One way I try to nurture santosha in my life is by repeating a simple mantra when things get tough or when outside pressures start to seep in: “Nothing or nobody can bring me happiness. My happiness comes from within.” (read more on santosha in my book The Daily Guide to the Yoga Sutras.) Saying this brings me back to the truth that happiness is something I carry with me, like the steady nurturing of a mother’s gentle touch.

Finding Sukha in Our Yoga Practice

Sukha is also found in the context of asana, our physical yoga practice. In Yoga Sutra 2.46, Patanjali says sthira-sukham asanam, which translates to, “The postures should be steady and sweet.” For me, this means not pushing myself to the point where yoga feels like a struggle or competition. I used to think that to be a “good yogi” I needed to go deeper, stretch further, or hold longer. But in those moments when I strained, I lost that feeling of sukha, the gentle joy that should be part of the practice.

Now, I try to choose a practice that feels sustainable and nourishing. Sometimes it’s a restful, restorative class, and other times, it’s a flow that gets my heart moving but still feels joyful. I’m learning to recognize that I don’t have to prove anything on the mat—the real practice is about finding that balance between effort and ease or “effortless effort”.
The Lasting Sweetness of Sukha
By weaving sukha into both my inner outlook and my physical practice, I find a sweetness that lingers in my heart. It’s that quiet joy I can carry with me into everyday life—a reminder that happiness isn’t something I have to search for. It’s right here, in each gentle moment, as long as I allow it to be.

Breath into the sweetness within with this smile meditation by Tara Brach: Smile Guided Meditation

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In our fast-paced, goal-driven lives, it’s easy to lose sight of the simple joy of play. By coming back to our mats over and over again, there is a powerful concept that invites us to reconnect with our innate creativity and joy. This concept is known as Lila.

Lila, in Sanskrit, translates to “divine play.”  It is a reminder that life itself is an unfolding dance, a beautiful and spontaneous act of creation. The spirit of Lila encourages us to step back from our schedules, responsibilities, and goals and approach life with an open-hearted curiosity, much like a child would. By embracing Lila, we reconnect with the pure joy of living in the moment, free from judgment or expectation.

The Power of Play in Healing and Transformation

When was the last time you let yourself be truly playful? We often think of play as something reserved for children, yet we adults need play just as much—maybe even more so. Playfulness is a natural antidote to stress and the feeling of being “stuck.” When life starts to feel rigid or monotonous, Lila offers a way out. By inviting play into our lives, we shift our energy, sparking the creativity and resilience we need to move through challenges with grace.

In our yoga practice, this might mean exploring a pose with a sense of fun rather than striving for perfection, or it could be trying something new without the fear of “getting it wrong.” When we approach life and our practice with the energy of Lila, we allow ourselves to laugh, to stumble, and to experience life in its fullness.

Lila Awakens Our Creativity

Creativity is essential to personal growth and healing, but stress, worry, and self-doubt can block our creative energy. Lila reminds us to cultivate our creativity by letting go of the need for control. Just like a dancer loses themselves in the rhythm, Lila invites us to lose ourselves in the process, focusing not on the outcome but on the joy of self-expression. Remember Lee Ann Womak’s words of wisdom… “if you get the chance to sit it out or dance I hope you dance.”

By infusing our lives with Lila, we allow ourselves to take risks, try new things, and open up to the unexpected. This is the path to creative freedom—a path where we move from a place of flow and intuition rather than fixed expectations.

Practicing Lila: Bringing Playfulness to Everyday Life

Here are some simple ways to weave Lila into our daily routines and bring a  little more playfulness into our lives:

1. Dance Like No One’s Watching: Whether you’re home alone or surrounded by friends, put on your favorite song, close your eyes and let yourself dance freely. It’s a powerful release and a reminder that joy lives in movement. My teacher Prekash at Triguna Ashram in Rishikesh India would wake up every morning to a “dancing meditation”. See Triguna Yoga
2. Try Something New: Take a risk and allow yourself to get a little muddy!  Experiment with a new yoga pose, and do something that you would typically say “no” to.  Being open and spark your curiosity and playfulness.
3. Laugh and Let Go: Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Next time you stumble, literally or figuratively, try embracing it with a smile. Lila is about shedding perfectionism and embracing life’s imperfections with joy.
4. Schedule ‘Play’ Time: This might sound counterintuitive, but in a busy world, intentionally setting aside time to play is essential. Whether it’s painting, dancing, or exploring a creative hobby, commit to a little playtime each day.

