10 Bodies

Think you only have a physical body? One that you can see, touch, feel? Yogic teachings explain that we have nine other bodies in addition to our physical body. The ten bodies include the physical body, three mental bodies and six energy bodies:

1st Soul Body
2nd Negative Mind
3rd Positive Mind
4th Neutral Mind
5th Physical Body
6th Arcline
7th Aura
8th Pranic Body
9th Subtle Body
10th Radiant Body

When all of the bodies are in balance, this is the eleventh embodiment. It is a state of pure consciousness.

Interested in knowing more about each of the bodies? Check out the blogs for more information.

Each of the bodies manifests with a strength, a gift, when it is in balance. When they are out of balance, then certain weakness appear.

You can work to strengthen any of the 10 bodies – each body has a kriya or a meditation that will help to balance. The kriyas (sets of exercises) of Kundalini yoga balance and stimulate the Ten bodies. By practicing regularly, you are working on all of your bodies. If you are interested, send an email to request a kriya or meditation for a particular body.

Try doing the kriya or meditation for 40 days and see what happens!

The Radiant Body

The tenth of the Ten Bodies is the Radiant Body. This Body is associated with royal courage, radiance and nobility. When the Radiant Body has been mastered, one is courageous in the face of any obstacle, with a magnetic presence and the respect of all who know you. If this body is weak, you are afraid of conflict and shy away from attention, feeling ineffective.

The key to balancing the Radiant Body is commitment, and to not cut the hair.

The Subtle Body

The ninth body, the Subtle Body, helps one to see beyond the immediate reality of your life to the the universal play beyond. It is associated with subtlety, calmness and mastery. When the Subtle Body is strong, you will have a powerful calmness, be able to learn quickly and will master situations easily. This may manifest by being able to walk into a room and to intuitively understand the situation. If it is weak, you may be naive and easily fooled. You may also have unintentionally rough or crude speech or behaviour. To balance the Subtle Body, do any meditation or kriya for 1,000 days.

The Pranic Body

The eighth of the Ten Bodies is the Pranic Body. The Pranic Body brings life force and energy into your system through the breath. It is associated with purity, energy, fearlessness and self-initiation.

Mastery of the Pranic Body brings fearlessness, purity, energy and self-initiation. You feel feel fully alive and at one with all creation. In this body nothing can bother you. You have enough energy to achieve your goals. If this body is weak, you may be fearful or defensive. There may be constant feelings of anxiety and fatigue. You may look to food or stimulants for your energy.

To balance this body, do breathing exercises (pranayam).

The Auric Body

The seventh Body is the Aura. This is the electromagnetic field surrounding you – it is a container for your life force, and it brings confidence and security. The Aura is associated with security and love.

When the Aura is strong, it attracts positivity and repels negativity. This shield keeps illness from penetrating your physical body. The sense of security it brings allows you to be an uplifting presence, and you treat others with mercy. If the Aura is weak, you may be paranoid and lack self-trust. This negativity may penetrate into the psyche and the physical body. To balance the Aura, meditate and wear white clothes of natural fibres.

The Arcline

The Arcline, the sixth of the ten bodies, is more commonly known as your halo. It is the nucleus of the aura, extending from ear to ear (across the hairline and forehead). Women have a second arcline across their chest. The Arcline is associated with the pituitary gland, regulation of the nervous system and balance of the glandular system. It relates to justice, protection and prayer. The Arcline is the balance between the physical realm and the cosmic realm.

When you master the Arcline, you are focused, have concentration, and meditative. The intuition of the Arcline can be used to protect you from stress. If the Arcline is weak, you may be overprotective, easily influenced, and have glandular imbalances (leading to moodswings and erratic behaviour). Balance the Arcline by awakening the pituitary gland (the sixth chakra).

The Physical Body

The Physical Body is the fifth of the Ten Bodies. It is your packaging! The Physical Body is associated with sacrifice, balance and being a teacher. The teacher aspect is related to the ability to understand abstract ideas and to clearly communicate them to others. Mastery of the Physical Body involves balancing all parts of your life without extremes.

If the Physical Body is weak, this may manifest in anger, jealousy, greed, competitiveness, and lack of gratitude. There is no balance in the inner and outer realities. You may have difficulty communicating verbally and be afraid to be a teacher. To balance the Physical Body, exercise on a regular basis and teach.

The Neutral Mind

The fourth body is the Neutral (Meditative) Mind. This is the third mental body. The Neutral Mind receives input from both the Positive and Negative Minds, and then chooses the best option based on unbiased intuition. The Neutral Mind is characterised by service, compassion and integration. It is a point of intuition, and it allows access to the soul.

If the Neutral Mind is weak, you may find it hard to make decisions, may feel victimised or find it challenging to see beyond the polarities of life. The key to balancing the Neutral Mind is to meditate.

The Positive Mind

The third of the Ten Bodies, and the second of the mental bodies, is the Positive (Expansive) Mind. The Positive Mind is characterised by equality and positivity. It shows the best, most positive, outcome in any situation.

When the Positive Mind is mastered, you will have a strong will and will use power in an easy and humble way. Mastery of this body brings playfulness, optimism, a good sense of humour and direct communicate.

If the Positive Mind is weak, you can be overwhelmed by the Negative Mind. This may bring depression, anger and intolerance. You may also be afraid of the responsibility that comes with manifesting your own power.

As with the Negative Mind, if the Positive Mind is too developed we become imbalanced. We aim to find a balance between the Positive and Negative Minds. To strengthen a weak Positive Mind, we use positive affirmations. The Positive Mind is also balanced by strengthening the Navel Point.

The Negative Mind

The second of the Ten Bodies is the Negative (Protective) Mind. It is the one of the three mental bodies. The Negative Mind is protective, spotting possible dangers in a situation. Characteristics of the Negative Mind are containment and obedience. When we use the phrase ‘Longing to Belong’, this is associated with the Negative Mind.

Mastering the Negative Mind helps to manifest the creativity of your Soul Body through containment, form and discernment. It is the deep desire to connect with your own Divine Self. If the Negative Mind is weak, your actions may be inappropriate, you may engage in self-destructive relationships or be over-influenced by other people.

To balance the Negative Mind, place value in your discipline and consciously develop relationships with integrity. A Negative Mind can be balanced by the Positive Mind – one must be strengthened if the other is overwhelming.