A young Asian woman sits in a grassy field with mountains in the backdrop. The scene is bright. She looks thoughtfully off to one side.

Longevity isn’t just about adding years to life but adding life to your years. It’s about feeling awake, present, and energized. And that kind of vitality doesn’t appear magically. You won’t find it in a single supplement or superfood.

That’s why I developed five simple Longevity Switches—practical, everyday habits backed by modern science and Ayurvedic wisdom. Each one is designed to help you feel more vibrant, resilient, and energized as you age. Last time, we talked about Longevity Switch #1: Feed the System.

Today, we’re exploring Longevity Switch #2: Add Prana.

Understanding prana.

Prana is known in Ayurveda as the vital lifeforce essence that animates us. It’s the spark behind every breath, every heartbeat, every thought. When prana is flowing freely, you feel vibrant, clear, and connected. When it’s blocked or depleted, you feel tired, foggy, or emotionally off-balance.

There are three primary sources of prana in nature:

The Earth: Spending time outdoors helps ground our energy. Modern research supports this—nature exposure has been shown to reduce stress hormones, lower inflammation, and even enhance immune function.
The Air: In Ayurveda, practices like pranayama (breath control) are used to clear mental fog, increase focus, and energize the body. From a Western perspective, deep breathing increases oxygen supply, improves energy production, and soothes the nervous system.
The Sun: Sunlight doesn’t just warm our skin—it powers our circadian rhythm, helps regulate sleep, and stimulates vitamin D production, which supports mood, immunity, and bone health.

One of the most powerful ways to stimulate prana is through movement. Exercise boosts circulation, flushes out stagnant energy and toxins, and triggers the release of endorphins—the feel-good chemicals that naturally elevate your mood.

Ready to go deeper?

If you’re loving these Longevity Switches and want to bring them to life in your daily routine, I’d love to invite you to join the waitlist for my upcoming Longevity Switch Course.

This 5-week guided experience blends Ayurveda and modern science to help you create sustainable habits for more energy, better digestion, and lifelong vitality. You’ll get daily lessons, live weekly coaching with me, and the support of a private Instagram community to stay inspired and accountable.

Spots are limited—join the waitlist here and be the first to know when doors open!

How to naturally increase prana.

You don’t need to overhaul your life to feel more energized—you just need to invite in the elements that naturally recharge your system. Here are a few simple ways to add prana back into your daily rhythm:

#1 - View the morning sun within 30 minutes of waking.

The sun is the primary source of prana in Ayurveda. The sun generates all three sources of prana–without it, air, earth, and water would not exist. When natural light hits your retina, it helps your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that governs energy, sleep, and metabolism.

One study showed that circadian rhythms don’t just manage sleep—they also influence how stem cells regenerate, differentiate, and repair tissue throughout the body (Zhang et. al., 2022). Those repair cycles are critical for longevity.

Longevity Tip: Go outside shortly after waking and let your eyes (without sunglasses) take in the natural light for at least 10 minutes. This simple practice can improve your mood, increase daytime energy, and support better sleep at night.

#2 - Spend time outdoors every day.

Spending time outside recharges your nervous system. In Ayurveda, nature is one of the most abundant sources of prana. It grounds and nourishes us when we feel scattered or depleted. A 2024 study found that people living near natural spaces had significantly lower rates of psychiatric disorders (Liu et al., 2024).

Whether it’s a walk through the trees, sitting on the grass, or even tending to your garden, the Earth has a way of restoring what the modern world drains away.

Longevity Tip: Take a “prana break” during your day—step outside for 10 minutes between tasks, leave your phone behind, and simply notice the sounds, smells, and sights around you.

#3 - Stay hydrated with warm water.

Water carries prana—and warm water is especially supportive to your digestion and circulation. Ayurveda teaches that water not only lubricates and cools, but also carries prana deep into the tissues, helping us feel more energized, clear, and grounded.

Water is also critical for your cellular health. Each cell in your body needs proper hydration to maintain its function and ability to repair itself. According to research, even mild dehydration can disrupt nutrient absorption, energy production, and waste removal—all of which are critical for longevity (Delpire et. al., 2018). Chronic low-level dehydration can add to fatigue, brain fog, and inflammation.

Longevity Tip: Start your day with a mug of warm water before anything else—yes, even before your coffee or tea. This simple Ayurvedic ritual gently wakes up your digestive system and supports natural detoxification.

#4 - Breathe with intention.

Your breath is your most accessible tool for balancing prana. Every inhale nourishes your cells, while every exhale clears out what no longer serves you. When you breathe with awareness, you bring more clarity to your mind, more energy to your body, and more calm to your nervous system.

Science shows that how we breathe—and how much oxygen reaches our cells—can shape everything from our energy levels to how we age. As we grow older, the body becomes less efficient at using oxygen, which can slow healing and increase inflammation. But here’s the good news: intentional breathing helps restore that balance (Vliet et. al., 2021).

Longevity Tip: Try this simple breathing pattern—Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6 counts. Repeat for a few rounds to feel instantly more awake and centered.

Your next step to lasting health.

Remember, you don’t need to overhaul your routines to make lasting changes. Integrate these practices into your routines one at a time. These small moments of connection and consciousness add up, bringing more resilience and calm to your daily life.

And if you're hungry for a deeper dive into longevity and energy from an integrative perspective, check out my book The Longevity Formula. In it, I explore the science of aging, how to support cellular repair, and how to create sustainable routines that truly nourish you for the long haul.

Be well,