dhiyO yO naH ‘ is a term. ‘naH’ means ‘ours’ (i.e., ‘our intellect’). When combined, ‘na: + pracO:’ = naph pracO, with ‘ph’ occurring in the middle.
It is correct to perform Pranayama 3 x 28 times during Ashtakshara Japam. Pranayama itself (in this context) means 28 repetitions. For Ashtakshara Japam, there are 25 or 28 counts. You can do 3 x 28. If that is not possible, one can easily do 1 x 28.

