Subtle Body Yoga

“Without the body, enlightenment is impossible.” Shakyamuni Buddha, Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra

These words, spoken by the Buddha, have echoed in my bones throughout my journey. Yet how often we bypass the body, imagining awakening as a disembodied state somewhere above the mess of flesh and feeling. The subtle body path reveals the opposite. It invites us to enter the gateway of the body—not as obstacle, but as sacred vessel.

The subtle body is not merely an energetic system to master. It is the whisper of wisdom moving through channels, the wind of mind riding breath, the unfolding of our deepest knowing. It is how form and formlessness meet within us.

The Threefold Journey

In our Subtle Body Practice, we move through three profound stages:

1. Awakening the Body: Through postures, movements, and breath, we begin to inhabit the body fully—relaxing tension, releasing holding patterns, and learning to listen to the felt sense with reverence.
2. Clearing the Channels: We then work with the inner landscape—purifying the pathways (nadis), softening resistance, and allowing wind-energy (lung) to flow unimpeded. The subtle body becomes a clear mirror for the mind.
3. Resting in Union: With the channels open and breath attuned, we rest in natural awareness—effortless, luminous, and embodied. The body is no longer a separate thing—it is the mandala of awakening.

Why the Body Matters

In Vajrayana, the body is not inferior to the mind—it is the seat of mind’s expression. The karmic winds, the subtle imprints of habit and trauma, all live in the energetic fabric of the body. If we do not include the body, we leave out the very place where transformation must take root.

When I practiced in the Mongolian steppe during my 108 Springs Retreat, there was no yoga mat, no heater—just wind, bone, and breath. There, I realized that the body doesn’t need to be fixed. It needs to be felt. Loved. Trusted. And then, it reveals its secrets.

The Feminine Embodied Lineage

Subtle Body Practice, in our lineage, arises not just from the scriptures, but from lived experience—especially through the body-wisdom of female practitioners. This is an ear-whispered way, subtle and intimate, passed not through institutions but through the breath of life itself.

Here, we honor the mystery and precision of the energetic body. And we honor it as our birthright—not only for advanced yogis, but for all sincere seekers.

“To awaken is not to rise above the body, but to descend so fully into it that nothing is left out.”