| Main Entry: | prana |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | in yoga, the breath seen as one of the life-giving energies or forces of the universe; also, the processes of breath control; also called pranayama |
| Etymology: | Hindu 'breath of life' |
prana
("breath"), in Indian philosophy, the body's vital "airs," or energies. A central conception in early Hindu philosophy, particularly as expressed in the Upanishads, prana was held to be the principle of vitality and was thought to survive as a person's "last breath" for eternity or until a future life.
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