ANALYTICAL STUDY OF PRANA VATA IN VARIOUS BODY SYSTEMS

Prāṇa Vāta, a sub-type of Vāta Dosha, plays a fundamental role in regulating respiration, cognition, sensory perception, and autonomic functions, ensuring the smooth coordination of vital physiological processes. It governs the nervous system by influencing cognition, memory, motor control, and reflex actions, resembling autonomic and higher cortical functions. It controls respiration through brainstem mechanisms, ensuring efficient oxygen exchange and maintaining rhythmic breathing. Additionally, it influences cardiac rhythm, linking it to circulatory regulation and heart-brain communication. In digestion, it governs swallowing, gastric emptying, and gut motility through vagal regulation, facilitating nutrient assimilation. Its role in sensory integration enhances perception, responsiveness, and mental clarity. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in maintaining circadian rhythms by regulating the sleep-wake cycle, aligning with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Prāṇa Vāta acts as a vital force that sustains homeostasis, supports physiological equilibrium, and ensures harmony between various systems of the body. This study analytically explores its role across physiological systems by correlating Ayurvedic descriptions with modern science. KEYWORDS: Prāṇa Vāta, Nervous System, Respiration, Circadian Rhythm, Ayurveda