One of the primary lessons of every yogic path is to learn to train the senses. We are told that the five senses pull the mind into the material world and they need to be trained. Many of the practices we see in yoga – asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), dhyana (meditation) and even mantra (repetition of sacred formulas) – are helping to create deep focus and manage the senses.

But have you ever thought carefully about why this is important?

When the senses are captured by the experiences of the material world then our attention is always flowing outwards into the world. The more you can train the senses then you become able to place your attention inwards, on your own being instead of the world.

Something amazing happens when you do this.

As you train your attention within yourself there is the opportunity to discover that there is a whole other dimension of experience within you: the experience of your subtle energy body.

The yogic view of our being is this – that we are consciousness beings with different layers of experience. These different layers of our being can all be stripped away leaving behind our true nature as consciousness.

The first layer or body is called sthula sharir – this is the physical, biological body that we are most familiar with. It is the outermost layer of our being.

The second layer or body is called sukshma sharir – this is the subtle energy body. It is the beginning of our spiritual awareness and power.

The third layer or body is call karana sharir – the causal body. It holds the cause or reasons for our existence. It is here that all our karmic seeds are stored (more about that at a later time).

For most of our lives we are so absorbed in the senses with our attention flowing into the world that we do not realize, we are not aware, of the deeper experience that is right there within us.

I remember clearly the first experiences I had where I felt my subtle energy body many years ago. It was so striking. It felt like stepping into a dimension I had always carried within me, yet had never known existed.
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Opening up to my energy body and wanting to explore that was the real beginning of my spiritual journey. 
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Deep within your being there is a desire, soul desire. It is the desire to know yourself, your power and to use it in alignment in the world.

Society as it is now teaches us that being in the world, achieving according to benchmarks in the world is all there is for us here, when in reality we came here to learn to know ourselves.

It is this fundamental mistake of the reason why we are here that leaves so many drained and dissatisfied with life. No matter how much you achieve you cannot be fulfilled if you have not learn about yourself and your spiritual power.

You can read more about this dissatisfaction in my previous article – Why Success Isn’t Enough: the call to Spiritual Awakening.

Continuously working in the world and giving energy only to material achievements slowly depletes not only the physical being (as in burnout) but it also drains your subtle energy body.

When you are unaware of the subtle energy body, how it functions and how to manage it consciously – you lose balance and become disconnect, often without realizing it. As you lose that inner balance (or perhaps you never experienced it before) you become more and more powerless and ineffective in the world. Over time this disconnection erodes your vitality and sense of purpose.

Of course this is a recipe for suffering. And because we do not realize, we do not know what is really happening within our being – we go about trying to solve the problem in a material sense. Then “fixing” the problem becomes another way that we bring ourselves out of balance – as we devote more time, energy and attention outside ourselves.

But the moment you become more aware of this dimension of your being – the subtle energy body – and begin working with it, something amazing happens. As you start taking care of this deeper part of yourself you reconnect with your power allowing life to become rich and navigable again.

This is what I experience daily. The more I open up my awareness to the subtle energy body and practice working with my energy, the more I feel competent to face all of life’s challenges and enriched by my inner connection.

I see that this is also what my students and clients experience. Many have come to me solely for the reason of feeling dissatisfied even though materially they are accomplished. As they begin exploring their spiritual power through the subtle energy body they find their passion for life rekindled. They rediscover the joy for life that they thought was lost.
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Learning about our subtle energy body, exploring and experiencing it is one of the primary reasons we have come into this world. So when we begin that journey we feel a deep satisfaction within our soul urging us to continue the self-discovery.  
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​The Sanskrit word used to describe the energy body is “sukshma,” meaning subtle. Contemplating the meaning of this word opens the door to perceiving the subtle energy body.
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Subtle means difficult to understand, so delicate that it is hard to detect or describe, and even a very fine distinction. Essentially what is subtle is easily missed by someone who is not paying attention or who is caught up in more loud and apparent phenomena.

The energy body is of a different quality than the material body and senses, a subtle quality. It requires a very refined attention and awareness to observe.

It exists parallel to the physical body in the subtle dimension of existence, the energy dimension, yet has profound influence on the material.

This subtle energy body is a body of “prana.” Prana means life-force, energy, also in some ways – breath. That is why one of the main practices for opening up awareness of the subtle energy body is “pranayama,” the breathing exercises of yoga.

This body has two main features – “nadis” or energy channels and “chakras” or energy centers. 

