“If you understand that you are Ten Bodies, and you are aware of those Ten Bodies, and you keep them in balance, the whole universe will be in balance with you.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
THE TEN 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
WHAT ARE THE TEN BODIES?
You can visualise your various bodies as layers of clothing, the physical body being the overcoat you wear for a lifetime. We know we have a physical body; we can see it, touch it, and feel it. We also have other bodies that are equally real, if not more so.
The human body is made up of ten bodies: the physical body, three mental bodies, and six energy bodies. Each of the ten bodies is significantly interactive with the others. Kundalini yoga moves energy through the body by using the pranic force facilitated by the breath. This strengthens the aura and the arcline. Changes to the arcline affects the soul and subtle body. These changes improve the way we think and perceive life.
In short, through the practice of Kundalini Yoga we aim to balance the ten bodies.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TEN BODIES
First Body: Soul Body
- The part in you connected to the Infinite. Your inner infinity.
- Humility, Creativity.
- Key Phrase: “Heart over Head.”
- When balanced: Come from a place of great humility, relax in to the flow of universal energy and use it to create beauty.
- If weak: Come from the head instead of heart; feel stuck, not able to access your purpose and creative flow.
- Key to Balancing: Raise the Kundalini. Open the Heart.
The Three Mental Bodies:
Second Body: Negative (Protective) Mind
- Identifies possible dangers or shortcomings in a situation. Necessary for protection.
- Containment, Obedience.
- Key Phrase: “Longing to Belong.”
- When balanced: Gives form to the creativity of your Soul Body via containment, form, and discernment. A longing to connect very deeply with your original Self.
- If weak: Inappropriate, self-destructive relationships. Over-influenced by others.
- Key to Balancing: Value your discipline. Develop conscious relationships of integrity. Strengthen the Positive Mind if the Negative Mind is overdeveloped.
Third Body: Positive (Expansive) Mind
- Inspires you by showing the best possible results in any situation.
- Equality, Positivity.
- Key Phrase: “Devil or Divine.”
- When balanced: Strong will, use power easily and humbly. Naturally playful and optimistic.
- Good sense of humor. Can communicate directly.
- If weak: Overwhelmed by input of the Negative Mind, which can be depressing and paralyzing. Angry and intolerant, or hesitant to use your own power because of being afraid of the responsibility.
- Key to Balancing: Strengthen the Navel Point (Third Chakra). Use positive affirmations. Strengthen the Negative Mind if the Positive Mind is overdeveloped.
Fourth Body: Neutral (Meditative) Mind
- Takes the information from both Negative and Positive Minds and decides on the best course of action using unbiased, intuitive knowledge.
- Service, Compassion, Integration.
- Key Phrase: “Cup of Prayer.”
- When balanced: A very intuitive vantage point. Allows access to the soul.
- If weak: Difficult to make decisions. The habit of feeling victimized. A hard time seeing beyond the polarities of life.
- Key to Balancing: Meditate.
Fifth Body: Physical Body
- The vehicle through which you participate fully on earth.
- Sacrifice, Balance, Teacher.
- Key Phrase: “Teacher, Balance.”
- When balanced: represent the teacher who is able to take abstractions and explain them to anyone. Ability to balance all parts of your life without extremes like laziness or fanaticism.
- If weak: Angry, jealous, greedy, competitive, and ungrateful. Inner and outer realities out of balance. Trouble expressing yourself verbally. Afraid to be in the position of teacher.
- Key to Balancing: Exercise regularly. Teach.
Sixth Body: Arcline
- The arcline extends from ear to ear, across the hairline and brow. It’s your halo, the nucleus of the aura.
- Women have a second arcline reaching across the chest from nipple to nipple.
- Associated with the pituitary gland, regulates the nervous system and glandular balance.
- Justice, Protection, Projection.
- Key Phrase “Person at Prayer.”
- Balance between physical and cosmic realms.
- When balanced: Ability to focus, to be concentrated, to meditate. Use the intuition of the Sixth Body to protect yourself from life’s stresses and avoid shutting down your heart.
- If weak: Overprotective. Easily influenced. Glandular imbalances leading to inconsistency in moods and behavior. Unfocused and unable to manifest prayers.
- Key to Balancing: Awaken the pituitary gland (sixth chakra)
Seventh Body: Auric Body
- The aura is the electromagnetic field that surrounds your body. It acts as a container for your life force, bringing confidence and security.
- Mercy, Security, Love.
- Key Phrase: “Platform of Elevation.”
- When balanced: Attracts positivity and repels negativity, like a shield. Illness cannot penetrate to your physical body. Sense of security allows an uplifting presence and treating others with mercy.
- If weak: Paranoid, lack self-trust. Negativity can penetrate into the psyche and physical body.
- Key to Balancing: Meditate. Wear white clothing made of natural fibers. Work on the eighth chakra
Eighth Body: Pranic Body
- Through the breath, the Pranic Body continuously brings the life force and energy into your system.
- Purity, Energy, Fearlessness, Self-initiation.
- Key Phrase: “Finite to Infinite.”
- When balanced: Fearless, fully alive, at one with all creation. Nothing can bother you. Self-motivated with enough energy to achieve goals.
- If weak: Constant low-level anxiety and chronic fatigue. Look to food or stimulants for energy. Fearful, defensive.
- Key to Balancing: All pranayam (breathwork).
Ninth Body: Subtle Body
- The Subtle Body helps you see beyond the immediate realties of life to the sublime universal play that lies beyond.
- Calmness, Subtlety, Mastery.
- Key Phrase: “Mastery or Mystery.”
- When balanced: Have great finesse and a powerful calmness. Learn quickly and master situations easily. Able to walk into a room and intuitively know what’s going on.
- If weak: Naïve and easily fooled, unintentionally crude or rough in speech or behavior. Restless.
- Key to Balancing: Do any meditation or kriya for 1,000 days.
Tenth Body: Radiant Body
- The Radiant Body gives spiritual royalty and radiance.
- Royal Courage, Radiance, Nobility.
- Key Phrase: “All or Nothing.”
- When balanced: Courageous in the face of any obstacle. Magnetic
- presence and command the respect of all who know you.
- If weak: Afraid of conflict, shy away from people’s attention. Feel ineffective and unable to come through in situations.
- Key to Balancing: Commitment. Do not cut hair.