prana

noun

pra·​na ˈprä-nə 

plural pranas

Hinduism

: a life breath or vital principle in Vedic and later Hindu religion

It's glorious to be in this newbie micro farm, with everything so green and lush and bursting with prana.

—Valerie Reiss

Eastern philosophy holds that yoga heals by releasing prana, the body's vital energy. When prana is blocked, illness can result. Western practitioners believe yoga's deeply relaxing breath work allows the body's healing abilities to take over.

—Norine Dworkin

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Sanskrit prāṇa- "breath, exhalation, breath of life," derivative from the base of prāṇiti "(she/he) breathes, draws in breath," from pra- "before, forward" + aniti "(she/he) breathes" — more at for entry 1, animate entry 1

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above