Lila on the Yoga Mat

Our yoga practice is a beautiful space to embody Lila. Rather than seeing each pose as a challenge to master, approach it as an exploration. Feel the stretch, breathe deeply, and notice how it feels to move without expectation. Allow your practice to flow, welcoming any spontaneous movements or feelings that arise. This is where true creativity and freedom are born, right in the present moment.

In embracing Lila, we remind ourselves that life doesn’t always have to be serious. Through play, we find joy, resilience, and an endless wellspring of creativity. So, the next time you step onto your mat or into your day, invite a spirit of playfulness and see where it leads.

If you want to find the balance between playfulness and structure in your practice, join Yoga Awakening with Sue see all classes and Wake Up and Manifest with Sue HERE

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Vairagya: Learning to detach and let go through yoga.

Whether we are seeking mastery in challenging poses, yearning for better relationships, or striving for a more attractive body, through the practice of yoga we learn to release and let go of our desire for certain outcomes and instead focus on the journey itself. Establishing the mindset of commitment without expectation reminds us that the true treasure is found not in the coveted holy grail, but in the quest itself.

What is Vairagya?

Vairagya comes from the Sanskrit words vi (without) and raga (attachment to pleasure). Vairagya brings detachment to the things we cling to—whether that’s material possessions, emotions, thoughts, or the outcomes of our actions. This is not about avoiding or rejecting life, but instead learning through yoga that contentment comes from within rather than outside of us.

In my book The Daily Guide to the Yoga Sutras  In Sutra 1.12, Patanjali says that the mind can be calmed through two practices: abhyasa (consistent effort) and vairagya (non-attachment). Abhyasa involves cultivating a disciplined practice, Vairagya teaches us to release our grip on the desire for results and the things that we desire.

Why is Vairagya Important?

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded by messages urging us to seek pleasure, achievement, and success. Whether it’s the perfect yoga pose, an ideal body, or an outcome we crave in our professional or personal lives, this attachment to results can lead to frustration, disappointment, and a feeling of lack.

Vairagya offers a counterbalance. It reminds us that true peace comes not from fulfilling every desire but from the ability to let go and find peace from the inside out rather than the outside in.  When we let go of our attachment to the fruits of our actions, we create space for joy, contentment, and freedom.

How Vairagya Can Transform Your Yoga Practice

On the mat, Vairagya can transform your practice by shifting the focus from perfection to presence. When we let go of the ego’s need to achieve the perfect pose or push beyond our limits, we become more attuned to the subtle experiences of breath, alignment, and sensation.

Consider these steps to integrate Vairagya into your yoga practice:

1. Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome: Instead of striving to nail that handstand or attain a perfect forward bend, focus on the journey. How does each movement feel in your body? What is your breath doing? Cultivate awareness without attachment to how it “should” look.
2. Release Expectations: It’s easy to come to the mat with expectations—hoping to leave feeling energized or calm. While this is natural, try to approach each practice with openness. Let go of any preconceived notions and simply allow your practice to unfold.
3. Observe Your Attachments: Notice where you feel attachment during your practice. Is it in wanting to achieve a certain pose? Or maybe in the desire to maintain balance without falling? Recognizing these moments is the first step to releasing them.
4. Find Peace in Imperfection: Yoga is not about perfection. It’s about accepting yourself as you are, in the present moment. Instead of comparing yourself to others or to an ideal version of yourself, practice Vairagya by embracing your imperfections and trusting the wisdom of your body.

Bringing Vairagya Off the Mat

The lessons of Vairagya don’t stop once you leave your yoga mat. This principle can be applied to many areas of life, from relationships and work to personal growth and self-care.

