Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom

When we release, circulation comes back, restoring revitalized elements.
We think of this as washing and cleansing the organs. This is true, but
at the elemental level, what we are doing is playing with the balance of
the elements, experiencing which sensation each will bring us.
In a twist, it is not only the organ that is twisted, but the bones,
muscle, fiber, and nerves. The vessels carrying liquid will also be con­
stricted. The mind will take on a different form corresponding to the
unusual shape of the body. The intelligence will touch the body in a dif­
ferent way, and the vibration that the body emits will be altered; for
example, I am able to feel the vibration of each kidney and to compare
the difference between them. This twist will also bring into evidence
the subtle qualities or counterparts associated with each element. For
example, it will make us aware of the density, strength, and scent of
the body's clay; the flexibility and taste of the body's fluids; the vitality
and vision of the mind's fire; the clarity and touch of the ambient in­
telligence of air; and the freedom and inner vibration of the ethereal
space within the body.
This is how we learn to discern and appreciate the subtle elements
of nature of which we are composed. It is like lila, the Sanskrit term
for the cosmic game, but played at a very high level. As animals learn
the arts of survival by playing when they are cubs and puppies, so for
us this game is an essential step in learning how to survive in the subtle
heart of nature. It is exploration through play, through trial and error.
When we can play with the elements within our own bodies, with their
renewal and disproportion and rebalancing, then we are aware of na­
ture at a level that is not apprehendable in a normal way. It is supra­
natural, as normal consciousness is blind to it. We are discovering
evolution through a journey of involution, like a salmon swimming
back up the torrent from which he was born to spawn again. We must
now look at the evolution of nature itself so that the yogi, like a Hi­
malayan Sherpa, may achieve his final ascension and conquest. Only