If you've been practicing yoga for any amount of time, you're well aware that it doesn't operate in a linear, clear-cut, or easily explainable manner.
Despite the fact that yoga is both a science and a philosophical philosophy, its advantages go well beyond what the human eye can perceive.
Yoga has an effect on our subtle bodies, which goes beyond what we know about anatomy and physiology in the West.
The gross or physical body (Stula Sharira), the subtle body (Sukshma Sharira), and the causal body (Sukshma Sharira) make up each of us (Karana Sharira).
The physical body is made up of the muscles and bones that we can feel and see.
The Annamaya Kosha, the coarsest of the five sheaths, is formed by it.
It's critical to develop a yoga practice that helps our whole body.
The subtle body may be thought of as a blueprint for our physical body.
Nadis are energy channels that transport energy throughout the body, just as electricity does in a machine.
From the Muladhara (Root) Chakra to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra, the Sushumna Nadi travels down the spine.
The Ida and Pingala, two other major Nadis, run through us in spiraling energy centers known as chakras.
Chakras are Sanskrit for "light wheels." When we do yoga, we have an effect on our body, mind, and emotions on a subtle level.
Different asanas and pranayama have an effect on how we feel, not only in our muscles and bones, but also in our whole outlook on life.
We may feel different from the inside out by using various asanas and combinations of asanas.
Dhanurasana (Backbend), for example, is a difficult position that strengthens and expands the spine, shoulders, and legs.
- This posture energizes and uplifts your mood by stimulating your Anahata (Heart) chakra and opening your Visshuda (Throat) chakra.
Forward folds, such as Paschimottanasa (Seated Forward Fold), are more introspective asanas in which you open your posterior chain muscles while quieting your nervous system.
- So, if you're in a bad mood, try heart openers, and if you're in a bad mood, try folding forward.
Understanding how asanas may help you keep your energy in check will help you remain healthy on all levels.
What is subtle body yoga, and how does it work?
The subtle body is made up of focus points known as chakras that are linked by channels known as nadis that carry subtle breath known as prana.
A practitioner may control the subtle breath to attain supernormal abilities, immortality, or freedom via breathing and other activities.
In yoga, what is subtle energy?
The subtle life force energy known to yogis as 'prana' is the basis of all life and the whole cosmos.
From large physical motions to minute biochemical processes, this mystical energy runs through our bodies and produces all of our actions.
What are the three subtle body elements?
The yogi feels pleasure and suffering via the subtle body.
A person is made up of three bodies, according to Hindu and yogic philosophy: the karana sharira (causal body), sukshma sharira (subtle body), and karya sharira (physical body) (gross physical body).
What is the meaning of Sthula Sharira?
The gross body, also known as Sthula sarira, is the material bodily mortal body that eats, breathes, and moves (acts).
It is made up of a variety of elements that have undergone panchikarana, or the merging of the five primordial subtle elements, as a result of one's karmas (actions) in a previous incarnation.
What are the Koshas and what are their functions?
Koe-shuh is how it's pronounced. The food sheath, or the body made up of skin, eyes, and hair, is regarded the first kosha, or the outermost kosha, the annamaya kosha, which is literally what we consume turned into a functional body.
How to become Aware and Activate the Koshas and The Subtle Body?
Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fresh, healthy meals.
The physical body is what I'm referring to.
The anandamaya kosha, or our joy sheath, is the last kosha, or the innermost kosha.
This kosha is similar to a little portion of the Causal Body or Spirit, the entity that dwells inside us and is linked to something far bigger than ourselves and includes everything.
Three middle koshas, pranayama kosha, manomaya kosha, and vijnanamaya kosha, sit between and overlap these.
These koshas work together to filter information from our senses in such a manner that barriers and distractions are eliminated from our journey to samadhi, or enlightenment and joy, using the breath, mind and memory, intellect, wisdom, and intuition.
Are koshas corporeal in the sense that they would rip or be visible if you split your body in half?
No.
(The kleshas are the same way.)
Are they genuine in the sense that they are a shape and structure devised by ancient thinkers to assist us in comprehending how we possess all of the tools necessary to connect with the Divine Universe?
Yes.
