from the Mahabharata, the Upanishads, Ayurvedic and Yogic sources includes five classifications, often subdivided. This list includes prana (inward moving energy), apana (outward moving energy), vyana (circulation of energy), udana (energy of the head and throat), and samana (digestion and assimilation).

Early mention of specific pranas often emphasized prana, apana and vyana as "the three breaths". This can be seen in the proto-yogic traditions of the Vratyas among others. Texts like the Vaikanasasmarta