Foundations · Reading
Nadis: 72,000 and the three main channels
The channels through which prana flows, and the three that matter most.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
A traditional model
Nadi means channel or flow. The Hatha tradition describes a network of 72,000 nadis carrying prana through the body. These are a model of the subtle body, not anatomical structures.
Three are central. Ida, on the left, is cool and lunar. Pingala, on the right, is warm and solar. Both wind around the spine from Muladhara to the eyebrow centre. Sushumna runs straight up the middle. Pranayama aims to balance Ida and Pingala so that prana can enter Sushumna.
Terms
- Ida
- The left channel, cool, lunar.
- Pingala
- The right channel, warm, solar.
- Sushumna
- The central channel.
Ideas behind it
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 3, Nadis: 72,000 and the three main ones
- The figure of 72,000 nadis is given in the Hatha texts; the exact text and verse await subject review