There is a belief in yoga circles that Western medicine grew out of studying cadavers, while in the Eastern world, cutting up dead bodies was frowned upon. As a result, Western medicine doesn’t have a concept of vital energy in the body, while Eastern: Ayurvedic, Yoga, Qi Gong and Acupuncturist practitioners etc, have developed sophisticated ideas about the flow of human energy from having to study living-breathing human beings.
On Yoga Retreat, 20/3 – 22/3/26, which is all about your energy, your frequency and your vibration – learning to move these currents of energy will be the major focus of your yoga classes. Moving your Prana along the currents of the Vayus. Prana is not just the breath, it’s the intelligence inside breath and that subtle energy that animates all life, flows through your nerves, energizes your cells, and bridges the body and the mind. Prana enters the body and circulates in various directions carving and sculpting pathways. It enters, descends, rises, contracts towards centre and expands away from centre. When prana isn’t flowing well, we experience stiffness, pain, lack of mobility, and illness. Blocked energy doesn’t just show up physically; it can manifest as feeling emotionally stuck, depressed, anxious and fearful.
There are 10 Vayus in the body: 5 outer Vayus (opening the eyes, defecating, sneezing, yawning and belching ) and 5 inner Vayus: in and upward energy Prana Vayu (heart and lungs, sensory intake) , down and outward energy, Apana Vayu (elimination organs, emotional release), centrering energy, Samana Vayu (digestive organs, assimilation of life), rising energy Udana Vayu (throat and head, purpose) and expanding energy Vyana Vayu (circulation and connection to Life). We are working with the 5 Inner Vayus on Retreat.
I’ll give you an example of how Yoga and Ayurveda would support a person with a blocked Samana Vayu (digestion) which has led to a pre-diabetic diagnosis. This is not a medical diagnosis, merely the Yogic viewpoint. All diseases in Ayurveda start with Agni going down (the digestive fire becoming weak) and Ama building up—toxins from undigested food, emotions, and life experience. In diabetes, your digestive fire (Agni) is low, and toxins (Ama) accumulate in the pancreas, blocking the channels and altering insulin function. Eventually, Ojas, the subtle energy of life, is depleted. The body runs like a car without oil. That is why diabetic people often feel drained, emotionally numb, or disconnected.
And diabetes is a disease involving the stagnation of the Manipura (3rd) chakra. Manipura Chakra is your power centre. It governs digestion, self-esteem, willpower and transformation. When this chakra is blocked—by fear, trauma, poor posture, or chronic negativity—the organs around it suffer. Digestion becomes weak, and diseases like diabetes begin to take root. And so, to truly heal, we must rekindle the Agni, remove the Ama, and restore the Prana.
In the world of Yoga your pancreas is like a quiet temple tucked in your belly. It needs rhythm, balance, and flow. When you breathe shallow breaths, eat without awareness, live with constant stress, and disconnect from nature—this temple becomes chaotic. The Prana stops flowing there. The Manipura Chakra becomes blocked, Samana Vayu is stagnant and the pancreas begins to malfunction.
How would we restore Samana Vayu and the pancreas? Prana Vayu Yoga will open the body and bring fire back to the digestive organs using movement and the breath.This practice will stimulate the vagus nerve, calm the sympathetic nervous system, lower cortisol and help regulate blood sugar better. Silence and meditation will calm the mind and help you connect to life better.You might be given Ayurvedic herbs and lifestyle practices as well. The overwhelming intelligence of the body makes us realise that the pancreas doesn’t work in isolation – it listens to your nervous system. Your nervous system listens to your breath. And your breath listens to you—your choices, your emotions, your presence.
Prana Vayu Yoga – amazing stuff! Love and namaste Margot