The nadis allow for the flow of energy and opening up of consciousness. The chakras are like the organs of the energy body – they access and channel different vibrations and qualities of energy.
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The subtle energy body synchronizes perfectly with the physical biological body – stimulating it, driving it and controlling it. Really, we are operating through then energy body first, and that drives the physical – but we have lost awareness of this subtle inner operation. 
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If the subtle energy body is closer to our true identity, it’s a natural part of us, how is that we are so unaware of it, we can’t feel it and have to relearn our experience in it?

There are a few reasons for this.

The first is that when we choose to come here into our Earth experience, to enter the biological body at birth – a body that is still forming and incomplete. Our energy body has to enter into an immature body and go through that growing process with the body till it is fully mature.

In doing this we lose most of our awareness as spiritual beings and have to reawaken to it in these bodies later on in our life cycle.

The second reason is that just by coming into this world we place ourselves under the spiritual laws and universal principles that govern this world. According to yogic tradition this entire creation has a particular power, one of forgetfulness. That is called “maya,” a cosmic power of illusion that veils our Divine limitless nature.  Once we incarnate this power falls over us causing us to forget our fullness and perfection, and therefore lose awareness of our spiritual nature and the subtle energy body.

The final reason is that, even in the energy body there is maturation that has to happen. One of the reasons we choose to have a human experience is for the opportunity to use the physical body to work on our subtle energy body. So we might not be fully developed yet in the energy body and need to work on it more.

But even with all these reasons, our purpose remains unchanged: to awaken to our spiritual powers through the subtle energy body. By doing so you are fulfilling a major part of the purpose of your existence here on Earth.
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So how to begin? All yogic practices hold spiritual awakening, expansion of consciousness so that we can experience our subtle energy body and tap into its powers, as the goal – either overtly or covertly. But what most do not know is that the practices of asana, pranayama, mantra and dhyana are all preparation.

The primary way to awaken the subtle energy body, as is taught in my yogic tradition of Kundalini Mahayoga by my master Sri Vasudeva, is by association with someone who already has awareness of the subtle energy body, who has awakened their inner power of Kundalini.

Without this association with someone who is already awakened, all yogic practices take a long time to bear fruit. But with this association and the guidance that comes with it – awakening to your energy body becomes direct and immediately possible – often even within your first few sessions of deep practice.

Of course the more receptive you are and the more personal spiritual work you have done in preparation – the easier it becomes and more can be discovered quickly.

The awakened master becomes a living mirror. Their energy radiates like a magnetic field — attuning and activating those who come into contact with it. Because their energy body is alive and vibrant, it generates an energy field (similar to a magnetic field). And when we are in that field through association our own energy bodies become more vibrant, aligned and awake.

This is the secret. You do not have to do it alone. We came onto this Earth to have the opportunity of working with and interaction with so many other souls. Why not interact with those who will uplift us, guide us and help us to awaken ourselves. ​

​The Yoga Sutras, written by the great sage of yoga Patanjali – and perhaps the most well known ancient text for modern yoga practice, says:

This is his definition of yoga which translates to say “yoga is the suspensions of the whirlpools of the mind.”
All of the guidance he gives in the Yoga Sutras is aimed towards this goal – the stillness and clarity of the mind.

What most modern practitioners do not realize is that this stillness of the mind is the preparation for becoming aware of the subtle energy body. The sage gives this instruction and definition of Yoga knowing that if you are able to achieve this inner stillness of mind, then naturally the subtle energy body will be revealed in your experience.

Perhaps you have even had glimpses of this from your own practice of yoga, or even simply in moments of clarity and stillness that naturally comes in life.

When the mind becomes calm, and all agitation of thinking subsides, then like disturbed water settling, it becomes clear and we are able to perceive a different dimension of being – the subtle energy dimension.

A calm mind, that is not judging, expecting, projecting, remembering or asserting its own identity – has become a receptive mind. This receptivity is the key to sensing the subtle energy body, experiencing the flow of energy through the nadis (energy channels), and opening up the gateways to different levels of consciousness and energy through the chakras.  

From experience you will know there is no way to force yourself into a calm, peaceful state. You cannot beat your busy and restless mind into submission. The many practices of yoga give us a strategy to work with the mind to slowly cultivate inner peacefulness and openness.

This same idea is highlighted in the Bhagavad Gita – an ancient text in which the divine being Krishna counsels his friend and disciple, Arjuna, in the deep philosophy and practice of yoga amidst a raging war.

Krishna tells Arjuna that he must learn to tame the mind and bring it to peacefulness and stillness – and ever the realist Arjuna asks him incredulously – how can you say to do this… I feel the mind is like the raging wind – untamable.

