Your introduction to Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga is an ancient practice that focuses on balancing and strengthening the Ten Bodies, which consist of the physical body, three mental bodies, and six energetic bodies. The Eleventh body is the embodiment of all the Ten Bodies. By practicing a series of postures, breathwork, and sounds called Kriyas, individuals can initiate a sequence of physical and mental changes that affect the body, mind, and spirit simultaneously.
The Ten Bodies are powerful capacities of the psyche, each with specific gifts that manifest when strong and certain deficit tendencies that surface when weak. Your caliber is determined by the balance of your Ten Bodies. Understanding and being aware of these Ten Bodies allows you to maintain balance, and as Yogi Bhajan said, "the whole Universe will be in balance with you."
The Ten Bodies are:
Soul Body: The foundation of our True Self and our connection to infinity. Strengthening the Soul Body involves heart-work and raising our Kundalini energy. By raising the Kundalini and opening the heart, you can experience creativity, and come from a place of great humility.
Negative (Protective) Mind: Assesses our environment for potential dangers, ensuring our safety. It gives us the ability to be discerning, to not get carried away in overly-optimistic thought, and to stay out of dangerous situations. Yet when out of balance, the negative mind can become pessimism, fear, or at the very least, overthinking. Balancing the Negative Mind requires discipline and integrity. By valuing discipline and developing conscious relationships of integrity, you can experience containment, obedience, and a longing to connect deeply with your own God Self.
Positive (Expansive) Mind: Identifies beneficial resources and opportunities. Strengthening the Positive Mind involves building self-esteem and a strong core. Through strengthening the Navel Point (Third Chakra) and using positive affirmations, you can experience equality, positivity, and a playful, optimistic demeanor.
Neutral (Meditative) Mind: Evaluates input from the Negative and Positive Minds, delivering unbiased guidance. Meditation helps balance the Neutral Mind. By meditating, you can achieve a very intuitive vantage point and access the soul, experiencing service, compassion, and integration.
Physical Body: The temple where all other bodies dwell. Regular exercise and sharing knowledge contribute to the balance of the Physical Body. By exercising regularly and teaching, you can represent a teacher capable of explaining abstractions to anyone and balancing all aspects of your life.
Arcline: Associated with the pituitary gland, it helps regulate our nervous system and glandular balance. Focusing on the third eye and pituitary gland sequences help balance the Arcline. By awakening the pituitary gland (Sixth Chakra), you can experience justice, protection, and projection, as well as balance between the physical and cosmic realms.
Auric Body: An electromagnetic field surrounding our physical body, acting as a container for our life force. Meditation and wearing natural fibers, especially white, help to balance the Aura. By working on the Eighth Chakra, you can attract positivity, repel negativity, and create a sense of security that allows for an uplifting presence and treating others with mercy.
Pranic Body: Continuously brings life force and energy into our system through breath. Practicing pranayama positively impacts the Pranic Body. By practicing all forms of pranayama, you can experience purity, energy, fearlessness, and self-initiation.
Subtle Body: Allows us to perceive the universal interplay of all things. A practice of 1,000 consecutive days of Kundalini Yoga balances the Subtle Body. By doing any meditation or Kriya for 1,000 days, you can achieve great finesse, powerful calmness, and quick learning while mastering situations easily.
Radiant Body: Gives us courage, nobility, and a magnetic presence. Commitment to practice, kindness, truth, and excellence in all areas of life will balance the Radiant Body. By cultivating these qualities, you can experience royal courage, radiance, nobility, and a magnetic presence that can uplift and inspire others.
The Eleventh Body, the embodiment of all the Ten Bodies, is the place of mastery where the interplay of all Ten Bodies is balanced and harmonized. When you have worked on strengthening and balancing all Ten Bodies, you reach a state of grace, unity, and understanding of the cosmic whole.
Kundalini Yoga provides a wide range of Kriyas, meditations, and practices designed specifically to balance and strengthen each of the Ten Bodies. By understanding and working with the Ten Bodies, individuals can tap into their innate potential, unlocking the ability to navigate life's challenges with grace, resilience, and a deep connection to their True Self.
In summary, the Ten Bodies in Kundalini Yoga are the Soul Body, Negative Mind, Positive Mind, Neutral Mind, Physical Body, Arcline, Auric Body, Pranic Body, Subtle Body, and Radiant Body. Each body has unique characteristics and attributes that, when balanced and strengthened, create a harmonious existence and an elevated state of consciousness.
By practicing Kundalini Yoga, you can access and cultivate these qualities, leading to a more profound understanding of yourself and your connection to the universe.
Resources: The Aquarian Teacher (level 1 Kundalini Yoga teacher manual), Yogi Bhajan, 2003 – Chapter 16 & The Kundalini Yoga Experience: bringing body mind and spirit together, Guru Dharam S. Khalsa and Darryl O’Keefe, 3H0.
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