Prana Energy and Nadi

Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the energy system.

In yoga, Indian medicine, prana (प्राण, prāṇa; the Sanskrit word for breath, "life force", or "vital principle") permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects.

Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the five vāyus ("winds"), are described in Hindu texts. Ayurveda, tantra, and Tibetan medicine all describe prāṇa vāyu as the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise.
Prana is divided into ten main functions: The five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Udana, Vyana and Samana – and the five Upa-Pranas – Naga, Kurma, Devadatta, Krikala and Dhananjaya
The subtle body consists of focal points, often called chakras, connected by channels, often called Nadis, that convey subtle breath, often called prana. Through breathing and other exercises, a practitioner may direct the subtle breath to achieve supernormal powers, immortality, or liberation. 

Physically Within the spine, you will see there are two holes on either side of the spine which are like conduit pipes for all the nerves to pass. This is the Ida and the Pingala, the left and the right channels.

In the Pranamayakosha or the energy body, there are 72,000 Nadis. The 72,000 Nadis spring from three basic Nadis – the left, the right, and the central – the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The word “Nadi” does not mean nerve. Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the system. These 72,000 Nadis are not physical, if you cut the body and look in, you will not find them. But as you become more aware, you will notice the energy is not moving at random, it is moving in established pathways. There are 72,000 different ways in which the energy or prana moves.

Central channel (Sushumna) Edit 

Sushumna interpenetrates the cerebrospinal axis, and in Swara yoga is associated with both nostrils being open and free to the passage of air. The lunar channel Ida is pale in color and located on the left side. It is associated with feminine attributes, the moon, and an open left nostril. The solar channel Pingala is red in color and located on the right side. It is associated with masculine attributes, the light of the sun, and an open right nostril. Sushumna connects the base chakra to the crown chakra. It is important in Yoga and Tantra. In Raja Yoga or Yoga of Patanjali, when the mind is quietened through the Yamas, Niyamas, Asanas, and Pranayama, the important state of Pratyahara begins. A person entering this state never complains of Dispersion of Mind. This is characterized by observing the movements/jerks in Sushumna in the subtle body. 

Side channels Edit

The Ida and Pingala Nadis are often seen as referring to the two hemispheres of the brain. Pingala is the extroverted, solar Nadi, and corresponds to the left hemisphere. Ida is the introverted, lunar Nadi, and refers to the right hemisphere of the brain. Ida Nadi controls all the mental processes while Pingala Nadi controls all the vital processes.

Left channel (Ida) Edit
Ida is associated with lunar energy. The word Ida means "comfort" in Sanskrit. Idā has a moonlike nature and feminine energy with a cooling effect. It courses from the left testicle to the left nostril.

The right channel (Pingala) Edit
Pingala is associated with solar energy. The word Pingala means "orange" or "tawny" in Sanskrit. Pingala has a sunlike nature and masculine energy. Its temperature is heating and courses from the right testicle to the right nostril. 

Pranayama And Meditation

Pranayama is a common term for various techniques for accumulating, expanding, and working with prana. Pranayama is one of the eight limbs of yoga and is a practice of specific and often intricate breath control techniques. The dynamics and laws of Prana were understood through the systematic practice of Pranayama to gain mastery over Prana.

Many pranayama techniques are designed to cleanse the Nadis, allowing for greater movement of prana, other techniques may be utilized to arrest the breath for samadhi or to bring awareness to specific areas in the practitioner's subtle or physical body. 

As yoga pushes, pulls, and moves the inner winds toward the central channel through physical means, meditation does the same through the influence of the mind. 

The purpose of yoga is moksha, liberation, and hence immortality in the state of samadhi, union, which is the meaning of "yoga". This is obstructed by blockages in the Nadis, which allow the vital air, prana, to languish in the Ida and Pingala channels. The unblocking of the channels is therefore a vital function of yoga. The various practices of yoga, including the preliminary purifications or Satkarmas, the yogic seals or mudras, visualization, breath restraint or pranayama, and the repetition of mantras work together to force the prana to move from the Ida and Pingala into the central Sushumna channel. The mudras in particular close off various openings, thus trapping prana and directing it towards the Sushumna. This allows kundalini to rise up the Sushumna channel, leading to liberation.

The practices of yoga work together to force prana into the central Sushumna channel, allowing kundalini to rise, leading to moksha, liberation. The Positive thoughts and Shatkarmas purify the Nadis, while the mudras trap prana, and other practices force the prana out of the Ida and Pingala channels.