Prana Vayu: Heart-Centered Yoga for Energy, Breath, and Emotional Balance

What is Prana Vayu?

Prana Vayu is the inward and upward-moving current of life force energy in yoga. It governs inhalation, vitality, emotional openness, and the functioning of the heart and lungs. Prana Vayu is centered in the chest and ribcage.

If your breath feels shallow, your chest feels tight, or your energy feels low in mid-winter, your Prana Vayu may need attention.

Within the system of the five prana vayus, Prana Vayu moves in and up. It supports:

• Deep, steady inhalation
• Emotional receptivity
• Mental clarity
• Inspiration and motivation
• Healthy cardiovascular and respiratory function

February is an ideal time to focus on Prana Vayu because expansion feels natural once grounding has been established. After stabilizing Apana Vayu in January, the body and nervous system are better prepared for heart-opening yoga and breathwork.

When Prana Vayu is balanced, you feel energized, open, and steady. When imbalanced, you may experience anxiety, shallow breathing, chest tension, or emotional reactivity.

Heart-opening postures, pranayama practices, and conscious breath awareness restore Prana Vayu and create sustainable vitality — not forced productivity.

Expansion works best when it grows from stability. That is the intelligence of the prana vayus.