Nadi
/ˈnɑː.di/noun
In Hindu and yogic traditions, a nadi is a channel through which vital energy is believed to flow in the subtle body.
Did you know?Classical yoga texts describe thousands of nadis, but the three most famous are Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, which meet at the subtle-body chakras.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nāḍī
“A reed, hollow tube, vein, pulse, or channel”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nāḍī
“A channel in the body; later, a subtle channel for vital breath or energy”
Early Buddhist Sanskrit and Pali usage
Pali
nāḷī
“A tube, pipe, reed, or bodily channel”
Medieval Indian yoga and tantra
Sanskrit
nāḍī
“An invisible channel through which prāṇa, or vital breath, circulates”
20th Century
English
nadi
“A yoga and Hinduism term for a subtle energy channel”
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