om body
“F
irst the perception of my
body was different... It
was no longer limited to
what I would normally
call my body, the physical
one. I was suddenly much vaster, so much
more complex. I could perceive my energies
moving within my awareness that was now
like an indigo space extending without a
specific location in time and space, as I
usually knew it. I could feel my chakras and
the wondrous nuances of my subtle anatomy
unfolding in that space. Such a simple
moment was suddenly so rich and gave rise
to a deep state of happiness bursting forth
for no apparent reason. The feeling of myself
and existence in this timelessness was so
beautiful – and I thought life might actually
be as wondrous as I always hoped.”I had a certain interest in yoga from an early
age. First triggered by finding my mother from
time to time in odd stretches on the living
room floor. But I grew up in the countryside
and the only way I could find to learn was
from a book, which I didn’t find satisfying.
Years passed and my next contact was
trying yoga in the gym I signed up for when
I was in a bigger city. I found it a nice form
of exercise that left me in a state of physical
wellbeing and relaxation. I stayed with it for a
while until life occupied me in other ways.
The third time, however, it was meant“We can begin with a purely physical
experience, approaching yoga more
as a form of physical exercise that
strengthens our body while we gain
increased bodily awareness.”to be. A couple of years later, while in
university, I ended up at a yoga school,
introduced by some of my friends.
This form of yoga was very different
from the one I tried in the gym or had read
about in my mother’s book. This yoga class
explained about the workings of the mind,
chakras and different diets and purification
techniques and why to do them. It talked
about ancient yogis, why they practiced so
much and what you can achieve through
yoga practice. And it all made sense: why
would those yogis in India dedicate their
entire lives to countless hours practicing
yoga if it were just about getting a more
harmonious body and eliminating stress? It
sounded like they were not making life easier
for themselves at all, in ordinary terms, by
making that choice. So, what is that choice
about – if it is not just about a flexible and
harmonious body?The journey
Indeed, the journey begins with the physical
body and the importance of making it
healthy, harmonious, flexible and strong,
purified through adequate diet and cleansing
techniques. We benefit from how this also
cleanses and balances us at the emotional
and mental level, where we can experience
more positive emotions and a clearer and
more focused mind. And here is the key: all
levels of our being are connected and whatwe do to the physical body is reflected in
other areas, such as the emotions and mind.
This is exactly why the practice of yoga
starts with the physical body but does not
end here. We create a solid foundation
by making the physical body healthy and
balancing and purifying our inner attitudes,
preparing us to sustain higher levels of
energy and enabling us to discover deeper
parts of our being. It starts with the physical
body and then moves to control over breath
and mind, gradually moving deeper and
deeper through our inner layers in search for
the very essence of our being.
It is worth mentioning that in the yogic
tradition, it is considered that we are
endowed with five bodies, each of an
increasingly more subtle nature. The physical
body being the most basic and therefore the
easiest to relate to for a beginner: it is thus
where we begin.
Even within the practice of asanas –
yoga postures – there are different levels
to the practice itself. We can begin with a
purely physical experience, approaching
yoga more as a form of physical exercise
that strengthens our body while we gain
increased bodily awareness. This level of
practice alone will give us increased physical
wellbeing, a certain radiant presence in our
body and improved self-confidence. Then,
going into a more meditative state in the
practice, often holding each posture for a