The Five Vayus ( The Vital Forces )

These are the five life sustaining forces in our body. They are the following:

1. Prana : The most important Vayu. This is responsible for the breathing and sustaining heart beats. The seat of Prana is the head.

2.Udana: Responsible for total control and balance of the body. represents the energy required to produce vocal sounds. The seat of Udana is said to be the chest

3.Vyana : This Vayu runs through every single cell of our body.All muscular movements like contractions and relaxations are controlled by Vyana. The seat of Vyana is the heart.

4.Samana : This is responsible for ignition of the agni ( fire )in our body, hence aids in the process of digestion and assimilation of the food we take in.People who practice Yoga with special emphasis on Samana Vayu will be able to see aura (kosha) present around every human being.The seat of Samana is in between the intestines.

5.Apana : Apana Vayu is mainly responsible for cleansing the body, by excretion of waste products from all parts of the body. It is so powerful that a baby is pushed out from a mothers womb during child birth by this vital force. The seat of Apana vayu is the perineum.

There are 5 subsidiary vital forces in our body, called Upapranas.
They are the following:

1.Naga
2.Poorna
3.Krikara
4.Devadatta
3.Dhananjaya