Udana Vata

Udana Vata is one of the five subdivisions of Vata in classical Ayurvedic physiology, and it is the upward current: seated in the chest and throat, it is the Vayu that carries a person upward and forward. Where Apana moves downward and outward, Udana moves urdhva, upward, and the texts give it charge of speech, effort, memory, complexion and the vital strength that lets a person act in the world.

The five divisions of Vata and where Udana sits

Ayurveda does not treat Vata as a single undivided force. The classical texts divide it into five Vayus, or currents, each with its own seat, its own direction and its own work: Prana, Udana, Samana, Vyana and Apana. Together they carry out every movement in the body, from the breath and the beat of the heart to the passage of food and the expulsion of waste.

Udana is placed in the upper part of the body. The texts seat it in the chest, and above all in the throat and the region of the kantha (throat) and ura (chest), rising toward the head, with the navel named in some accounts as the point from which it rises. Its direction is upward, and this single fact, that it is the ascending current of the upper body, explains almost everything the tradition gives it to do.

The name itself carries the meaning. Ud is a prefix for up or upward, and ana relates to breath and movement, so Udana is, quite literally, the up-breath or the upward-moving current. Where Prana draws the breath inward and downward into the chest, Udana carries it back up and out, in the exhalation, in the voice, and in the effort of speech and song. The two are the closest of companions among the five Vayus, working turn by turn in every breath.

What Udana governs

The classical texts give Udana Vata charge of the upward and outward-rising functions, which they describe closely. Udana is said to govern:

• Speech and the voice (vak), the forming of words and the strength and quality of the voice.
• Effort and exertion (prayatna, bala), the physical effort that carries a task through and the strength behind it.
• Enthusiasm and the will to act (utsaha), the upward-rising energy that moves a person to begin and to persevere.
• Memory and recall (smriti), which the tradition links to the upward current and the higher faculties.
• Complexion and the lustre of the body (varna), the clear, bright quality of a well-nourished frame.
• The upward flow of breath and energy, closely tied to breathing out and, in the classical view, to the higher functions of mind and the carrying of Ojas and Prana upward.

In every case the work of Udana is to raise and to project: the voice outward, the effort into action, the memory into recall, the lustre onto the surface. The tradition therefore connects the health of Udana with a strong, clear voice, steady energy and enthusiasm, good recall and a bright complexion.

The classical importance of Udana

A recurring theme in the texts is that Udana is closely bound to strength, to the voice and to Ojas, the subtle essence the tradition treats as the ground of vitality and immunity. Because Udana rises through the chest and throat and carries the upward breath, it is intimately tied to breathing and to the seat of the heart, and the classical writers describe it working in close relationship with Prana, the current of the head and inward breath. The two upper Vayus are the ones most connected with the mind, the senses and the higher faculties, which is why the care of Udana is treated as bound up with clarity, memory and the will.

Because Udana is the current of effort and the voice, the texts describe it as depleted by over-straining, over-exertion and the exhaustion of the voice, and by the general causes of aggravated Vata: cold, dryness, irregular habits, excessive fasting and the depletion of age. When Udana is worn down, the strength and enthusiasm it carries flag.

The classical writers also give Udana a role in the upward movement of Ojas, the subtle essence of vitality, and connect a strong, well-carried Udana with the natural glow and lustre (varna, prabha) of a healthy body. In this way Udana is not only about the voice and effort but about the whole upward, outward projection of a person’s strength into the world: the bright complexion, the clear voice, the ready enthusiasm and the good memory are read together as signs of Udana in good order.

Udana among the five Vayus

Udana does not act alone, and the tradition is careful about how the five currents relate. Prana, seated in the head and drawing the breath in, and Udana, rising through the chest and carrying it out, are the pair of the upper body, and disturbance in one readily unsettles the other. Below them, Samana kindles the digestive fire at the navel, Vyana spreads movement and circulation throughout the body from the heart, and Apana carries downward and expels. A settled Udana depends on the orderly working of the whole, and in particular on a steady Prana and a well-nourished body, which is why the tradition treats breath, rest and nourishment together in caring for it.

Signs of disturbed Udana Vata

When Udana Vata is aggravated, obstructed or depleted, the upward functions it governs are the first to show it. The classical descriptions connect its disturbance with weakness, hoarseness or loss of the voice and difficulty with speech; breathlessness and complaints centred in the throat and chest; a fall in energy, enthusiasm and the will to act; poor memory and dull recall; and a loss of the clear, bright complexion the tradition ties to well-carried Udana. These are the traditional patterns the texts associate with Udana, described here as classical physiology rather than as medical diagnoses.

How the tradition settles Udana Vata

Because Udana is a division of Vata, it is settled by the general logic of settling Vata, warmth, moisture, nourishment and regularity, applied to its upper seat in the chest and throat, and joined to the care of the breath.

Diet and habit. Warm, moist, unctuous, easily digested and nourishing food; regular meals and adequate rest; and care of the voice, not over-straining or exhausting it, are the everyday foundations. Adequate healthy fats and warm drinks counter the dryness of aggravated Vata, and the tradition favours nourishing, Ojas-building foods for the strength Udana carries.

Breath practice. Because Udana rules the upward breath, gentle Pranayama and steady breath practice are the practices most directly connected with it in the tradition, strengthening and steadying the upward current. Potent breath work is learned from a qualified teacher rather than forced.

Warm oil. Abhyanga with warm sesame oil over the chest, the upper back and the throat is a classical support, grounding the mobile quality of Vata at its upper seat, and gentle oiling and steam for the throat and voice belong here too.

Voice and rest. Rest of the voice and of the body, and the avoiding of over-exertion, let a depleted Udana recover, in keeping with the tradition’s reading of it as worn down by strain.

Ojas-building nourishment. Because Udana carries strength and the upward movement of Ojas, the tradition supports it with the nourishing, Ojas-building foods and Rasayana measures it associates with vitality and a strong voice, such as milk, ghee and the strengthening herbs, always suited to the person and taken on guidance where potent. The aim is to build the reserve of strength that Udana projects, so that voice, effort, memory and complexion have something to draw on.

Which dosha it belongs to, and cautions

Udana is, by definition, a division of Vata, and its imbalances are Vata imbalances of the chest, throat and voice. The measures that suit it are warming, nourishing and grounding, joined to breath and voice care; cold, dry, over-straining and irregular habits aggravate it. Complaints of the voice, throat and chest have many possible causes, some of which need medical attention, so persistent or severe symptoms of the kind described here, and any breathlessness, should be assessed by a doctor rather than self-treated. Potent Pranayama and clinical Panchakarma belong with a qualified practitioner.

This article describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of Udana Vata and is for education, not medical advice.