• In Relationships: Let go of trying to control others or the outcome of situations. Practice love and compassion without the need for reciprocation or specific results.
• In Work: While setting goals is important, practice non-attachment to outcomes. Focus on doing your best work in the moment, and trust that the results will unfold as they should.
• In Personal Growth: Rather than constantly striving for improvement or success, take time to celebrate your progress and be content with where you are right now.

Vairagya is a lifelong practice of letting go of what no longer serves us. It teaches us to embrace the present moment with acceptance and grace, finding joy in the experience rather than in the result. If you would like to begin to find a daily commitment to yoga join check out my daily yoga class that you can access from anywhere in the world – Monday through Friday at 7:15 am MST.

For more information see:  Yoga Awakening with Sue, Wake Up and Manifest

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Modern-day health practitioners trace some of the positive outcomes to the practice of yoga. If your doctor recommends this tactic, you can be confident that this recommendation comes from intense research and proven scientific results. This piece examines some conditions that yoga can help you manage or cure.

1. Depression

Yoga is one of the most effective tactics to manage depression. Emotional and mental problems such as anxiety, stress, and depression are some of the issues that yoga practice addresses. Yoga is a self-soothing tactic that helps you relax and divert from the pressure that causes stress and depression. Meditation in yoga brings you to the current moment and lets you clear your mind.

This practice is among other relaxation methods such as music therapy, autogenic training, and muscle relaxation that help you achieve a mental state, which averts any repercussions of depression. Relaxation techniques such as those employed in yoga help relieve both mild and moderate depression. If the doctor diagnoses you with depression, yoga is one of the best options to explore.

2. Heart Disease

Heart disease occurs due to various issues, including the build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries. You may also experience heart disease due to an unhealthy lifestyle such as poor diet, overweight, smoking, and lack of exercise. However, did you know that yoga can help you treat and manage heart disease?

Yoga helps you lower your blood pressure levels. You might also reduce your blood pressure levels by improving your exercise capacity and quality of life. Yoga incorporates many exercises that can help you beat heart disease. Heart disease is fatal; hence, any successful intervention is worthy of your consideration in such a critical time.

3. Menopausal Symptoms

Menopause is the time that represents the end of a person’s menstrual cycle. You enter this period after 12 months without any menstrual periods. Usually, menopause comes during a woman’s 40s or 50s. Several yoga tactics, including support props and postures, relax your body’s nervous system. Menopausal treatments using yoga incorporate more than the treatment of pain.

During menopause, your body is in the middle of a vast transition, which includes fluctuating moods, pimples, and physical changes that are different from issues you handle daily. These changes are easy to handle when your mental and physical conditions are in the correct order. The menopausal period is better tolerated when you are in a relaxed and focused form.

4. Breast Cancer

Cancer is one of the worst maladies in the world today. A cancer diagnosis might have you worried and unsettled for a while. Yoga helps you relax and comprehend the repercussions of your situation. In addition, breast cancer treatments involve intrusive methods such as surgeries, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. These procedures require the patient to be in the right mind, which yoga can help you achieve.

Yoga helps patients handle the fatigue, sleep disruption, cognitive impairment, and musculoskeletal symptoms associated with breast cancer treatment. The symptoms of the illness last throughout the treatment and recovery periods; hence, you need a way of handling them. Yoga helps you manage symptoms and the repercussions of treatment options for breast cancer patients.

Yoga is a treatment and management option for various health conditions. A yoga class might be the answer to your health issues. At Yoga Awakening With Sue, we offer yoga classes to help improve your mental health and alleviate the symptoms of various illnesses.

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I could tell you more about my beautiful son and how both he and our family fought to heal this devastating illness for two years, but instead, I want to share with you my healing process in hopes that this will reach others who share the same heartache. Although there are many ways to deal with grief, for me, my earnest dedication to my yoga practice has softened my pain. I have lived the life of a yogi for over 20 years, and I can tell you without any hesitation that we can find hope and healing through a daily commitment.

Yoga has taught me to stop looking outward for support and guidance and instead to go deeply inward through mindfulness and meditation. By looking inward, we can shift our awareness and perception. Every time we come to our yogic seat, it is an opportunity to transcend and release stored emotions and negative memory. Whether we are in a place of darkness or light, every time we come to our mats, we peel away the layers of suffering and begin over and over again. 