Krishna shares with him that the restless mind, though wild like the wind, can be stilled — through abhyasa (disciplined practice) and vairagya (non-attachment).

These are the open secrets right there in these very well-known ancient texts of yoga. They are guiding us to open up awareness of the subtle energy body. They are giving these methods to awaken to your deep spiritual nature, but only to those who are able to recognize the instruction and understand what the outcome will be. 
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​Our life force, or prana, is being channeled from the subtle energy body into the physical. As you open up to more inner power, then more is available to you in the physical body for navigating and managing life.

As the three lower chakras (Root, Sacral and Navel) are developed we gain greater mastery over the physical body, health and vitality. These energy centers allow you to channel the light of the energy body in and through the physical.

It infuses the body with new vigor, allows you to recharge the nervous system and to connect powerfully through the five senses.

As the Heart chakra comes more into the light, we open up to the higher qualities of the heart. We are able to manage emotions with wisdom, we experience higher emotions like compassion and joy, and we are able to utilize the heart for healing.

As the Heart chakra opens and we channel more energy through it – a feeling of inner freedom grows within. The deeper beauty and richness of life is revealed, and we feel inspired to live in the world selflessly.

When the Throat and Brow chakras begin awakening – we begin accessing Divine intuition, knowledge, wisdom and higher intelligence. These are all powers that we hold within us, but remain mostly unexplored.  For many, these powers may have appeared only in fleeting glimpses.

But when you learn to work with energy and you become conscious of your energy body you can deliberately begin accessing these soul powers and use them meaningfully in navigating life.

This is how we are meant to live – in full awareness of our Divine power and able to use them for our journey here on Earth.
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Some of the deep unconscious dissatisfaction that we feel is because the soul knows it has these powers but cannot access them consciously. This creates deep inner struggle — a suffering that feels unnatural to the soul. That is why there is the deep longing to regain full consciousness of your Divine nature and utilize these powers that are rightfully yours. 

To live in continuous awareness of your subtle energy — even amid daily life — is the true goal of spiritual practice. This is what it means to be spiritually conscious - that you are aware of this spiritual dimension of life even while navigating life physically with all its twists and turns.

This is not a theory for me — it is how I live, just as my Guru taught me. Daily I wake up with the awareness of my chakras and how they are tapping into the bigger energy fields of the world. At any moment I can sense the energy moving in and around me. I work with the chakras to boost my body, to strengthen my relationships, to become inspired and access my soul knowledge and to live in a more conscious way.

This is what I share with my students not just a few postures and breathing exercises. But a whole different way of living that is built on spiritual awareness.

For me this ancient knowledge is our spiritual inheritance. It has come through the sacred lineages of India, but it belongs to all of humanity. And I believe this is the way of the future… understanding subtle energy and how to work with it will become a guiding philosophy for the world.

If opening up to this dimension of life is calling to you there are a few ways you can explore it.

You can begin by reading my book, Start Meditating Today. In it, I share the foundations of subtle energy awareness and practices you can begin immediately.

• Start Meditating Today on Amazon
  
  

If you are ready to begin working with energy through meditation and want direct guidance – you can check out my Online Meditation Membership. It has many video lectures, guided meditations, and opportunities for interaction with myself and my community.

• Online Meditation Membership – OMM
  
  

Or if you feel that you want to really begin working one-on-one seriously to develop your spiritual awareness you contact me directly for mentorship and coaching on your spiritual path.

• Contact Ved

Above all, know this: subtle energy awareness is worth awakening. It gives you access to the source code of life. It is the most rewarding path I have walked, and I’ve watched it transform the lives of my students, time and time again.
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It’s time to reclaim your Divine Powers. Namaskar – my soul bows to you.

Yet beneath all of the material success, the success that most work their entire lives for, there is this quiet question: "is this all there is? Why am I not fulfilled?"
It's as though even though all the accomplishments, accolades and worldly success are there, there is still an emptiness. 

This awareness that worldly achievements ultimately feel empty and lacking substance is one that I have had even as a very young person. As a teenager I did not feel a strong drive to achieve any material goals. I still did pursue that - with the encouragement from my parents. 

But always there was this awareness, I knew that no matter how much I "achieved" or gained, that it would not fill the emptiness I felt inside. 

It is a very difficult place to be because no one tells you that success could feel this empty. The whole world has pushed the message that if you achieve these goals then you should be happy and fulfilled. 

But that doesn't happen. 

It took me a long time to understand this but with guidance from my own spiritual teacher - the Guru from my yogic lineage - I did begin to see. 

The soul, the spiritual essence that we are, always seeks expansion. 

