SUBTLE ANATOMY OF YOGA 41and nervousness. Seated diamond (p. 121) pose is a yin posture that supports
prana vayu as the lower body forms an unbroken loop.
Not only do the prana vayus exist within yoga poses, but they also are
demonstrated in nature. For example, let’s explore the journey of the sun and
how we perceive it here on planet earth. At dawn, even before we can see the
sun, an expansion of light begins to spread across the sky. This is vyana vayu.
Then right at sunrise we begin to see the sun rise above the horizon. This is
udana vayu. The sun continues to rise until it reaches its zenith. Eventually,
it descends and lowers beneath the horizon. This is apana vayu. After the
sun disappears, light recedes and contracts. This is samana vayu. This cycle
is repeated and the circle continues. This is prana vayu.
Understanding the prana vayus gives you a new way to look at the subtle
energetics of the poses. Equipped with this knowledge, you can use a pos-
ture to cultivate balance when something feels off. For example, if you feel
emotionally blocked or stuck, then you could do sphinx or seal pose as a
way to lift (udana) and expand (vyana) your heart. If you’ve been giving to
others all day (vyana), then you could practice child’s pose or caterpillar pose
as a way of bringing your energy inward (samana). The prana vayus are a
powerful way of balancing your yin-yang energies.
THREE GUNAS
Throughout nature exist three primal forces that are manifestations of uni-
versal intelligence. They are called the gunas, or subtle qualities, and they
underlie all of creation. The gunas represent certain archetypes within our
mind—both on the surface and deep within our consciousness. We can also
look at the gunas within different types of environments and even the food
that we eat. The following are the three gunas:
Tamas
Characterized by inertia, stagnation, lack of movement, dullness, darkness,
and heaviness, it is the energy that creates ignorance of the mind and stifles
change and transformation. A classic example of a tamasic person is the couch
potato. An environment that is polluted or oppressively hot or cold will have
a tamasic quality. Heavy food, such as meats, processed foods, and food that
lacks nutrients is tamasic.
Rajas
This is the energy of change, motion, activity, evolution, and growth. In the
mind, it is the energy of desiring, wanting more, wanting to be successful, and
wanting to be the best. When it is out of balance, rajasic people are overly
competitive and inclined to sacrifice their integrity to get to the top, even if it
causes pain and suffering. A type A personality is a prime example of rajas.