The Vayus: Apana Vayu

Our prana or life force or aliveness is subdivided into five even more subtle energies called: vayus. Vayu can be translated as: "wind" with the root as va: or that which flows. These flowing energies move in different directions and control different parts of our beings. They are prana vayu, apana vayu, samana vayu, udana vayu, and vyana vayu. Last week we explored prana vayu, the inward and upward moving energy associated with the heart chakra. Today we examine, apana vayu, the down and outward moving energy associated with the muladhara or root chakra. What goes in must come out, thus all forms of excretion including our urine, feces, menstruation blood, and ejaculation are demonstrations of apana vayu. 

Acknowledging what physically comes out of us is relatively transparent, and yet we can continue to observe the vast array of thoughts, emotions, tendencies, and beliefs that are required to be flushed from our being, daily, in order to remain in balance.  By being conscious of prana vayu or what goes in, is one way to limit the amount of waste removal we need to provide ourselves. However, even when we nourish ourselves with healthy food, inspiring conversation, mindful movement, and a clean environment, life has a way of continually life-ing and we are sure to experience hardships in our relationships with others, with ourselves, with our environment, with our work, with our food, and the list goes on and on. 

The obstacles are endless. It is the opportunities that are either digested, transformed, and expelled, or, missed, stifled, and stuffed deeper within to rot and literally ruin our lives. Every single hurt has its place, and it is our duty to hear it out, hold it, and handle it with deep care and compassion. This kind of reverence for your own person in pain will in turn, heal it. Only then are we granted the power to remove it. This space, previously occupied by pain, is now available and fertile to grow an abundant garden of grace, gratitude, and Godliness. 

Thank you so much precious Reader,

Understanding who we are is a life-long exploration and I am so happy to be doing it with you!

Blessings,

Andrea Dawn

Andrea Behler