Types of Prana - Both Major & Minor, Nadis and their Significance

There are Five major Pranas - Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana.

Prana operates in the region between the Diaphragm and Throat. It is the centre of circulation of Life Energy and maintains the heart and lungs, all activities in the chest region such as breathing, Swallowing and blood circulation.

Apana operates in pelvic region between the navel and perineum and sustains the function of the kidney, bladder, bowels, excretory and reproductive organs.

Samana operates navel and diaphragm, acting as equalizer between the opposite forces of Prana and Apana. It activates and maintains the digestive organs and is responsible for metabolism.

Udana operates in the extremities: the arms, legs, neck and head. It Controls the sensory organs, movement of legs, arms and neck and the activities of the brain. It also assists the activities of Prana, maintains the pranic link between heart and brain and provides energy to the minor pranas.

Vyana pervadesthe whole body and acts as a reserve energy, helping the other pranas when they require an extra boost. It also regulates muscular movement.

Also we have Five Minor Pranas:

Naga - It causes belching and hiccups
Koorma - It helps blinking of eyes and keep them healthy.
Krikara - It causes yawning, hunger and thirst and aids in respiration.
Devadatta - It causes sneezing and also helps in respiration.
Dhananjaya - It prevades the whole body and assists the muscles, arteries, veins and skin. It is the last prana to leave the body after death and is responsible for decomposition of the body.

There are also Fifteen fine currents of Prana, called nadis. Nadi means nerve or current of energy or blood. They carry impulses to and from the brain. Their names are Sushumna, Ida, Pingla, Gandhari, Hastijihwa, Poosha, Ashwini, Shoora, Kuhoo, Saraswati, Varuni, Alambusha, Vishvodari, Shankhini and Chittra. Please note that there are 72000 nadis in the body which carry finer sensation. Of these 3 Nadis are very important - Ida, Pingala and Shushumna as they carry the current of higher knowledge. These are very fine Nadi situated in the spinal cord. They emerge from Mooldhara and meet at Ajna Chakra.
Within Sushumna there are two more nadis:
Outer one is Vajra Nadi while inner one is Chittra Nadi within Chittra is a finer canal known as Brahma Nadi.

The breathing process has definite timetable - the movement of moon

influences the movement and control of  breath.  Breathing controls thinking as well as the past, present and future. In twenty four hours one breathes predominantly through the right nostril for one hour then the left nostril, alternating tweleve times. Left nostril is called Ida or Chandra while right nostril is called Surya or Pingla. During the change from ida to pingala or from pingala to ida Sushumna flows momentarily.

This Sushumna Channel is very important for Kundalini Energy to flow upward!!

~ Reference from Yogasutra of Patanjali ( Samadhi Pada).