Body

The human body is the vehicle that the mind and spirit reside within. It is the gross dense outer layer –annamaya kosha- that is nourished by air, water, food, exercise, rest and sleep. Closely intertwined with this, is a subtler network -the vital life-force or energy level (pranamaya kosha) which flows in and around the body in nadis or meridians.

For a healthy body we need to breathe clean, fresh air – even if this means taking time out of the city for a few days a month on retreat.
Water is vitally important for good health. Drinking pure water keeps our tissues and brain hydrated and allows proper conduction in the energy (electric) system of the body.

What else we drink and eat determines our appearance and how we think. We should eat according to our constitution, our environment and the seasons to get optimal functioning from our bodies. Ayurveda can determine body/mind constitution and whether cooler, raw foods or warm, soft cooked foods are more suitable in our diet.

Yoga in my opinion is one of the best forms of exercise, it improves flexibility, stretches all the muscles, enhances lung capacity and cardiovascular function and it is even weight bearing. PractisingYoga Nidra (relaxation) at the end of a yoga class or on its own for 10 minutes has enormous benefits for rejuvenating and re-energising the body and mind, and is an excellent way to rest. This with exercise should also improve sleep. Walking also is natural for us, can be done by everyone and is wonderful for daily exercise.

The mind is a subtle, deeper layer of our existence. It is the psycho-emotional level and it is here where we think and feel and have the power of choice. It consists of two levels – manomaya kosha and vignanamaya kosha. The first is the dimension of the lower mind, incorporating intellect, reason, concept and memory; here we relate mentally or emotionally with the world. Our feelings of love, hatred, depression, joy, jealousy or compassion are played out on this level. Ego and its natural characteristics and needs are manifested here.

The second level of mind is a more subtle area of higher knowledge and intuitive awareness. This is the sheath where subtle intelligence evolves, where the aspects of mind originate in their pure form, born of supreme intelligence. Pre-birth and genetic memories are stored at this level and form the reservoir of encoded experiences, which filter through and manifest as our conditioned personality. It is the discriminating faculty of the mind, the concept library that guides the lower level. This is ‘conscience’, which is highly evolved in human beings, and differentiates man from animals.

· When disturbance happens in the mental level it disturbs the energy level, which in turn affects the physical body, manifesting in disease.
· When there is physical disease or ailments, one may become unhappy or depressed; therefore once again disturbing the mind level and so the circle goes around.
· The Manomaya kosha, gets cluttered and clogged up daily with psychological and sensorial distractions. Attachments to past experiences, bondage to the demands of the body, and anticipation of future events clutters the mind and heart.
· The mind is nourished by thoughts, therefore positive thinking is encouraged, relaxation and meditation.
· Psychotherapy, counselling and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be used to heal these levels, which become imbalanced by interaction with the outer world.

The bliss body, Anandamaya kosha, or the body of the soul is the deepest level of being which tightly surrounds the soul. It is sometimes referred to as being part of the soul. This is the layer we touch on when in deep meditation and experience Self-realisation, the oneness of everything and hence real joy, which is our innate, natural state. The soul is the real being of man, as distinguished from body, mind and emotions, it is the essence. It is man's innermost and unchanging being, an individualised unit of Pure Consciousness and Absolute Reality. This essence was never created, does not change or evolve and is eternally identical with Pure consciousness, Absolute Reality or God.

· Kriya Yoga is a method of attaining Self-realisation and was brought to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda in the 1920's. Kriya means "action", Yoga means 'to yoke' or 'unite' in ancient Sanskrit. Kriya Yoga is therefore a method of uniting soul awareness with God, or the realisation of spiritual wholeness by a practice of specific techniques for this purpose.
· Practising joyfulness in our everyday activities and working in a relaxed, giving way nourishes the soul.
· Living life in fullness and bliss under all circumstances with emotional freedom, we experience this.
· Committed and dedicated daily meditation and kriya yoga practices bring us to the realisation that we are ultimately spiritual beings in human form and not the other way around.
· Deep in our hearts we long to be free. To be free is to realise that we are much more than our body/minds, to know that we are consciousness itself. Recognizing our essence, we know that we are precious, inseparable from all of life, we are sacred expressions of the One Unity and our yearning to be free is fulfilled.