THE ROLE OF AIR AND VAYU IN YOGIC WELLNESS: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON PRANAYAMA, KUMBHAKA, AND AIR THERAPY
A. Radhika*
ABSTRACT
Air is an English word and Vayu is a Sanskrit word. Generally, for all purposes the words air and vayu are
synonymously used. Air is lexicographically said to be "the mixture of gases surrounding the earth". Gas literally
means," an air like substance which expands to fill any available space". Air is a general expression and gas is an
expression in terms of chemistry. All these gases are bye-products of an element called vayu in Sanskrit. Vayu can
be understood a cosmic variant functioning in all the organs of the human body. Even the manas, so called mind is
of vayu matter only. According to Trisikhi brahmanopanishad of Sukla Yajurveda, Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana
and Samana are of Air origin and Naga, Kuurma, Krukara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya are minor vayus. It has
been already understood that yogic wellness is composed of physical wellness and emotional wellness. Air
functions as the equalizing agent from womb to tomb for all the living brings. The vaayu is the dynamic
mechanism to facilitate escalation of consciousness, tuning of body and mind and pacifying odds of pressure in all
major physiological systems. The adepts could identify the levels of consciousness being in tune with mass,
energy and space equilibrium. It is the function of vayu that makes a person hale and healthy, and worried and
distressed. Hence the management of vaayu is having a key potential in the promotion of integral wellness in
general and physical and emotional wellness in particular.
Keywords: Vayu, Gases, Pranayama and Wellness.
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