Yoga and Ayurveda: Udana Vayu
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In the last few weeks, we’ve been turning our attention to the five pranas, also known as the five vāyus. This week, we reach the grand finale with udana vayu, the upward-moving breath.
As the great yogi Nityananda said:
To bring your creative energy under control
Breathe.
Samadhi is the upward breath, the God within.
With the upward breath established,
You will find the entire universe inside.
In all creatures the upward breath is the same.
(The Sky of the Heart, Rudra Press)
The seat of udāna vāyu is the diaphragm. Udāna is an extremely important vāyu, as it is the only vāyu that moves energy upwards. Udāna is important to any work requiring uplift of the mind, including meditation and mantra chanting. It governs speech and recollection and is functionally integrated with prāna vāyu. Prāna vāyu gives light to memory, and udāna vāyu is the energy which causes memory to function in the appropriate time, the trigger which causes the neurons to fire and release memory appropriately.
Udāna vāyu is also responsible for effort, energy, color complexion, memory retention and the outbreath.
In the text Ashtanga Hridayam, it is described thus:
The chest is the seat of udāna, it moves in the nose, umbilicus and throat; its functions are initiation of speech, effort, enthusiasm, strength (capacity of work), colour (complexion) and memory (awareness).
Other texts state, more specifically, that the lungs are the seat of udāna vāyu.
Belching and hiccoughs, which are spasms of the diaphragm, are dysfunctions of the upward movement of udāna vāyu. Other symptoms related to udāna vāyu dysfunction include breathlessness, asthma, poor memory recall and fatigue.
Home remedies for udāna vāyu include pippali and licorice tea. Pippali, or long pepper, is available from your Ayurvedic practitioner. It’s good to have some on hand. You can take pippali with honey to soothe the throat and pippali with rock candy (available at your Indian grocery store) for the larynx and voice.
Licorice tea is a wonderful home remedy for all udāna vāyu concerns.
For this week’s yoga tip, strengthen udāna vāyu with ujayyi pranayama.
For those of you who are serious yoga practitioners, tribandha pranayama is the practice that brings apana upwards, prana downwards, sparks the heat of samana and moves udāna vāyu upwards in sushumna nadi. Don’t try to learn this one on your own; it must be taught by a qualified teacher.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through the five pranas as much as I have!
Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.
Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!
