On Prana & Prashna Upanishad 2.13
š¾ How does yoga therapy help? Where does yogic wisdom apply to our daily lives and our modern-day nervous systems?
In times of stress, transition, and uncertainty, the vÄyus often fall out of rhythm.
Yoga, breath, sound, and gentle ritual exist to support balance, not to override the body.
While intensity may be alluring, without integration, we burn up crispy.
I love working with the wisdom of the vÄyus, for it reminds us: Life already wants to move... and we can learn how to support that, rather than force it.
The vÄyus teach us that healing is about flow... and while control is often associated with breath mastery, I consciously use "restraint through relationship" or "skilled holding" with breath, rather than control alone, as it is less forceful and more relational within the context of this therapeutically-oriented post. For prana is not something we control, it is what holds ua.
This mirrors how we heal, and properly situate, the ego in this era... not violent annihilation, but the taming and hanging out with of a puppy (at some levels)... anyways!
SamÄna Vayu is the quiet work of integration. the heart of my work, and the function my SamÄna Yoga Therapy sessions serve: a skilled and gentle relationship with your nervous system, your intuition, and the best pace for your life, now.
Connect or book a session at templeofgoldenether.com
Read more on the Prashna Upanishad 2.13: templeofgoldenether.com/blog
What other dimensions of yoga therapy are you interested in exploring?
#yogatherapy #yoga #holistichealing #healing #jyotish
Continuedā¦
PrÄį¹a is not something we control. It is what holds us.
āAll that exists hereā ā not just bodies, but:
perception
movement
vitality
cognition
continuity
And āwhat exists in heavenā ā meaning:
subtle realms
cosmic order
unseen intelligences
time, rhythm, and law
All of this is said to be under the power of prÄį¹a.
This is not domination language.
It is organizing intelligence language.
PrÄį¹a is not an object.
It is the condition that allows things to exist at all.
The maternal invocation
This line is crucial:
āProtect us as a mother her sons.ā
The Upaniį¹£ad does not ask prÄį¹a to:
enlighten us
elevate us
grant powers
It asks for:
protection
nourishment
guidance
continuity
This is not ascetic transcendence.
This is cosmic caregiving.
PrÄį¹a is invoked as:
sustaining
patient
relational
non-coercive
This directly aligns with:
SamÄna VÄyu (digestion, integration)
our emphasis on tending rather than striving,
a dharma of care rather than conquest
Prosperity and wisdom
The verse closes with a very grounded prayer:
āBestow upon us prosperity and wisdom.ā
Not bliss.
Not liberation.
Not transcendence.
Prosperity here (ÅrÄ« or bhÅ«ti) implies:
sufficiency
stability
life-supporting conditions
Wisdom (prajƱÄ) implies:
discernment
timing
ethical knowing
This is wisdom for living, not for escaping life.
Why this verse is resonant with our work
This verse quietly affirms several of our core orientations:
PrÄį¹a as field, not force
Intelligence as relational, not heroic
Care as cosmic, not sentimental
Wisdom as digestible, not overwhelming
It also undermines:
performative spirituality
domination-based models of āenergy workā
extractive uses of subtle language
Life itself knows how to organize life. May we be held well enough to digest what comes, to remain coherent, and to grow in wisdom without harm.
This is not about āactivatingā prÄį¹a. It is about trusting its intelligence.
Why this matters now (collectively)
In an era of:
nervous system overload
spiritual excess
fragmented attention
constant acceleration
This verse offers a radically different posture:
āHold us. Protect us. Teach us how to live.ā
That is a prayer for:
caregivers
healers
systems designers
teachers
those tending life in unstable conditions
It is not dramatic.
It is enduring.
All that exists is held within the movement of life itself. May we be protected as children are protected, nourished in what we need, and guided toward wisdom that supports life.