Through yoga, we learn that nothing is permanent; the death of our body is inevitable, but our spirit and energy live on. Yoga has taught me to embrace the dualities of joy and suffering. `It has taught me to connect with the cycle of life and know that my son’s soul still lives – just in a different form. ( On the day of his death, Tom’s dad said he could feel his soul) Swami Rama, in his book, Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita, states, “There is nothing that loses its existence. Existence is never lost, changed, or subject to destruction. That which changes is the form. After one becomes aware of the center of Consciousness, Atman, he understands that at the core of his being, he is unchangeable and indestructible.” 

Yoga training has taught me to stop clinging to life and to face everything from a place of love. It has taught me to be less reactive in all circumstances and to be a witness to life instead of holding onto every moment with a tight grasp. It has taught me that my true nature is not suffering and pain but rather joy, peace, laughter, and love. It has taught me the discipline to get up and keep going even when life is falling apart. It has given me tools such as deep breathing to rescue me in times of deep despair. (try Rise of the Phoenix)

Finding rituals of remembrance has helped the healing process. Above, Tommy’s words of wisdom are written on the stones and scattered in my garden. Below, our family wrote the following poem together describing Tom’s beautiful character.

When I look up to the clouds, I see Tommy peacefully resting in every stage of life, from the womb to old age. Although he is no longer here in body we will forever hold his spirit and wisdom in our hearts. We love you, Tommy…

He ran with the rivers; he rode with the wind, and he was always OK with dirt on his skin.
He felt your pain; he had the same goal; he would always seek to comfort your soul.
He talked to the moose; he held the chipmunks; he did not mind the odor of a stinky old skunk.
He would ride his bike here, he would ride his bike there, and in the end, he would ride to persevere.
He played with the dogs; he played with the cats, and he would never fear a silly little bat.
He would listen to others; he would listen to you, and he was always happy to hear all points of view.
He laughed at this; he laughed at that; his laughter was always with him as a mere rug rat.
The mountains were his home, the outdoors his place; it was nature that gave him great solace and space.
He loved his mom; he loved his dad, he loved his brother and the world with all that he had.
He trekked up hills, he often just roamed, but now his commission is to CARRY US HOME……

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BUDDHI YOGA

Buddhi is a Sanskrit term derived from the root, budh, which means “to know” or “to be awake.” Therefore, buddhi refers to intellect, wisdom, and the power of the mind to understand, analyze, discriminate and decide. Buddhi yoga helps to develop buddhi and unites the mind with the Higher Consciousness. Developing the spiritual mind, refining consciousness, and succeeding in merging with primordial Consciousness are the directions of Buddhi yoga.

When we have awakened truth and higher discrimination in the material world we are able to discriminate between the higher Self or pure awareness and our lower self or the one who is solely connected to the material world. When we are dependent on the material world to provide our happiness then we can never reach a higher level of conscious awakening called buddhi. Buddhi or discriminatory awakening helps us to distinguish what is right from wrong. When our lower thinking mind called manas is able to easily distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad then one has reached a higher state of pure reason called buddhi.

According to Swami Rama in his book Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita, he states that the higher or sattvic buddhi has the following characteristics.

(1) The power of discrimination is developed

(2) The buddhi that has learned to discriminate between the Self and non-Self, between the supreme Self in its unmanifest state and its power of manifestation, possesses the power of non-attachment

(3) Such buddhi has one-pointedness and inwardness

(4) It has attained calmness, quietness, and steadiness; it remains serene, undisturbed, and undissipated

(5) It is free from the desire for sense gratification

(6) It helps one to decide right from wrong and to act in a timely manner

(7) It makes one selfless and giving, without any expectations

(8) It helps one to remain tranquil and even in all conditions

(9) It helps one to remain a witness

(10) It leads one to spiritual heights

BUDDHI YOGA SEQUENCE

Below is my Buddhi Yoga sequence. This sequence will be used as part of Park City School of Yoga training in addition to training in the Anusara style of yoga and Kundalini. To learn more about this all-inclusive in-person yoga training see more HERE.

