By Raquel Issenberg
Your physical body is the first connection with your essence, but to get there you first move across layers. From a yogic standpoint, you must go from gross to subtle. Not the other way around.
In Indian philosophy, the Sharira Traya, the Doctrine of the Three Bodies explains the layers of experience of a human being.
1. Sthula Sharira (The Physical Body)
2. Sukhsma Sharira (The Subtle Body)
3. Karana Sharira (The Causal Body)
The first layer (The Physical Body) comprehends the Extended Body, the Personal Body, and the Energy Body.
The Extended Body refers to your environment. Thousands of years ago, Vedic sages observed the Earth as a projection of our physical bodies and our minds: What we do to the Earth represents us and what happens to the Earth deeply affects us.
The Personal Body is the vehicle that embodies your soul in this life. Just like the environment, is crucial to establish a deeper connection with your physical self day by day. By tending to your body you can understand the energy that makes it alive.
The Energy Body is the first awareness of how your breathing process nourishes you with every inhale and cleanses you with every exhale.
The second layer (The Subtle Body) carries the delicate energy of Prana, our life force, into The Mind, The Intellect, and The Ego.
The Mind is affected by your energy and its purest source, called Prana. The mind can also affect your energy through thoughts and actions.
The Intellect represents your discernment (Buddhi, in Sanskrit), the part of yourself that allows you to make better decisions if connected to your Higher Self.
The Ego is how you identify with your roles and the ways you relate to the world (Ahamkara, in Sanskrit).
The third layer (The Causal Body) is the field of infinite possibilities. It is formed by The Personal Soul, The Collective Soul, and The Universal Soul.
The Personal Soul is your individual memories and desires, which can lead you towards your Dharma, your life purpose. In this unique form of consciousness is where your karmas (the fruit of your actions) live, and its potential for transformation.
The Collective Soul contains the impressions of past experiences of the world. This collective consciousness is concentrated psychic energy, a dynamic force behind all human processes that you can tap into through archetypes: Goddesses, God, Higher Self, Higher Power, any manifestation of Divinity, etcetera.
The Universal Soul is the domain where all individual consciousness merges into one. It goes beyond space and time. This is the field of Brahman (the Ultimate Reality, according to Advaita Vedanta philosophy).
These three bodies make up the yogic model of the Pancha Kosha or Five Sheaths (layers): Annamaya Kosha (matter), Pranamaya Kosha (prana/intelligent energy), Manomaya Kosha (mind), Buddhimaya Kosha (intellect/discernment), and Annandamaya Kosha (bliss).
What are the essentials, then, to feel more aligned with your body and energy? Practice, practice, practice. Embodying yoga with an asana (postural) sequence that serves you, and a steady meditation sit-up, recharges your intentions into higher levels of consciousness.
These are yogic approaches for reconnecting with our true selves (from gross to subtle):
Clear your thoughts with pure intentions the best you can. Take action in your affairs and review your relationship with others and the world around you. Don’t base your ultimate happiness on the results. Remember that is not about perfection, but about procuring that inner peace that stays within us when we bring compassion into our lives. In yoga philosophy, the Yamas and Niyamas can be helpful guides. *Check my next article in the Fall about the non-dogmatic approach to the Eight Limbs of Yoga in our practice and life.
Set a movement ritual for yourself: morning or evening stretches, a yoga class at home and in your community, and/or pick an exercise routine that you enjoy so it’s easier to maintain. Have in mind that in any physical discipline we must challenge ourselves a little to keep that tapas, that heat, that will uplift our practice. This is what I call an “honest movement”, an enjoyable but testing yoga sequence or exercise. What is your threshold of comfort and discomfort? In postural yoga, it all boils down to the breath, which is the next step.
Breath Awareness + Breath Training + Breathwork*: There is plenty to say about the importance of foundational breathing into effective breathwork. We first become aware of our breath patterns, then we pursue the qualities of healthy breathing, and then we move into working with the breath. This is a process, like life itself, always mirrored in… you guessed right… in the way you breathe.
To reestablish a relationship with your Physical Body in your yoga practice, check my private sessions Essentials. For deepening the awareness of your Energy Body, my one-on-one Prana sessions might be your cup of tea.
In the same link, you can also find meditation classes of all sorts to help you ease into subtler realms.
Now, are you ready to commit to a steady sit-up? Have you ever thought about receiving a personal mantra? If you don’t have the time to belong to a yogic institution or to dedicate your practice to a lineage, you can consider Primordial Sound Meditation (review details and availability here).
I wish you a July full of reconnection within yourself and others, infinite possibilities, and unconditional joy! Yes, all of this.
P.S. The explanation of The Three Bodies/The Layers of Life is attributed to Tantric texts, and in modern times to the sage Adi Shankara's commentary from his Advaita Vedanta viewpoint.
Body-energy-soul.
“Knowing that I am different from the body, I need not neglect the body. It is a vehicle that I use to transact with the world. It is the temple which houses the Pure Self within.”—Adi Shankara
