Subtle Anatomy- Let's know our body!

Subtle Anatomy

All of the following terms have originated from Sanskrit. The ancient language of India. Though having their unique roles and benefits they have commonalities ie all are related to “Prana” the life force, all can not be seen physically. Knowledge of these and practises ie, Pranayama & asanas will help enhance your experience of all and bring wellbeing into your life.


CHAKRAS
Chakra means "wheel" and it refers to each of the seven energy centers of our consciousness, our energy system. There are seven chakras in our bodies.These are our “Energy points”. Each chakra can be associated with particular part of the body and particular functions. These start at the base of the spine and go up through the head. Each chakra has a different frequency of vibration, symbol, color, and sound that it is attuned to. When your chakras are not vibrating or spinning properly you are unable to move your physical, emotional, and mental body onto a higher spiritual level. Basically, if our charkas are working fine we would feel energetic, free from mental & physical pain. Let’s look at the Visuddha-Throat chakra. The aspects of expressing and receiving. Expressing can be in the form of communicating what one wants and what one feels. Someone who has difficulty in expressing themselves, suppressing their feelings and thoughts would be having difficulty with this charka. Some poses you can practise for this are Fish (Matysasana), Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana), Camel (Ustrasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) and Plow Pose (Halasana)

The main seven charkas are Sahasharara, Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahatta, Manipurs, Swadisthana, Muladhara.


BANDHAS
Bandha means "Lock or restraint". They are locks, which prevent the outward flow of energy by directing energy inward thus activating the nadis and the energy body. It may be defined as a particular focused and intentional action involving pressure or contraction of the muscles. They can be achieved by pure concentration. Bandhas are like a “Control device”. They not only affect the body and energy, but also builds the mind and spiritual centers in the body. They are tools that restore hormonal balance in the body making you happy and relaxed.
There are three classic bandhas, Jalandhar Bandha, Mool Bandha and Udyaan Bandha.

NADIS
Nadis are thought to carry a life force energy or “prana”. Nadis are not nerves but rather channels for the flow of consciousness. The literal meaning of nadi is'flow'. Just as you have a fuel pipes in a car supplying fuel to the required areas in the same way, Prana flows through every part of our body via these nadis. There are 72,000 or more such channels or networks.
An early version of the nadi system is mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad, which says:
“ A hundred and one are the arteries of the heart, one of them leads up to the crown of the head. Going upward through that, one becomes immortal. (CU 8.6.6)[1] ”

There are three main nadis in the body, Ida, Pingala & Sushumna.

GRANTHIS
Granthis are knots, which act as barriers to the free flow of prana. These are blockages restraining the upward flow of Life energy force. The ida and the pingala go up spirally, alternating from left to right and from right to left, forming a loop around each chakra. They originate from the common center of muladhara at the base of the spine, but at the top their ends are free. We come back to the same thing again. Prana the life force has to be free flowing in the body, anything blocking it, would be a hindrance and granthis are one of them. But it is only through consistent yoga practise and over lifetimes that we are able to pierce these. The first knot is below the navel and is called brahma-granthi. When the flow of energy is restricted to this region, instinctive drives like hunger, thirst and sense pleasure dominate the mind. The second knot is below the heart and is called vishnu-granthi. This is the region of the emotional life of man. The third knot is below the eyebrows and is called rudra-granthi. This is the area of intellectual activity.



PRANA VAYUS
Prana, as pointed out from the outset of this essay, is the Sanskrit word for the life force. The root pra means “first” and na means the “smallest (or most basic) unit of energy” – so Prana is the first or fundamental unit of energy. Everything living functions by virtue of Prana; all activity and change – mental and emotional as well as physical – is a manifestation of the workings of Prana. Prana is the radiance of life itself. Within us, prana is the moving force. The word “vayu” is translated as “wind”. The root ‘va’ means “that which flows”. A vayu is a vehicle within our body for activities and experiences. It also means ‘a force’ that moves in a specific way in a certain area of the body that is overseas.
There are 49 prana vayus or types of vayu in the body.The main 5 are Udana Vayu, Prana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Vyana Vayu.


KOSHAS

It is described that human consciousness is folded into five layers, or sheaths, (koshas) around the central point, containing the self (chitta). Each of the sheaths or koshas is only an appearance. In truth, all of the levels, layers, koshas, or sheaths of our reality is only appearance, and that underneath all of those appearances, we are pure, divine, eternal consciousness, or whatever name you prefer to call it. When we unravel all these layers to reach the inner most, it is a state of bliss. Just like a present one gets, which is wrapped around by several layers of gift paper. Slowly yet steadily you open it one after another layer till u get to the gift and what do you feel then is a sense of bliss. It basically means your true inner-self which relates to the universal power is covered by five layers and these sheaths are uncovered through yoga practises ie asanas, pranayama.

The five main Koshas are Physical - Annamaya kosha, Energy - Pranamaya kosha ,Mental - Manamaya kosha, Wisdom - Vijnanamaya kosha, Bliss - Anandamaya kosha, Self - Atman