You can practice the sequence HERE with me on Youtube.

1 Ujjayi pranayama (victorious breath) Gyan mudra

2 Mantra intention followed by ohm

3 Balasana (child’s pose)

4 Cat-cow

5 Samasthiti (even standing)

6  Surya Namaskar  A  (Sun salute A) 3 times

7 Surya Namaskar B  (Sun salute B) 3 times

8 Uttanasana  (standing forward fold) to parsvotansana (pyramid pose) to Parivrtta Parsvottanasana (revolved pyramid pose)

9  Adho mukha śvānāsana (downward-facing dog pose) to V1 to V2 to reverse to trikonasana hold 5 to revolved trikonasana hold 5

10 DD to V1 to V2 reverse to parsvakonasana hold 5 to parrritta parsvakonasana  hold 5

11 Utkatasana (chair with twist)

12 Utanasana to V3 to half moon to garundasana

13 V1 to V2 to reverse warrior to side plank

14 Shalabasana (locust pose) and dhanurasana (bow pose)

15 DD to V1 to V2 to reverse to  skandasana (skater’s pose) to -prasarita padottanasana (wide legging standing forward fold) to hanumanasana (monkey split)

16 Vrksasana (tree pose) and uttitha hasta Padanghustasana (hand to foot pose)

17 Kakasana (crow pose) (maybe add tripod headstand)

18 Vadrasana to virasana (hero’s pose) to ustransa (camel pose)

19 Eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon pose) to navasana (boat pose) to lolasana

20 Marichiasana (sage’s pose) to Janu sirsasana (head to knee pose)

21 Dhandasana (staff pose)

22 Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)

23 Crownshasana (heron pose)

24 Sirsasana 1 (Headstand)

25 Balasana (child’s pose)

26 Setubandasana (bridge pose)

27 Supta badokanasana (reclined wide-angle pose)

28 Dhanurasana (wheel)

29 Supine Twist

30 Savasana (corpse pose)

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Breathing Techniques

One of the simplest ways for beginners to experience a calm mind is through breathing techniques and meditation. There are hundreds of breathing techniques and meditations that you can practice. My favorite App for this is Insight Timer. It has over 100,000 free meditations and breathing practices. (See https://insighttimer.com/) The breathing exercises are very simple and mighty powerful at the same time. Breathing exercises will allow you to truly experience inner peace and elevate the kind of strength and inner power you naturally hold.  As you learn advanced breathing techniques (called Pranayama), you will understand the power of holding the breath, which increases our life force, and the power of the exhale. By exhaling slowly and deeply, you will flush out negativity and relax the mind. 

Yin Yoga

One of the best yoga forms for beginners looking to calm the mind is Yin Yoga. In Yin yoga, you hold restorative poses for an extended period of time. Typically poses are held for 3 to 6 minutes. Another form of yoga for beginners is Anusara yoga. Anusara yoga places more emphasis on alignment, which is very important as a beginner. Finally, hatha yoga is another form of yoga where you will hold poses longer and focus on alignment.

Yoga Awakening combines many styles of yoga to best suit your needs, from basic to advanced practices. Regardless of level and style, you will feel rejuvenated and fresh as you radiate with extra energy. So many people have benefitted from the proper yoga postures, and you, too, can feel yourself enjoying this new sense of direction and power. 

The post Yoga for Beginners – The Best Place to Start Your Practice appeared first on Yoga Awakening With Sue.

Help for Sleepless Nights

• No electronic devices or TV one to two hours before bed without fail!
• Like clockwork, go to bed and arise at the same time every day.
• Drink the supplement Calm (magnesium) before bed.
• Take a calming bath before sleep.
• Do a peaceful activity before bed like Yin Yoga or Yoga Nidra with the wonderful free App Insight Timer.
• Have a routine every time you get into bed, for example, practicing full-body breathing or counting your breath.
• Practice yoga 5 or 6 days a week, always taking time for the final pose, savasana, for 8 minutes.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night, without fail, put a sleep meditation on such as the following from Insight Timer App.
• Go to sleep with gratitude (keep a gratitude journal) and think of two things that you will do the following day just for yourself.
• Wake up and manifest. Happily start your day with yoga. (Wake -Up and Manifest with me Monday through Friday from 7:15 to 8:00 am MST)
• Consider a retreat or intensive yoga training to give yourself the gift of a complete recharge.

