As a yogi, the term subtle body landed in my awareness in the beginning of my yoga practice nearly two decades ago. It lingered on the peripheral of my understanding for a long time. Like a word that feels right (but pings you to look up its meaning later), framing certain experiences in a yoga class as subtle body effects gave context for the shifts that came beyond the physical growth that yoga (asana/physical postures) offered. I was lucky to have a cross-pollinated teacher training in my early years of practice, led by two diverse teachers which built a foundation to understand both the physical benefits of the practice as well as the energetic… aka subtle body.

With time, after building a steady awareness of the yogic postures, moving from gross (the more physical, tangible aspects of each posture) to subtle (the energetic qualities & effects), kept me coming back. The subtle body offers energetic cleansing, and yoga— in my experience specifically tantric style & pranayama (breath-work)— provides practices for bringing balance to the body/system. There are postures and breath-work patterns for grounding, integrating, uplifting, releasing (the list goes on…) and the blend of a well formulated subtle body sequence has often left me in a state of awe. How amazing our bodies are designed to be able to control these unseen forces when moving from gross to subtle never ceases to expand my mind around what it means to be human & what the human body is truly capable of. Along with the brilliant depth of these practices, some which date back to the 8th century BCE when techniques such as the prana vayus were introduced in the Upanishads (one of the most ancient known texts on Indian philosophy).

Fast forward to our current times, science is catching up to these ancient practices through the study of the impact of controlled attention across the boundary of the body/mind connection. For me now, the subtle body arts are more than a term to define the seemingly undefinable. It is an emerging form of creative communication with the life-sustaining forces that propel the everyday. Many practitioners, scholars, scientists, healers, and creative-blend artists are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, expanding consciousness and play at the borders of this potential creative power. In some ways these practices are niche, but their impact is the everyday reality we live in. How to get more from simply being alive… how to infuse one’s daily moments with intention and collaborative will with the forces that be… at one point may have seemed too woo-w0o for some. But I would encourage anyone with an open mind to take a closer look. It may just be the very thing we are looking for when the familiar feeling arises that something is missing. In order to participate in life we must push beyond what is known. It is within each of us to engage with life as a creative practice, weaving our unique impact with free-will/choice, and in that collaboration there is something for each of us.

As intricate and developed as the subtle body arts can be, there are plenty of approachable ways to enter into a relationship with energetic practice that don’t require advanced trainings or studies. Speaking/crafting daily intentions, writing gratitude lists, affirmations/prayers, meditation… these are ways to clear the mind & focus on a specific need or desire and then release it and go about your day. These practices build trust, bridging the gap between self & source. Ultimately, in a world full of static and noise, harnessing one’s capacity for focus which is not derived from productivity or accomplishment can be a form of liberation. Finding the sound within the static is within reach in the subtle body arts. The space we create to acknowledge our own needs and inner wisdom births creative potential, and maybe even a sense of harmony.

Mindfulness is a purposeful practice. Being on purpose requires one to be present, aware, and adaptive. Waking up to your creative potential, the subtle body provides a map for navigating and fine-tuning how one move through the world, across time/space, as multi-dimensional beings. It offers information around how our bodies hold memory, trauma, and the impact of the life we have lived. It offers ways to move through unconscious patterns, and even move beyond the status quo of what we believe to be possible. A (new) frontier awaits the curious + courageous folks who walk the line between the realms of inner sight + sound that hold our bodies in this three dimensional existence. For anyone walking this path, or sparked by the possibilities of what could come from this practice, join me here as I explore the many worlds of the subtle body across both ancient and contemporary studies.

inspired + amazed

alexandria