Awakening to Your Ten Bodies

Inhabit Your Full Self

This powerful kriya is said to awaken and energize all ten of your bodies, both gross and subtle. Each body plays a role in your overall well-being, and this practice aims to put you in touch with all of them.

Illustration of Helen doing Kundalini Yoga stretch pose.

1. Stretch Pose

Posture & Mudra: Lie on your back and raise your head, feet, and hands six inches off the ground, Bring the chin in toward the chest and hold the arms alongside the body or above the thighs, with the palms facing the body. Keep the sacrum pressed against the floor, building energy at your navel point.

Breath: Powerful Breath of Fire.

Eyes/Drishti: Focus on your toes.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

2. Nose to Knees

Posture & Mudra: Lying down, tuck your knees into your chest and hug the legs with your arms.

Movement & Breath: Bring your forehead close to your knees and continue Breath of Fire.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Illustration of Helen laying down with knees towards chest and head between knees

Illustration of Helen doing ego erradicator posture

3. Ego Eradicator

Posture & Mudra: Sit in Celibate Pose (Brahmacharyasana) or Easy Pose (Sukhasana) and raise your arms up and out to the sides at a 60-degree angle with the palms facing forward. Curl your fingertips in to touch the bases of your fingers. Extend your thumbs straight up with the hands parallel to the ground.

Breath: Breath of Fire.

Eyes/Drishti: Close your eyes and focus on your Third Eye Point (Ajna Chakra).

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Ending:

Inhale, suspend the breath and touch your thumb tips together overhead; open your fingers wide.
Exhale and apply Root Lock (Mula Bandha), with the breath held out.
Then inhale, exhale while slowly lowering the arms, and relax.

4. Alternate Life Nerve Stretch

Posture & Mudra: Sit up straight with legs wide apart and stretch your arms up overhead.

Movement & Breath: Inhale, then exhale and bend forward, reaching for the toes of your left foot. Inhale and come up, then exhale and repeat on the right side. Alternate sides continuously, bending from the hips and keeping the spine straight.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Illustration of Helen doing the Awakening to Your Ten Bodies - Exercise 4

Illustration of Helen doing the Awakening to Your Ten Bodies - Exercise 5

5. Center Life Nerve Stretch

Posture & Mudra: Maintain the wide-legged position and hold onto the toes of both feet.

Movement & Breath: Exhale and stretch your forehead down towards the floor, keeping the spine straight, then inhale and come back up.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

6. Spinal Flex in Sukhasana

Posture & Mudra: Sit in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) and grasp your shins or ankles.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and flex your spine, rocking the pelvis forward. Exhale and round your back, keeping your head level and arms straight.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

7. Spinal Flex in Vajrasana

Posture & Mudra: Sit on your heels in Rock Pose (Vajrasana) with your hands on your thighs.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and arch your spine forward, then exhale and round your back, keeping the head and shoulders stable.

Eyes/Drishti: Focus on your Third Eye Point (Ajna Chakra).

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

8. Spinal Twists

Posture & Mudra: Remain on your heels in Rock Pose (Vajrasana) and grasp your shoulders with your fingers in front and thumbs behind. Keep your elbows high and upper arms parallel to the ground.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and twist the torso to the left, then exhale and twist to the right.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Illustration of Helen sitting in rock pose, shoulders grasping with fingers in front and thumbs behind, elbows are keep high and upper arms parallel to the ground.

Illustration of Helen sitting in rock pose with hands on shoulder and wrists touching the back of her neck.

9. Elbow Lifts

Posture & Mudra: Maintain the posture and shoulder hold from the previous exercise.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and raise your elbows up so the back of your wrists touch behind your neck. Exhale and lower your elbows back to shoulder height.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

10. Arm Pumps

Posture & Mudra: Sit in Rock Pose (Vajrasana) and interlace your fingers in Venus Lock.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and, keeping the arms straight, raise the mudra up over your head, then exhale and bring it back just above your lap.

Duration: Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Illustration of Helen sitting in rock pose, arm pumps in upward and downward motion.

Illustration of Helen sitting in easy pose with shoulders shrug. upward motion with one shoulder

11. Alternate Shoulder Shrugs

Posture & Mudra: Sit in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) with your hands on your knees.

Movement & Breath: Inhale as you shrug the left shoulder up. Exhale as you lower it and raise the right shoulder.

Duration: Continue for 1 minute. Then reverse the movement, so you inhale as you raise the right shoulder, and continue for 1 more minute.

12. Shoulder Shrugs

Posture & Mudra: Remain in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) with your hands on your knees.

Movement & Breath: Shrug both shoulders at the same time, inhaling up and exhaling down.

Duration: Continue for 1 minute.

Illustration of Helen sitting in easy pose with Shoulder shrugs

Illustration of Helen sitting in easy pose with hands on knees and head towards one side, doing neck turns.

13. Neck Turns

Posture & Mudra: Remain in the same posture with a light Neck Lock (Jalandhara Bandha).

Movement & Breath: Inhale and turn your head to the left, then exhale and turn to the right.

Duration: Continue for 1 minute. Then reverse the movement, so you inhale as you turn to the right, and continue for 1 more minute.

Ending: Inhale to center, concentrate at the Third Eye Point (Ajna Chakra), and slowly exhale.

14. Frog Pose

Posture & Mudra: Squat with your heels together, and off the ground. Place your fingertips on the ground between your knees, and face forward.

Movement & Breath: Inhale and straighten your legs, keeping your fingers on the ground, bringing the head down and the hips up. Exhale and return to the starting squat position. Breathe and move powerfully and quickly.

Duration: Continue for 54 repetitions.

15. Relaxation

Posture & Mudra: Lie comfortably on your back in Corpse Pose (Savasana).

Mindful Attention: Allow your body to rest deeply.

Suggested Duration: Continue for 3-5 minutes.

16. Laya Yoga Meditation

Posture & Mudra: Sit in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) with your hands resting on your knees in Gyan Mudra.

Mantra & Breath: Chant the mantra “EK ONG KAR(UH) SAT NAM(UH) SIRI WA(UH) HE GURU“. On “EK” pull the Navel Point in lightly, and hold. Lift the diaphragm up firmly as you chant each line of the mantra. The “UH” sound is created as the diaphragm powerfully moves up, not pronounced with the mouth or voice. Relax the Navel Point and abdomen on “HE GURU”. Suggested recording: Laya Yoga Meditation by Gurucharan Khalsa. LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/54i2Uxs2EgMdbQW7iLhbzO

Mindful attention: Focus on the breath and visualizing the sound/energy traveling up your spine from the base to the top in 3 ½ counterclockwise spirals (as if looking down at a clock on the floor).

Duration: Continue for 11-31 minutes. The time can be decreased if necessary.

Illustration of woman sitting in easy pose with hands in Gyan mudra