The 5 Pranas

There are 5 Pranas in our body: Prana, Vyana, Apana, Samana, Udhana. The 5 snakes entwining the torso of Lord Nataraja (the dancing form of Lord Shiva) represents these 5 Pranas.
There are 9 openings in our body. It is for this reason that the human body is also called ‘Nava Dvaarapuri’ (the country with nine gates). When one dies, the Prana (life force) escapes through one of these nine apertures, based on the life the soul has led.
For those Yogis who have attained Yoga Siddhi, the Prana escapes through the tenth hole that is created on the top of the head. (‘archiraadi maarga’). Bhishma, Sharabanga etc. are examples of such Yogis.
Brahma Jnanis take control of the 5 Pranas and their Prana is offered as an offering [‘aahuti’] to the Brahman [‘brahmanE svAhA’]. The prana does not go out through any of the nine outlets nor through the tenth, as in the case of a Yogi, but settles in the spiritual heart. Hence, when they shirk their body, they appear to die like any other mortal.
Bhagavatam shows Rishaba Yogeshwara and Jada Bharata as such examples.