governs everything and each of us has five main Vayus. The mastery of your vayus does not especially help the practice of asanas, but it does help you to get closer to the Hindu vision.

The five main vayus (detailed explanation)

As explained before, there are 5 main vayus, but there are actually many more, 49 in all. What characterizes them is simply the sense of their movement and the area they are in. Here are the 5 main vayus:

• Prana "the breath that goes inward"

It’s your body’s receptor. When you breathe and eat, it will absorb everything in addition to your emotions and what you feel. This breath is very important because it irrigates your vital organs like heart and lungs with energy, but it should not be confused with prana, which is the universal energy.

Prana Vayu: Heart and Chest - Anahata Chakra – Air Element

• Apana "The breath that goes out"

Like a sewage treatment plant, this blast takes charge of getting rid of everything that pollutes you. This vayu is located in the kidneys, colon and rectum, and is a great ally for women giving birth.

Apana Vayu: At Basin Level - Muladhara Chakra – Earth Element

• Udana "the breath that comes out of the body"

Linked to ether (emptiness in space), this vayu is in your throat and takes care of sight, smell and hearing. Wisely, it purifies your 3rd eye, which is the primordial chakra or the 6th chakra. Through it, your mind will control your body and make you grow from all points of view. He is responsible for speech, enthusiasm and will.

Udana vayu – Throat and head level - Vishuddha Chakra, Ajna Chakra - Ether

• Samana "the breath of balance"

Located at the level of the solar plexus, the samana vayu is a sign of the Manipura Chakra. It ensures coordination between Prana and Apana and holds the key to the digestion system. You have to look at digestion in a broad sense. Human beings also digest their emotions.

Samana Vayu – Solar Plexus Level - Manipura Chakra - Fire

• Vyana  "The breath of unity"

This vayu is the one of coordination. It’s an element of water. It is the conductor of the various systems. It is responsible for the good circulation in the body: food, water, oxygen, circulation of emotions and thoughts. It gives strength and movement and thus allows the other vayus to function and coordinate.

Vyana Vayu: All Body - Svadisthana Chakra – Water Element

How to stimulate Vayus during yoga practice?

If your vayus are unbalanced, it can cause some malfunctions. Fortunately, yoga is here to help you. Especially mudras, are excellent to help you guide this breath. Each vayus is associated with an area, and you just need to learn about the postures that work these specific areas. So learn about yourself first, understand where the evils come from (with yogis masters) and then work them out for good results. 

When you practice yoga, it is best to open yourself to the Hindu vision and Hindu God. Nothing is done by chance, you will feel better, and you will understand why. However, we must not limit ourselves to the “stupid” practice I will say, without understanding the reasons why. You have to find out how things work and why they work, that will help you greatly in the quest for fulfillment.

After this article, the world of vayus should no longer have any secrets for you. You now know what they represent, their location and how to work them. So it’s up to you to train to awaken them during yoga practice, for optimal results.

If you are interested in the world of yoga and not just vayus, we recommend you to visit our blog where you will find a plenty of articles dealing with various and varied topics such as the double constitution pitta-vata in Ayurvedic, or the realization of more complex postures like the padottanasana that we leave you the pleasure to discover.

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