Prana - The Life Force
What is energy and life force within us?
I remember one of my first yoga experiences when my teacher guided us through relaxation, asking us simply to notice that the body is alive. The simplicity and depth of that question surprised me. For years, I’d taken it for granted that I was alive. From that moment on, I began to notice subtle signs of life within my body—like the natural flow of breath and the warmth of my skin. Staying with these sensations helped me develop a sense of awareness and presence, which ultimately became the foundation for exploring energy management more deeply.
Prana
The breath carries our life force, or prana, as it’s known in yoga. You can experience this for yourself by breathing in, noticing how it feels, and then breathing out and observing the difference. Try spending a few moments simply breathing in and out, and tuning in to each sensation. This is a great exercise if you want to start cultivating more energy in your life.
Your Relationship to Energy
How do we become more skilful at managing this life energy? We'll explore that in upcoming posts. For now, I invite you to begin by reflecting on your own energy and your relationship with it. Here are some questions to guide your reflection.
Reflection Questions
When you say, “I have high/low energy,” what do you actually mean? How do you experience that feeling?
Are there other words you use to describe your energy? What are they?
How has your energy level been lately?
How would you like your energy level to be?
Where are you planning to spend your energy this weekend?
If you prioritized your energy above all other commitments, what would you choose to do?