Apana vayu governs the lower abdominal and pelvic region within the torso from the navel to the pelvic floor. Link with the out - breath, the apanic pattern is a downward, inwand, cohesive, centripetal force that has rooting and grounding propensities.

By tuning into the pattern of apana vayu, the investigative yogi gains full knowledge of the intricacies of exhaling, including utilizing the full extent of subtle breathing muscles within the abdomen, pelvis, and pelvic floor. Understanding apana vayu, the movement pattern of the exhalation, helps the sadhaka to cleanse and purify the network of nadis, pranic channels that snake throughout the body. Working with apana during pranayama practice helps the yogi to gain a reverence for the earth, to experience the ground as generous and trustworthy, an inexhaustible source of abundance.