Each of us is made up of body, mind and spirit and in order to become a whole person, these three aspects have to be brought into harmony.

We are all aware that we have a physical body. It is the tangible part of us, the part we can touch. We also acknowledge the mind, some people being better able to control this than others. But when we mention the spiritual part of our being, we find there are people who would like to believe in this aspect of themselves, those who half believe in it, and those who completely dismiss it. On the other hand, there are the few for whom it has become a reality.

Coming back to our physical body, most people have some idea of how it is made up and how it works. They may not comprehend its functions in detail but they know that it consists of a skeletal system which is supported and made mobile by muscles. They appreciate that inside the torso are organs which constitute the various systems of the body – such as the digestive, circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems – all of which work in perfect harmony when given the right conditions. Covering the outside of the body is the skin which is waterproof and covered with tiny hairs which act as antennae. The whole of the physical body is composed of cells which are constantly dying and being replaced; and a large percentage of the body is fluid which makes it subject to the phases of the moon.

The physical body is a living organism, and as such is constantly changing and moving, even though we think that we are sitting or standing still. This constant movement sets up a vibrational frequency which differs for each organ, muscle, gland, bone and skin, and which is unique to each individual. These vibrational frequencies are akin to the vibrational frequencies of the many shades of the eight major colours we have already discussed. These frequencies can also be attuned to sound, and when this is done the individual becomes a symphony of modulating harmonies. If a person becomes ill, we can liken them to an instrument going out of tune. At the same time, the colours which radiate from the body either become a dingy, murky shade of the original colour or change into a completely different colour. The principle of colour therapy is to administer the colour or colours which the sick person is lacking, in order to retune and bring their body back into harmony.

If the body has become diseased, there must be a cause. Unless the cause is found and worked with, no matter how many times one 'retunes' the body with colour it will repeatedly go out of tune. An example which I frequently give is of someone hitting their head against a wall. No matter how much arnica is applied to the bruising, it will not be healed unless the person stops hitting their head against the wall. When a person attends for colour therapy, we try to find the cause through counselling. Once the cause has been uncovered, only the patient can resolve it, for as individuals, we are the only people who can be responsible for our own lives and bodies.

The Aura

Apart from our physical body, we also have a subtle body surrounding us which is known as the aura or electromagnetic field. The size of this varies with each individual, depending upon their spiritual awareness – the aura of the Buddha is reported to have extended for three miles!

The aura is ovoid in shape, the widest part being near the head and the smallest near the feet.

The aura is made up of six sheaths or layers, all of them interpenetrating each other and the physical body. There are six layers which constitute the subtle body: the etheric or energy body which extends about two inches from the physical body; the astral or emotional body; the mental body; the higher mental body; the causal body; and the bodyless body. Each of these subtle bodies contains energy centres or chakras radiating colours which mingle and penetrate each other, thereby filling the aura with a cascade of ever-changing rainbows. The colours in the etheric sheath are quite dense, but as we pass through the other layers the colours emanated by their respected chakras become much finer and ethereal. As I have already said, these colours change with our moods and health patterns.

The Bodyless Body

Taking each of these layers separately, the bodyless body is referred to by many religions as the 'divine spark' or the 'true essence' – the eternal or spiritual part of us which will eventually return to God or the cosmic ocean of consciousness. Many people find this theory very difficult to grasp. In the Chandogya Upanishad it is described thus:

Svetaketu Aruneys, a boy who was proud of his knowledge of sacred wisdom, was asked by his father if he knew about the spiritual, eternal essence which was contained in all beings. The boy said that he did not and asked his father to teach him. The father said: 'Believe me my son, an invisible and subtle essence is the spirit of the whole universe. That is Reality. That is Atman. Thou art that.'

'Explain more to me, father,' said Svetaketu.

'So be it my son. Place this salt in water and come to me tomorrow morning.'

Svetaketu did as he was commanded, and in the morning his father said to him: 'Bring me the salt you put into the water last night.'

Svetaketu looked into the water but could not find it, for it had dissolved.

His father then said: 'Taste the water from this side. How is it?'

'It is salt.'

'Taste it from the middle. How is it?'

'It is salt.'

'Taste it from that side. How is it?'

'It is salt.'

'Look for the salt again and come to me.'

The son did so saying: 'I cannot see the salt, I only see water.'

His father then said: 'In the same way, O my son, you cannot see the spirit, but in truth he is here. An invisible and subtle essence is the spirit of the whole universe. That is Reality. That is Truth. Thou art that.'

For many of my yoga students, this story has made this reality much easier to understand.