No matter what is achieved materially it can only satisfy you for a time - because then the soul longing inside will nudge you, will tell you, "I want more."

Most people never come to understand this feeling deeply. This strong desire for "more." But if you carefully observe your life you can. 

After a time of pursuing this "more" in the material space (more money, more houses, more cars, more relationships, etc) you will begin realizing that material accumulation cannot satisfy this desire for more. 

​Yet most people will attempt to satisfy it this way because what other way is there? This brings out a restlessness as you pursue this drive for more. Perhaps it can even drive you to burnout, numbness, or down paths that ultimately bring you defeat. 

​But these symptoms... these are all signals to help you understand that the desire for more cannot be fulfilled through material means. 

That is when you start to realize, there must be something else than the material... that is the beginning of seeking, the beginning of the spiritual path. Perhaps that is what has led you to here. ​
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The deepest part of your being is beginning to rouse from its long slumber amidst the material carnival of this world - and is longing to know its own power, its spiritual power. 

The soul is finally waking up to the reality that nothing material can ever bring permanent satisfaction. It begins to long for something more... inner self-mastery and to evolve spiritually. 

This is a really tough place  to be. Because on one hand you have everything you have ever worked for in your life, all your choices bringing you to this moment of success, yet still you feel unfulfilled. 

And on the other hand there is this growing awareness that somehow everything you have worked and attained pales in comparison to the next step that you must take if you want to continue to chase the deep desire for "more."

I have seen this play out many times over the years with my students and those who attend my workshops, retreats and classes. 

Everyone clearly feels this emptiness and the seeking for more, but only a few are able to take the step beyond what is familiar to begin exploring earnestly their spiritual awakening. 

Any kind of breakthrough is difficult to do... because something must "break." We have to be ready to begin seeing life differently and open up to some hard truths. 

Some people do turn back to what is safe. A life of continued material expansion. But a few cannot ignore the deep feeling. The soul has awakened to such a point that it would be a deception to ignore the thoughts, feelings and awareness that is coming. 
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This is the beginning of a new life, a life that attuned to the spirit, to the soul. It can be intensely uncomfortable and unsettling, both internally, your heart and mind - and externally, reorienting your life in surprising ways. 

Every yogi, mystic, enlightened one and master has passed through this gate of awakening. 

The prince Siddhartha was awakened to the suffering of the world on a chance walk outside of the palace in the city and went on to abandon his kingly acclaim. He struggled for a time, but then awakened to an entirely new kingdom, one of the soul, and became the Buddha, an enlightened one. 

I often think of my own life as two different lives. One in which I was deeply unconscious, ignorant of my real power and struggling with fulfillment in the world - and a second life that began after my energy awakening that began to lead me deeper into myself. 

​This new life is not one that abandons the old, but one that is informed by the past, and helps you to access a deeper part of yourself. 

There is so much more within you to be discovered and experienced - your spiritual powers through the subtle energy centers or chakras. 

As you journey on the path of awakening you discover an entirely new dimension of life - subtle energy. This is what happened for me... and this was the excitement I had to continue my spiritual exploration. 

This world of energy became alive for me and it was there all along waiting for me to discover it. This is one of the reasons why I continue to share yoga the way that I do. Because I wish that everyone could become aware of their subtle energy and the power that they hold. ​

In a world that worships doing, visible accomplishments, and accolades - the depth and profundity of the soul is often missed. 

But the reality is that which will bring your fulfillment is not something visible. It is a phenomenon that you can only experience within yourself. The moment you begin walking the spiritual path earnestly a different level of satisfaction arises within you. 

My students often say to me that the spiritual exploration is the most engaged and fulfilled they have ever felt with anything else in their lives. And I understand this feeling very well, because it was the same feeling that came to me and keeps me close to my spiritual path. 

It is a deep resonance of the soul knowing it is walking the path it was meant to. 

But many people struggle with taking the practical steps of making time for their spiritual process. Even though they feel the impact they do not make it priority and get absorbed in the busyness of the world. Coming back to the spiritual process only periodically using it as a balm for the stress of the world 

Others struggle with it because they feel an immensity surfacing within them. As famous poem by Marianne Williamson goes:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

As you begin acknowledging your awakening and taking positive action on your spiritual path, sometimes you begin feeling an intense fear arising. In my yogic tradition this fear is recognized as the fear of your great power Kundalini Shakti coming to life. 

Then there are those who struggle with the societal norms. It can be hard to step away from the programming that we are brought up with and to take a step back from everything you "think" life is supposed to be about.

