The process of invoking the divine feminine through the spiritual practice of tantra to experience balance and harmony in life requires an important understanding of the subtle body energies. Volumes and volumes have been written on this topic, and much of this knowledge is esoteric and never recorded. I will try to give you a short and concise understanding to begin with, a “tantric snack” as one unfriendly observer dubbed it–a condescending taunt of my encouragement of self, rather than guru driven tantric exploration. Despite the rude intent I actually like the term so here goes your tantric snacky-snack:
There is our physical body, and our subtle body. A subtle body is described as a series of psycho-spiritual components made of energy, and is not visible with the naked eye or medical technology. Movement, flow, and balance of these energies, affected by meditation, breath, and arousal permeate all aspects of life by dictating perspective and consciousness at all times.
There at least four subtle bodies:
- Etheric body – prana (the breath)
- Astral – desires, emotions (chakras)
- Mental – concrete (lower mind)
- Causal – abstract (higher mind)
(Each) subtle body is an energy field which has a structure, which influences and gives life to the physical body. This body has several interconnected layers, but of interest here are the first four: the etheric body, the template of and interface with the physical body, where sensation is perceived; the astral/emotional body, which relates to the individual’s emotional state; the mental body, which contains the thinking patterns; and the causal body, the soul or level of higher intuition. ~Roz Carroll [Read more...]
