#3

There is something about the #3 that I love....something that feels balanced and just right...and it got me thinking. Most importantly, I have 3 kids.....whenever I kiss my kids goodnight, the kisses come in a group of 3....Greg and I have lived in 3 homes together...when i buy multiple presents for someone, it always has to be 3 (not 2 or 4)....i have 3 stacks of books on my coffee table...there are 3 big pillows on my bed...Jax's birthday is April 3rd...and lastly, the one I want to focus on, are the 3 bodies of yoga, which my teacher recently spoke a lot about in class.

The Hatha yoga system proposes that there are three major bodies through which the soul permeates-- the physical body, the astral body and the causal body. The physical body refers to just that...your actual body as you experience it in birth, growth, change and death. The physical body is also one that in this day and age, is given a lot of attention to, both in positive and negative ways.  On the plus side, one's physical health is highlighted greatly now by society at large. What better example than the First lady, Michelle Obama's, "Let's Move" initiative to combat childhood obesity. Then of course there are television shows like The Biggest Loser that are getting people to bring attention to their health and physical body in a supportive and healthy way. However, with this tremendous amount of positive attention also comes a lot of pressure on men and women and even children to look a certain way. But from a yoga perspective, I'd like to highlight the physical body in the way of really thinking about and paying attention to how your body moves and supports your day to day actions. Just the other day in class, my yoga teacher C spent an entire class just talking about our feet...really feeling our feet. Did you know that you have 26 bones in your foot? Bringing this kind of attention to your body is not only fascinating, but also made me think how grateful and lucky I am to have a body that is healthy. I have a physical body that is able to do so much, and there are so many people who can't necessarily do simple day to day activities. And with this attention to move my physical body that way that I do in yoga, I am also able to tap in to physical strength, which is truly connected to my mental strength. When I have a moment in class where I feel like I just can't hold a pose for a second longer, because it physically feels like I can't, I am reminded that the phrase "mind over matter" is real.

The astral body, or the subtle body, is related to the mind and body chakra system. There are seven chakras, or energy centers, in the body. These points of energy are associated with particular functions within the body and with specific life issues and the way we handle them...within ourselves and in our interactions with the world. Basically, (without getting into the nitty gritty),  in life, you need to know when to work outward and when to work inward. And maybe you are somewhere in between. I am definitely finding that big transitional things that happen in my life make me think about this very idea. Where do I need to put  my attention in the present moment?

Lastly is the casual body, which contains the soul and your connection to a power higher than you. This is a spiritual idea that raises a lot of questions, a lot of thoughts, and a lot of opinions. Is there a God? Do you believe that there is a power bigger and higher than you? Is there more to this life then what we are experiencing here on this Earth? Given all that I've experienced in my 34 years of life, combined with my commitment to my yoga practice, I've definitely given this a lot of thought. So where do I stand? Well, it's definitely something I am continuing to figure out about myself, but I will say this...I believe that there is more than this life. I believe that those people in my life that I have loved and I have lost are having new experiences somewhere else, and I believe that if you really take the time to notice yourself and your surroundings, their energies and presence can be felt in the most loving and reassuring ways. Everything might just happen for a reason, it's understanding the reason that's the hard part sometimes....

Namaste.