Regulate your physiology: Standing Five Vayus practice

There is a series of eight sequential movements in qigong called “eight pieces of brocade” that has been around for hundreds of years. Individual movements of the Brocades are intended to cleanse and stimulate the body’s various meridians. It is recommended that you practice the Brocades every day to restore health and enhance it.

In yoga, we use the Pancha Vayu Model (Five Vayus Model) to understand and address physiological imbalances. This model represents the movement of nourishment throughout our systems. When a particular direction of energy movement becomes weak or stifled, it can lead to malfunctioning of our physiological systems. It is essential to move our energy in all five directions regularly to make sure that all Vayus are flowing properly. And this is exactly what we do in this short practice.

This practice is inspired by the Brocades and is meant to support balanced physiological functioning. You can do this practice anywhere, anytime, whenever your energy feels stagnant. Since the main goal of this practice is to direct your energy, it is essential to maintain deep breathing throughout and make sure that every movement is guided by your breath. As you do your movements, try to envision the direction of a particular energy flow in your mind AND try to embody it, as well. This would make your practice much more effective. Please give it a try and let me know how it feels!