between your personal and extended bodies be certain to
consume only organic dairy products.
Shankara called the third layer of the physical body
pranamaya kosha, meaning “the sheath made of vital
energy.” There is a difference between the cells of a
corpse and the cells of a vibrant living being. This organ-
izing principle that breathes life into biochemicals is
calledprana. There are five seats of prana in the body,
localized in the head, throat, heart, stomach, and pelvis.
These centers of movement govern the flow of life force
throughout the body. When prana is moving freely
throughout the cells and tissues, vitality and creativity
are abundant. Yogic breathing exercises, known as
pranayamatechniques, are designed to awaken and purify
the vital energy layer of the body. We’ll be exploring
these powerful approaches in chapter 4.
The Subtle Body—The Mind Field
Most people identify themselves with their mind, intel-
lect, and ego, which are the components of the subtle
body. The seventeenth-century French philosopher
René Descartes is famous for his statement, “Cogito, ergo
sum,” meaning “I think, therefore I am.” People continue
to believe that they are their minds, but Shankara
encourages us to recognize that the components of our
subtle body are simply coverings of the soul.
According to this framework, the mind is the repository
of sensory impressions. When you hear a sound, feel a sen-
sation, see a sight, taste a flavor, or smell a fragrance, the
sensory experience registers in your consciousness at a
Yoga Is Union 17