The Power Of Prana.
Prana = Life Force = Energy = Vitality
Modern life is diminishing our life force and stealing our energy. If you want to live a more vibrant life, know these four principles of prana and start making changes today.
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”
Prana is a Sanskrit word with many translations: “life force energy,” “breath of life,” and “vital principle” are a few, and in general, they all carry the spirit of manifesting energy from the universe. The truth is that prana is constantly flowing both inside and all around us—it governs everything from our gross physical movements to our subtle biochemical responses to our experience. Just like our respiration, it is always present; but central to yogic and meditative teachings is harnessing this energetic current and turning it into a conscious source of vitality that can be used in pursuit of our highest good.
It will come as no surprise that the modern world and way of living heavily disrupts this flow of energy and blocks our ability to tap into its sources. In the book The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, authors Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr make a strong case for shifting old paradigms suited for capitalism to new paradigms suited for our innate way of being, an argument that yogis everywhere can get behind. Below are four principles of prana adapted from their book that apply to all of us on a daily basis. When your understanding and awareness around these principles expands, your energy and overall vitality will too.
Prana is the fundamental source of life.
Prana manifests itself in four dimensions:
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
Capacity in these dimensions can be measured in four attributes:
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Resiliency
Shift from the old paradigm of managing time to a new paradigm of managing energy.
When your eye is constantly on the clock, you’re likely cramming tasks into your day just to stay busy. On paper this approach reads as ultra productive, but over time it ultimately reveals itself to be unsustainable, creating burnout and irritability. All of your relationships, passions and pursuits start to suffer and it becomes increasingly difficult to bounce back.
When you manage your energy, you’re able to fully engage with the endeavors you decide to pursue. You will be less and less burdened by expectations and feelings of obligation, and your energetic cup will remain full. You’ll know you’re working in the right direction with this when the people and things you cherish most in your life start to naturally take priority. Even further, you will be less likely to indulge in negative thoughts and damaging actions, and will instead choose to put your energy into what you want to create.
Extend beyond ordinary limitations.
Shift from the old paradigm of avoiding stress to a new paradigm of seeking stress.
You must work outside of your comfort zone in all four prana dimensions in order to grow and transcend your limitations. Many people do not understand that we are constantly growing in one direction or another. There really is no stagnant state despite our perceptions telling us otherwise. If you never test the limits of your comfort zone, it will shrink along with your capacity to handle adversity. Conversely, when you challenge your comfort zone, your capacity to thrive and cope with stressors goes way up.
A 2009 study done in Sweden showed that when participants’ cardiovascular fitness went up, so did their cognition and IQ. Challenging one prana dimension created a positive ripple effect in multiple prana dimensions.
A 2016 article in The New York Times documented how people over the age of 65 are able to keep their brains decades younger by getting outside of their comfort zone daily. Rightfully dubbed ‘Superagers,' they learn new languages and instruments, and pursue physical challenges like swimming laps and lifting weights all to great benefit.
Do not fear friction. Stress is a necessary component of energy expansion and we see examples of this all over the place in nature: butterflies and insects need to break through their own cocoons in order for their wings to be strong enough to fly; two sticks need to be vigorously rubbed together in order to create a fire; seeds buried underground need to crest the earth on their own in order to stand tall and flower; gemstones are created upon exposure to extreme temperature and pressure. This list is endless.
The vast majority of people who don’t return to a yoga class say that it’s because it was too easy, not too hard. Additionally, in 12 years of teaching classes, I’ve never had a student say afterwards, “I wish I didn’t work that hard.” They might not have expected the level of difficulty, but they certainly didn’t regret putting in the effort.
Balance periods of energy expenditure with periods of recovery.
Shift from the old paradigm of down time is wasted time to a new paradigm of down time is essential.
Energy expenditure and energy renewal are equally important for our wellbeing. Without equal doses of both, we develop dangerous imbalances in all areas of our lives. This paradigm shift is deeply tied to the last principle of prana about building rhythm below.
Shift from the old paradigm that life is like a marathon to a new paradigm of life is like a series of sprints.
Ups and downs in life are inevitable and it’s imperative that your energy doesn’t flatline from indifference or monotony. This is not a pitch to engage in erratic behavior, but rather a reminder that you can’t be ‘on’ all the time. It’s to your benefit to work with this reality instead of against it.
Counter to popular belief, our evolutionary biology does not lend our brains to focusing on a single task for long periods of time. In fact, research out of the University of Illinois showed that deactivating and reactivating our mental energy allows us to both sustain our focus and increase our quality of work.
The Pomodoro Method is a popular technique that utilizes 25-minute intervals of work, followed by 5-minute breaks. After four intervals, the break bumps up to 15 or 30 minutes. Strategically working in short bursts doesn’t just benefit concentration and work quality, it also helps combat procrastination and lethargy.
The growing popularity of high intensity interval training (HIIT) is backed by loads of science. HIIT workouts are typically less than 30 minutes long and combine short bursts of intense exercise with low intensity recovery periods. Studies show that combining the two intensity levels leads to higher caloric burn, metabolic rate and fat loss, while also decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Prana rituals and building rhythm are key.
Shift from the old paradigm of a forced path to a new paradigm of riding the waves.
A prana ritual is the practice of infusing life force energy into your day through mindful, routine actions. Prana rituals celebrate the natural rhythms of life and turn healthy habits into hubs for pleasure, respite and creativity. Examples are: taking a walk first thing in the morning upon waking; meditating at the same time everyday; eating dinner with your partner; reading before bed; and, of course, daily sun salutations.
Any activity that gets your energy oscillating qualifies. As mentioned above, it’s important to avoid flatlining. Just like the human heartbeat, our energy must pulse.
There are four innate biological rhythms occurring in our bodies that affect our prana. When we work in harmony with these rhythms, the ups and downs of life feel far less turbulent. When we work against these rhythms, turbulence is amplified and has dire consequences like sleep, mood and productivity disorders. In the US where people are under pressure to work longer and longer hours, half of the population has some form of chronic disease. In populations working the night shift, that percentage is even higher. Get in touch with your biological rhythms!
Circadian rhythms: the 24-hour cycle that includes physiological and behavioral rhythms like our sleep and wake cycle, body temperature regulation and hormonal secretion.
Diurnal rhythms: any cycles in synchronization with the day/night cycle.
Ultradian rhythms: cycles that play out in shorter increments than the 24-hour cycle, like our heartbeat, digestion and stages of sleep.
Infradian rhythms: cycles that play out in longer increments than the 24-hour cycle, like menstruation, pregnancy, migration and hibernation.
As an inward practice, yoga and meditation in particular help us build our prana and stay in harmony with the rhythms of life. When we ride these waves with more awareness and ease, we are able to be fully immersed in our experience in beautiful ways; plus, our inner feeling and healing skyrockets. Get on your mat this week and work with your own rhythms. Your prana depends on it.
Metta,
Drewsome.