A commitment to yoga practice is one of the best ways to improve your sleep. Most importantly, try some of the ideas above and practice yoga with an 8-minute savasana. Over time your body will be more relaxed, you will be more disciplined, and your sleep patterns will become more regimen. Making positive changes is about a daily commitment. Start tonight and make a commitment to practice some of the ideas above. Namaste to better sleep!

See you on the mat!

Sue

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The 5 koshas build one upon the other. The deeper we unravel and purify each sheath, the more we flourish, revealing our true essence and divine nature. Below, I have outlined the 5 koshas with techniques for purification. Our continual goal in yoga is to unravel the layers of our being so that we can flourish in mind, body, and spirit.

The 5 Koshas

Annamaya Kosha – Physical Body

This is the outermost sheath or layer. It represents the lowest of the layers and relates to the earth element. Caring for our physical body is the first step towards bringing awareness to the layers of our being.

Purification techniques

• Practice bodily cleansing techniques (shatkarma). Use a neti pot for cleansing the nasal passage 2 or 3 times a week.
• Implement an Ayurvedic (the sister science to yoga) lifestyle. Try a Zoom appointment with an Ayurvedic doctor in India. See more here.
• Practice yoga daily and other forms of exercise.
• Eat healthy and whole foods and follow an ayurvedic diet.
• When practicing yoga, be aware of how your physical body is aligned in space. 
• Develop more body awareness and release bodily tension by trying this Self-Realization practice here.

Pranamaya Kosha – Energy Body

We only breathe in and out of our lungs, but we can sense prana or life force anywhere in our body. When prana is restricted and tight, this can lead to physical and mental illness. Pranamaya kosha is connected to the water element.

Purifications Techniques

• Pranayama (breathing) techniques. There are hundreds of breathing techniques to calm the mind, nervous system and increase our energy or life force. Try this practice here.
• Try this full-body breathing technique here.
• Take yoga classes that place more emphasis on the breath.

Manomaya Kosha -Mind Body

This is the bridge between the outer and inner world. It is the conscious mind. It relates to the fire element.

Purification techniques

• Meditate to calm and still the mind.
• When practicing yoga, try to remove all distractions around you.
• Spend a day “turning your thoughts around. Every time you have a negative thought, change it to something positive. Continue the practice!
• When you become distracted by your thoughts while doing yoga, try focussing on your breath, keeping a steady gaze, and letting go of distractions.

Vijnanamaya Kosha – Wisdom Body

This layer relates to the subconscious mind and the air element.

Purification Techniques

• The more we practice mindfulness and meditation, the more we can connect with our intuition and inner wisdom. The next time you want to pick up the phone to ask a friend for advice, try meditation instead and trust the veracity of your own wisdom.
• On the mat, trust your intuition when it comes to challenging poses. Allow your inner wisdom to guide you, and be careful not to push beyond your boundaries. Trust that you are your own best teacher.
• Try yoga practices that are less alignment-based and instead take you deeper into the inner world of your subtle body. Try this class. Energy is Everything.

Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss Body

This is the most subtle state, the bliss layer. The space where you are in tune with your highest vibration, your best self.

Purifications Techniques

• Meditate and let yourself be pure consciousness right here at this moment. Imagine connecting with your universal self. Sense your bliss body. Feel contentment and lightness. Feel pureness in body and mind rather than over-analyzing. Practice this 5 minutes a day.
• Take time every day to do your favorite activity or try a new activity.
• On the mat in “happy baby,” bring memories back to a joyful childhood experience. Happy baby or balasana translates to “blissful child.”

A Meditation to Bring Awareness to the 5 Koshas

Come to a mindful seat. Lengthen the spine and sit tall. Begin to notice your physical body (annamaya kosha). Notice where your body is tense. Relax this area, then move to another area where you feel some tension. Give yourself a body scan and continue this cycle. Spend a few moments in each of these areas until they release. Take a few moments in gratitude and appreciation for wherever your physical body is today.