But I am here to let you know... you can. You are meant to discover your power within and to begin harnessing it even more powerfully than you have been in your life. You are meant to become awake to the powers of the soul through the chakras. 

It takes real courage and honesty to take the steps you need to on your path. But I believe you can do it... as I have, as my students do, and as all the masters have done before us. 

This isn't about escaping your life. It's about deepening it and awakening to an entirely new dimension of life. 

I have constantly counselled my students that the point of spirituality is not to leave behind the world. But to fully awaken ourselves, recognize our place in it and reintegrate into the world with a more enlightened consciousness. 

Every aspect of your life was carefully chosen by your soul to support your spiritual process. It may not seem that way - but once you become more conscious and discerning you will begin realizing that the soul was planning its awakening from the very beginning. 

The goal of our spiritual process is not quick fixes to the problems of life, but true authentic inner transformation that allows us to navigate life skillfully. 

As you awaken your inner powers a new level of wisdom and mastery rises in your life. Then you begin seeing the circumstances of life as an opportunity for your soul to sport with life, to play with life, to adventure in life. 

Real spirituality is not renunciation. One may abandon their family, their possession and their place in the world only to find that as they wander alone, they are carrying it all in their hearts and minds. 

Real spirituality is about deep connection and understanding the perfect place of everything, including ourselves. 

Any genuine yogic lineage will have a systematic approach to the spiritual process that allows you to unfold your spiritual potential step-by-step, in way that enables you to engage with your life meaningfully. 

My own lineage - Kundalini Mahayoga - embraces the world and our play in it as an opportunity to grow awareness and develop our self-mastery of our spiritual powers through the chakras. Through spiritual discipline and exploration - we learn to surf with the waves of life - allowing it to take us to ever deeper self-discoveries. 

I spent those three years with her until she transitioned. Her death was what solidified the spiritual path for me. When she passed I saw her power as a yogini - she was the one who ensure that I was connected to the yogic path. She consciously held her body even as it became decrepit, and at the right moment she chose to depart. ​

I saw the power of the soul that night... and that has guided me ever since. 

After she passed I chose to spend time in an ashram with my Guru -Sri Vasudeva, where I began to learn how to really go deeper into spiritual practice. A couple years later I found myself on pilgrimage in the Himalayas to the ancient temple of Kedarnath. It was there in the presence of that ancient spiritual site and my spiritual master  that I understood my place in this world and the life of guiding others on the yogic path that was meant for me. 

Since that time I have stayed committed to the spiritual process and to supporting those who want to learn this path of Kundalini Mahayoga. Serving and supporting others in their own spiritual awakening - giving them the tools to walk the spiritual path skillfully, that is my commitment. 

If this speaks to you then know that you are meant for this path. I invite you to become more conscious and ask yourself what is it that you truly want in your life. And then take positive action in alignment with that. 

Let me affirm for you that you deserve to be fulfilled and satisfied in your life, and that can only come from meaningful spiritual growth. Our souls came her not just to enjoy and achieve materially, but also to explore its spiritual powers and identity. 

Unless we engage with sincerely we will continue to remain thirsty for "more."

Begin looking at this soul longing that you feel, the longing for more. And really examine if more material gains will give it to you... certainly there will be enough evidence in your life to see it. 

If you feel ready to explore meditation I invite you to take a look at my book - "Start Meditating Today." In it I share the basics of meditation, give important spiritual skills, and also invite you to contemplate some bigger spiritual possibilities. 

If you are ready for a much more structured approach you can join the waitlist for my Online Meditation Membership. It is a tremendous resource and has many opportunities for spiritual exploration. 

Finally for those who want the quickest results and the most support - I invite you to contact me directly and I can offer some advice on how to proceed. 
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Consider what would truly make you fulfilled. It is not just material success - but Soul success. 

The Enlightened masters constantly remind us - it is not mastery over the external world that defines success - but mastery over oneself. The moment you begin walking that path of self-mastery, you are finally taking charge of life at a deeper level. 

You can experience something greater, the spiritual dimension of energy, the power of your soul through the chakras, and your deepest nature of satchitananda, conscious-blissful-being.

But it begins with walking your spiritual path, honoring the soul longing that you feel and acting in alignment with it. I urge you to give attention to that soul desire. Sometimes it might be crowded out by the external experiences of the world, but again and again it will rise until you begin walking the spiritual path that is meant for you. 

When you are ready to walk that path, and you seek support to do so skillfully, do reach out and connect with me. It would bring me no greater joy than to support your awakening, and by extension the awakening of our world. 

Namaskar. My soul bows to you.