However, it's worth noting that some individuals claim to be able to detect when the Subtle Body is functioning by a shift in energy that is visible or otherwise recognizable outside of the body.
What is the best way for me to get access to my subtle body?
There are a variety of active – and individual – methods to connect with your Subtle Body.
All of the sheaths in between are accessible through consciousness, perception, cognition, and intuition.
- The Subtle Body is the link between our physical and causal bodies (AKA Universe, Spirit, God).
- The Subtle Body is constantly striving to integrate sensory information from the physical body and develop our connection to the Universe, but we may feel that deeper connection more immediately on and off the mat when we deliberately engage it during our yoga practice.
- On the mat, activating the Subtle Body is straightforward but not always easy.
There are five easy actions you can do on and off the mat to deliberately engage the Subtle Body to get you started.
1 – The word yoga literally means "to yoke," and tagging in the Subtle Body does not imply leaving the physical body.
- This implies that activating the Subtle Body does not need sitting and meditating.
- The first body is your food body, which you may activate for spiritual reasons by eating well.
- The happiness condition is experienced by the interior body.
- When someone is engaged in their love - painting, writing, singing, or cuddling a newborn – they may find themselves in that condition unintentionally.
- There are a variety of active – and individual – methods to connect with your Subtle Body.
- All of the sheaths in between are accessible by combining consciousness, perception, mind, and intuition.
2 - Touch isn't only limited to the fingers.
- The skin is the biggest organ in the body, and it is not limited to the fingers.
- It is the initial responder for most of our perception.
- We may begin the process of connecting to the Subtle Body by grounding oneself on the mat, especially while we are on our mat.
- Take note of where the body makes contact.
- Feel the feeling of burying oneself in the ground and pulling energy from it into the body.
- This is heightened awareness, and it is here that we ground ourselves and begin the activation process by honestly and fully assessing where we are, where we are standing (or lying).
- This enables us to awaken not just the annamaya kosha, the outermost sheath, but also the inner three koshas, which process information at various degrees of consciousness.
3 – The feet and hands include about half of the body's bones.
- The hands and feet (27 and 26, respectively) contain almost half of the body's bones, each of which is linked to a labyrinth of small muscles, joints, and ligaments.
- In addition to the 26 bones, the feet contain around 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, as well as 30 joints.
- Minor changes to your stance, how you point or flex your foot, and where you feel release in your body, as well as your feeling of lightness and balance on the mat, are all possibilities.
- Paying attention to these minute nuances goes beyond the senses and raises your Subtle Body awareness to new heights.
4 – Softening is similar to stretching, but it's more effective!
- The cue to "soften" is one of the buzzword cues you may be hearing (or utilizing) more often in the studio.
- Because the cue is basically asking you to relax particular muscles while in a posture, enabling the emphasis to shift to activation of important bodily components – or the mind, memory recall, wisdom, and intuition that is the Subtle Body at action - this is a term that encourages the Subtle Body to awaken.
- When we “stretch” in a posture, we are reaching for something that is out of reach, pushing our limits, and perhaps attempting to achieve something that is beyond our capabilities.
- It's a concept that takes up room and demands attention, impeding our capacity to turn within and concentrate on the Subtle Body.
- When we "soften" in a posture, however, we are encouraged to relax into what is already natural to us, enabling us to experience a feeling of release that allows us to concentrate more on the Subtle Body's activation.
5 – Breath is more than just air; it links the physical and subtle energy bodies.
- Too often, we speak about pranayama as if it were only the art and science of getting oxygen into the body.
- When we speak about yoga practice in general and Subtle Body activation on or off the mat in particular, we're talking about so much more: it's about directing life force or energy into the various sheaths utilizing the breath.
- Do you recall the three koshas that exist between the food sheath and the bliss sheath/Causal Body? These are traversed by using breath that is guided by awareness and intuition and propelled by purpose.
- This may be done in silence, as well as in any yoga position on the mat or in any circumstance off the mat.
The Subtle Body may be accessed in any situation by combining the power of the mind and breath. It gets simpler and more accessible the more you practice it!
You may also want to read more about Yoga here.
You may also want to read more about Yoga Asanas and Exercises here.