Vayu

Vayu, or wind in Sanskrit, is a continuous flow of energy that moves like a current. Within our body, we have five vayus that are balanced when practicing Yoga Therapy & Vedic Thai Yoga. Prana Vayu has an inward movement into head, throat, heart, and lungs. Prana Vayu governs inhalation. Udana Vayu has an upward movement from lungs, throat, senses, and up to our crown. Udana Vayu governs exhalation.

Samana Vayu is directly connected to the digestive and is responsible for our 'digestive fire - Agni' (important for maintaining health). Samana Vayu contracts inwards, like keeping a fire stoked. Vyana Vayu expands outwards from the heart and pumps the wind through extremities, blood, nutrients, and oxygen throughout the body. Apana Vayu moves downward from colon, rectum, urinary, and reproductive. Apana governs the downward movement of the body and keeps us grounded with nature.

We are to remember every day that we have a symbiotic relationship with nature. nature's elements flow within us (earth, water, fire, air). This shows in our body/mind/heart connection individually because we all have different constitutions with Vata/Pitta/Kapha energies. Learning to work with the vayu, wind energy within yoga therapy, breath and meditation, vedic thai yoga, teaches us about balance within and without in nature.

More forward bends with extra breathing emphasis helps rebalance Vata (air element). Prana is increased this way with forward bends. Dynamic movements with extremities and inversions helps udana get stimulated and is excellent for Kaphic driven folk (earth element). Yoga Therapy that expands movement like backbending, spinal twists helps increase Vyana Vayu and balances Vata and Kapha. Sitting postures helps centralize energies in the center for Samana vayu and is helpful for the Pitta (fire) and Vata within people. Sitting, lying, and squatting postures with breath increase downwards helps increas apana vayu and is helpful for Vata and Pitta.

Working with Marma Chikitsa & anointing with flower essence can be very helpful and supportive to the wind within and around your body/mind/heart connections. The Marmas, when activated through yoga therapy and anointing them, they are gates to help channel the flow of these energies. Certain herbal poultices can help channel movement as well with energy. So now that you see a brief glimpse through this window of subtle influences, perhaps this will help you look at nature and your lifestyle/ health a little bit differently.

" The Japanese samurai swordsmen learn their skills through a series of detailed exercises studied carefully, one at a time. After many years of training, they retire to the mountains to meditate until they have forgotten what they have learned. When the swordsmen return, they have so naturally integrated the knowledge into their style that they are directed by intuition rather than thought." -Thai Yoga Therapy for your Body Type, p43, by Kam Thye Chow Moody & Emily moody