We cannot live without breathing. Today’s society has forgotten to breathe with a constant influx of distractions and commitments across our daily lives. Yoga philosophy takes breathing as a fundamental way to convey energy inside you.

Prana, is life force in breath and takes five separate forms. These five vital forces bring life into your body:

1. Prana (up-breathing) is inward and downward motion. Seated in the heart (anahata chakra), it governs respiration, swallowing, and movements of the gullet. Prana resides in the eyes and ears, operates in the heart and lungs, and moves in and out of your nose.

2. Apana (down-breathing) is downward and outward motion. Seated in the anus (muladhara chakra), it governs excretion and the kidneys, bladder, genitals, colon, and rectum. It is responsible for flatulence, ejaculation, conception, childbirth, defecation, and urination. It regulates the sense of smell, makes the body stable, and its range of influence is from the navel to the rectum.

3. Samana (on-breathing) is horizontal motion. Seated in the navel (manipura chakra), it maintains digestive fire and regulates the stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestine. Its realm of activity extends from the heart to the navel.

4. Udana (out-breathing) is upward and outward motion. Seated in the throat above the larynx (vishudda chakra), it regulates falling asleep, controls all automatic functions in the head, and maintains body heat. Udana is responsible for speech, music, and humming.

5. Vyana (back-breathing) is circular motion, a combination of Prana and Apana, by which these two are held. It controls the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems, directs voluntary and involuntary movements of muscles, joints, tendons, and fascia, and keeps the body upright through unconscious reflexes. Vyana is responsible for blood flow and lymph detoxification, sweating, and coordination of all systems.