yoga to balance your body and mind
Langhana, Brahmana, and Samana are terms used in Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, which is a practise that combines the principles of Ayurveda and yoga. These terms refer to different types of practises that can be used to restore balance and promote healing.
Langhana practises are those that reduce or remove excess or stagnant energy in the body and mind. These practises are beneficial for those who are feeling heavy or sluggish or who are experiencing conditions related to excess, such as inflammation or congestion.
Brahmana practises are those that nourish and build energy in the body and mind. These practises are beneficial for those who are feeling depleted or weak or who are experiencing conditions related to deficiency, such as fatigue or weakness.
Samana practises are those that balance and harmonise the energy in the body and mind. These practises are beneficial for those who are experiencing imbalances or disharmony, such as anxiety or insomnia.
By understanding these concepts, we can tailor our yoga practise to meet our individual needs and promote healing and balance in our lives.
Langhana Practise
Langhana translates as ‘to reduce," and its focus is on the exhalation. Asana, which incorporates forward folds, helps to quiet the mind and cool the body, relaxing the nervous system and helping to reduce stress and anxiety. If you are feeling energetically depleted and you feel you need a gentle practise that will support you during transitional periods, a langhana practise is ideal. Stress is a form of transition, but these challenges can only be harnessed when we bring that stress to our conscious awareness. Forward folds help us to draw our attention inward, towards the self. They help highlight any challenges that we need to face head-on with a steady, focused mind and an open, relaxed body.
Work with Langhana practise for:
Times of stress
Anxiety or anxiety attacks
Fear of the future
Menopause (cooling practise that can help reduce hot flushes)
Examples of Langhana asana:
Janu Sirsana (head to knee)
Paschimottanasana (west side stretch)
Apanasana (knee to chest)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog)
Most yin yoga poses
Brahmana Practise
Brahmana practises, on the other hand, do the opposite as we move the spine towards gentle backbends. Brahmana practises help to enliven the body, reduce depression, and give an overall very positive feel to the individual. The focus is on the inhalation, which is done as we move towards backbending asana. Brahmana translates as ‘to expand’ and is an expansion of the inhalation; this draws our energy into the chest, lungs, and heart centre.
Work with Brahmana Practise for:
Depression
To aid in energising the body
When feeling sluggish
Require a little more heat to be held within the body.
Examples of Brahmana asana:
Setu Bandha (bridge pose)
Dhanurasana (bow pose)
Ustrasana (camel)
Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1)
Samana Practise
Samana practises are balancing and require us to inhale and exhale evenly. This helps to create alertness and centering within the whole system. The asanas for samana are twists and abdominal work, helping to create a strong centre.
Usually, as we move into twists, we do so on the exhalation. When working with the core of the body, we can use breath practises such as the breath of fire to help charge the body with energy.
Samana also refers to the Samana Vayu. Vayu is the breath of the body, is the first movement of prana, and is vital for our existence. Lord Vayu, the Wind God, is the lord of thought and the high mind. He is prakriti (nature) manifested into prana and lives within the purusha (soul) of consciousness.
Samana Vayu is one of the Pancha Pranas. Samana Vayu distributes energy through the body via nutrition, which means the foods we eat must have a good quality of prana (life energy), which is why within the yoga tradition a sattvic diet is encouraged to help balance both body and mind.
Work with Samana practises for:
Sluggish metabolism
Inability to withstand change
Create alertness and a centred mind.
Perfect before meditation practise
Examples of Samana practises:
Navasana (boat pose)
Jathara Parivartnasana (lying twist)
Utkatasana (chair pose)
Parivritta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)
These asana lists are by no means exhaustive. They can be utilised in any style of yoga, too. For example, if you are an ashtanga practitioner and suffering from injury or illness, it is entirely possible to do a very gentle version of ashtanga practise. Gentle forward folds, a softer version of navasana with fingertips on the floor for a little extra support, and yes, skip the sun salutations and big binds, but soften it all down to a few essential asanas, following the same sequence if it helps to keep your mind focused.
I hope this information helps you create a balanced practise that supports you in all areas of your life.
Much love
Gem xox