Now bring your awareness to your breath (pranamaya kosha) and imagine your breath breathing you. Imagine this breath flowing from the souls of your feet all the way to the crown of your head. Continue to feel this full-body inhale and exhale. Inhale from heels all the way to the crown of the head and then exhale back from head to heels. –Breath in and out through the nose. Repeat 10 times.

Now bring your awareness to your mind. (manomaya kosha) Ask yourself, “Is my mind rushing and racing?” “Am I thinking about the past or the future?” Now sit with your mind in complete peace. Allow this depth and presence of consciousness, and just be. Observe the emptiness. Internally repeat: I am not my body, I am not my thinking mind. Draw awareness to the mind and body and imagine peace, purity of mind, a light emptiness.

Now draw your awareness to your third eye between your eyebrows—the area of wisdom and intuition. (Vijnanamaya kosha). Focus here and become aware of your own “inner guru.” Meditate and celebrate your inner wisdom. Reflect on this truth and abundance.

Finally, bring your awareness to your bliss body (anandamaya kosha). Even if you are not feeling it, meditate on bliss and joy. Feel it bubbling up inside of you. Take your time and really notice what it feels like in your body.

In Summary

Yoga allows us to expand into all the layers (koshas) and levels of our being. These layers add to the richness of our yoga practice. By digging deeper into these layers, we realize that we are much more than one-dimensional beings. With consistent practice, we will begin to remove these sheaths to reveal our true selves, our Divine nature.

Namaste,

Sue

Further suggestions: The 5 Koshas

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The Chakras

Of these 72,000 nadis, there are 7 main energy centers known as the chakras. The chakras extend out from the sushumna channel which runs along the spine. You can think of the sashumna channel as a riverbed with estuaries flowing from it. Like the river bed, all the nadis extend out from this central channel.

The 7 chakras support all of our internal functioning. When prana flows freely through these channels then we are more likely to be healthy through body and mind. To learn more about the 7 main chakras you can check out my blog here. http://yogaawakeningwithsue.com/explore-the-chakras/ or try a yoga class here. Everything is Energy

Why it’s Important to Bring Awareness to the Subtle Body

When we draw awareness to our subtle body, we begin to manage how we exhort our energy both on the mat and in our daily lives. On the yoga mat, we learn to use less effort in challenging poses. In our daily lives, we learn to be less reactive and go about our day effortlessly, no matter what we are faced with. Holding onto our troubling thoughts uses our precious resources of energy.

In yoga, we call these negative impressions samskaras. We hold these emotions deep within our cellular structure. Unless we learn to find emotional release, we may hold onto these samskaras our entire lives. These impressions suck up our energy and weigh us down both mentally and physically. One way to release this negative energy is through yoga and pranayama techniques.

Ways to Practice Awakening the Subtle Body

Take a moment now to go inward and observe your body and mind. Where are you gripping in your body? Where are you using excess energy? Is your body calm, or is it tense with effort? And what about your mind? Are you focussed here in this moment, or is your mind wandering, judging, multi-tasking? All of these things use our precious resources of personal energy.

Through the many aspects of yoga practice, we can find emotional release. One of these techniques is full-body breathing. Here is a wonderful exercise that can help you to calm the mind and sense the prana flowing through the body. This is also a great practice if you have trouble falling asleep. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4VywfdZQbY

Another way to practice balancing our energy centers is with a pranayama technique called Anulom Vilom or alternate nostril breathing. You can practice this technique in this daily ritual video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqfqRjN0SmE

For more reading about our subtle energy, check out Michael Singer’s book The Untethered Soul https://amzn.to/3bDDk3u. He states, “It’s actually a shame how little attention the Western world pays to the laws of inner energy. We study the energy outside and give great value to energy resources, but we ignore the energy within.”

The more we take time to be alone in self-awareness, the more we can enter the world of our subtle bodies. Try and dedicate 10 minutes a day to self-study, and you will be amazed at the changes it can bring to your life!

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