The Causal Body

The next sheath is the casual body. This contains the record of our previous incarnations – the lessons we have learnt, and the experience and knowledge we have mastered. It also contains the cause or reason why we have incarnated into our present life. When we choose to incarnate into a physical body, we choose the parents and the environment which will give us the experiences that we need in order to evolve and grow nearer to out source of origin. We also know what our tasks and challenges are for the life span which we have chosen. Unfortunately, from the minute we are born we are subject to conditioning which makes us forget our plan. We then become like travellers working our way across strange country without a map. Sometimes, in moments of silence, we are given insight and inspiration which helps us forward. These are rememberings from the causal body which have managed to filter through to our conscious mind via the higher mental body. When, after many incarnations and through discipline, a person is able to identify with the divine spark within, then they are able to recall past lives at will.

The Higher Mental Body

The fifth sheath, the higher mental body, is where our intuition lies. It is through this body that we are able to communicate, be inspired and taught by the masters who have walked the earth and are now in the world of spirit. It is also where our own true divine self is able to instruct and guide us. For seventy-five per cent of the population, these higher sheaths or levels of consciousness are undeveloped. The best way to gently work with them is through guided meditation and by following a spiritual discipline. This normally happens at the exact moment when an individual is ready to move forward.

The Mental Body

The fourth layer, the mental body, is where thought patterns accumulate. Each thought that we think creates a pattern or form. These accumulate in the mental body and can be projected out into the environment, surrounding us with thought forms which we and other individuals have created. If we think unkind thoughts about another person, we project these thoughts in form shapes to that person. The more powerful the thought, the more damage it can do. These thought forms also attract the thought forms surrounding us which are of a similar nature. Therefore, if we think negative thoughts we will attract negative thought forms; likewise, positive thoughts attract positive thought forms. From this, we can see how important it is to stand back and look at what we are thinking and if it is at all negative, to change it into something positive. This is far from easy, but with a little practice it can be achieved. There is a lovely story of the Buddha being in the presence of a person who was mentally throwing daggers at him. When they reached his aura, he changed them into beautiful flowers before sending them back.

The Astral Body

The third sheath is the astral or emotional body. In most people this is frequently in a state of imbalance as they allow their emotions to rule them – one day they may be full of the joys of spring, and the next be depressed and miserable. In yoga, this is likened to the pendulum on a clock, constantly swinging from left to right from joy to despair. If we can learn to climb up the pendulum to the point where it is attached to the clock, we will experience equilibrium because it is at this point that all movement ceases. In other words, it is here that we can learn to detach from our emotions in order to see them for what they really are.

People who are highly emotional create a great deal of stress in their body. This prevents the body from functioning at its full potential and subsequently it becomes diseased. It is well known, for example, that stomach ulcers are strongly related to emotional stress.

The Etheric Body

The sheath nearest to the physical body is the etheric. The etheric and physical body are very closely interwoven and disintegrate together at death. Every physical particle has its etheric counterpart which is a perfect replica of the physical form. This is why it is known as the etheric double, and why people who have had a limb amputated can still feel pain or sensation from it – it is still present in its etheric form. The etheric lays down the basic pattern upon which the physical body is built. This means that the resilience of the physical body is directly related to the tone and quality of the etheric body. To the clairvoyant, the etheric body resembles a luminous web of fine bright lines of force known as nadis. In a healthy person, these stand at right angles to the physical body, but in a person who is ill or tired and depleted of energy these lines are seen to droop, similar to a plant in need of water. The three main nadis are the central channel, the sushumna, pingala on the right and ida on the left. Ida and pingala start at the base chakra at the base of the spine, and move around each chakra in an upward spiral until they terminate at the brow chakra. The pattern which they make is that of the caduceus, the symbol used by the medical profession.

The most important function of the etheric body is the transference of life energy from the universal field via the etheric body to the physical body. This life force is known as prana. On a bright sunny day prana is in abundance and can be seen as minute glowing particles in the atmosphere. Prana is the reason we feel good when the sun shines.

The Chakras

The transference of prana takes place through the seven main energy centres or chakras which are situated along the etheric spine. These force centres can be found in each of the six layers constituting the aura, but their primary importance is at the etheric level. They are both the transformers and the transmitters of energy for each of the layers. In appearance they resemble a wheel, the Sanskrit word chakra meaning a wheel or circle. The energies rhythmically pulsate and circulate through the core of this wheel, and resemble the petals of a flower. In Indian philosophy, the chakras are likened to lotus flowers, and the number of petals given to each flower is in alignment with its energies. These centres are never still, but the speed with which they rotate depends to some extent upon the state of health of the individual.

Five of the major chakras in the etheric body are in alignment with the spine, while the sixth and seventh are located between the eyebrows and just above the crown of the head, respectively. The size of these centres is related to an individual's personal development. In an undeveloped person the chakras will be small in size, slow in movement and dull in colour. In a more intelligent and sensitive person, they will be larger in size, faster in movement, and brighter in colour. In a newborn baby, the chakras are about three centimetres across.

To each of these centres is ascribed a dominant colour, and each centre has a special link with one of the endocrine glands and with certain physical organs. In order to understand the importance of these centres and their associated endocrine glands, let us look at each one in turn.

Matthew Bakewell

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