Don’t fret. Even if you are not an early bird, you can still soak up the evening “prana”. And if you are a night owl, you can still reap all the benefits of a healthy “pranayama” practice before supper. And there is nothing better than mindful breathing at night to put the system to rest. The only prerequisite is to do it on an empty stomach and find a comfortable area at home where you can open the window wide. Or even better get on the porch or the balcony, if you have one. Regardless of the season, rain or shine you want to have direct access to the fresh air.

When you allow the evening air to breeze through you, you are actually connecting to “prana” or the life force that breathes through the fabric of the universe. Air alone is not “prana”. It is just a transporter of the vital force. You need conscious intention in order to draw the life force and channel it. Prana is a cosmic force that pervades all of life and nature. Prana is not simply oxygen, which is but a carrier of prana at a physical level, but the very energy of life, and the basis of all other energies in the universe, including those that appear inanimate to us, like the force of gravity.

On a basic level “evening pranayama” boosts blood circulation and stills the mind while de-stressing the body and dusting off the tension that has accumulated during the day. On a deeper level capturing evening prana is a yogic mastery of the vital force to promote higher energy of consciousness.

By practicing breath control, breath extension, breath retention and breath suspension the goal is to unleash the dormant serpent “Kundalini” that sleeps at the base of the spine. Kundalini is basically the energy of creative awareness that awakens when we master the technique of “pranayama”. It is released when we are able to unlock the latent potential and set our true self, free from the dictates of the mind. When we spike up Kundalini we are able to go beyond mental constructs and live in a reality that we create every day.

Prana is the vital force that travels through the etheric nerve channels, called nadis. It is the force that ignites the creative power in the main junctions of energy known as chakras. During the day most of us interact with the outside world and subconsciously pick on energies that block the chakras and clog the nadis. The food that we eat, and the thoughts that we let in also obstruct the flow of “prana”. Essentially, Yoga is not just control of the mind but also control of the Prana. You need to employ the mind in order to draw in Prana. Mind and Prana are like the two wings of a bird. The mind is the power of knowledge and the Prana is the power of action. Both always move and act in accord with each other.

The best times to cultivate prana are morning and evening. The morning prana is mainly energizing and invigorating, while the evening prana is nurturing and relaxing.

Evening Prana, which is embodied by the breath, pervades all bodily and mental activities. It sustains our speech, mind, the senses and our internal organs. Evening Prana is the basis of Vata dosha in Ayurvedic medicine, the biological air humor, the most important of the three biological humors, which rules over all activities, functions and movements in the body, and is closely aligned with the nervous system. In evening pranayama we aim to draw the focus in order to shut the senses and still the mental chatter. As we transport it through the nerve channels we oxygenate the brain and calm the nervous system. The body is replenished without being wired and the cells have the opportunity to purge and reboot. All sheaths of the body –physical, energetic, emotional, mental and intuitive are simultaneously re-nourished and brought to a state of equanimity and un-attachment.

The deep diaphragmatic breathing brings oxygen to the brain and tames the monkey mind, flooding the endocrine system with life-sustaining hormones. The stress accumulations dissolve, and the PH balance moves from acidic to alkaline. This brings a state of calm and repose and elicits a “satvic” or truthful quality of being.

Evening pranayama does not include breath retention and hyperventilation (ecstatic breathing), but rather emphasizes extended breathing, where the length of the exhale stretches to the point of effortless meditation. As the breath extends all the negative emotions, fears, desires, and ego trips dissipate and we are able to relax and renew. At this point the whole body functions at optimal levels and we are ready to channel “planetary vibrations” from beyond the Earthly plane.

Harnessing evening prana facilitates the development of ‘unitary prana’ in which the fluctuations and disturbances of the breath cease and one can access the inner energy of consciousness beyond the breath. This unitary Prana or breathless state is called “kevala kumbhaka” in yogic thought. It is often practiced along with mudras for sense withdrawal, closing all the sensory openings in order to access the inner light.

Once this state of unified consciousness is attained the two main nerve channels Ida and Pingala, the lunar and solar currents are activated – the entire body is flushed from mental and physical toxins and the mind transcends duality. For most of the day we are caught in the dualistic “prana” of right and wrong, like and dislike, should and shouldn’t.  It is only the unitary prana that can enter into the Sushumna or the central channel and open the chakras, unfolding their powers.  As long as we are caught in the “dualistic” prana, the Kundalini lays asleep and dormant at the base of the spine, and the chakras are closed, working only at outer level to sustain our outer existence, not affording steady access to higher states of consciousness.

One can activate this unitary prana at night by tapping the unified field of consciousness to facilitate regeneration of the system and self-healing.

As we inhale the night prana we are tapping the cosmic force field that creates, sustains and dissolves the universe. Then we become the “perceiver” that creates peace with every breath.

Evening Yoga Breathing: Twilight Dew

This valuable blend of breathing, cleansing, pacifying, and tapping practices helps distress the body, still the mind and reboot the cells for a restful night. Crossing the meridians while rippling the spine activates the two main nerve channels through which life force flows to satiate every organ, gland, tissue and cell in the body. Cleansing mudras couple with gentle tapping to dust off toxic accumulation from the skin and clear mental tension. A modification of alternate nostril breathing with a meridian crossing calms the nervous system and brings the body to an “alpha state” of effortless grace. Centering mudras tune the focus to what is essential and gentle massage runs through the face to the body and extremities to release toxic overload. The final oceanic breathing promotes circulation while supplying more oxygen to all body parts. A serene meditation rewinds your day from a positive perspective and takes you into a nourishing sleep.