Subtle Body Energy: Awakening and Experiencing Your Inner Flow

Working with our subtle body energy through yoga opens a multifaceted experiential landscape. By exploring energy within the body, we can access healing, awareness, and balance. Yoga Therapy training has deepened my understanding of how energy manifests, and I am continually fascinated by the diverse ways the body repairs itself.

Understanding Subtle Body Energy and Fascia

Our bodies are wrapped in fascia, a tightly wound bundle of muscle fibers forming a key part of our subtle body. Trauma and stress can create blocks in fascia, storing subtle body energy in the form of tension. Yoga provides a safe environment to explore these patterns. Over time, this practice can retrain the nervous system to release old habits and awaken more fully into your Self.

Identifying Energy Holds in the Body

You can begin working with your subtle body energy through meditation:

• Find a comfortable space on your yoga mat, cushion, or carpet.

• You may lie down or sit upright, keeping your shoulders relaxed.

• If lying down, inhale deeply and exhale with a long sigh.

• If seated, root down through your sit bones, engage your navel toward your spine, and lift your heart naturally.

This posture helps you connect to your energy and notice subtle physical and emotional sensations.

Guided Subtle Body Energy Meditation

Bring awareness to your breathing and subtle body energy:

1. Begin counting backward from 10 to 1 with each inhale and exhale.

2. Scan your body from head to toe, noticing areas of tension or fatigue.

3. Acknowledge any emotional or physical holding without judgment.

If muscles resist release, gently flex them—this can sometimes encourage relaxation and energy flow.

Deepening Awareness and Consciousness

Focus on the center of your forehead. Visualize a blank, black screen—your consciousness. Allow subtle body energy to radiate through this space. Let thoughts arise and dissolve naturally, like waves in an ocean.

Pause here in reflection. Notice the part of you that observes without judgment. This awareness is essential to connecting with your subtle body energy.

Returning to the Body and Journaling

After meditation:

• Move your fingers and toes, noticing sensations.

• Sit upright, hands at the heart, acknowledging your physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual bodies.

• Journal briefly about insights and sensations, grounding your subtle body energy awareness.

Journaling acts as a safe outlet to process unconscious emotions. For more guidance, consider techniques from Dr. James W. Pennebaker, who studies expressive writing for trauma healing.

Journaling After Meditation

Journaling helps ground meditation into the present moment. Ask yourself:

• What is one takeaway from this session?

• How do I feel physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually?

Write brief statements and note any judgments or limiting beliefs. If these arise, consider self-forgiveness and reflection.

Seeking Professional Support

If meditation surfaces strong emotions or past trauma, working with a trained professional is recommended. Yoga Therapists, Counselors, or Therapists can help release energetic blocks safely. Learn more about our Yoga Therapy courses to explore structured support.

Possible Outcomes of Meditation

Even a short somatic session can bring emotions or trauma to the surface. Allow sensations to arise and dissipate naturally. Release any awareness of tension or discomfort. Journaling acts as a tool to process unconscious emotions.

Studies, such as Dr. James W. Pennebaker’s work at the University of Texas, show that expressive writing can help release negative emotions and restore balance. Avoid rereading your writing, unless guided by a professional.

Allowing the Experience to Unfold

You may notice euphoria or deep connection to your physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Each experience is unique—let go of expectations. Sensation changes constantly, so allow your practice to unfold gently.

Drawing Conclusions and Moving Forward

Yoga and meditation create opportunities for self-inquiry and insight. By peeling back layers without judgment, we can glimpse our true nature. Each emotion, sensation, and experience invites us back to our source of compassion and loving kindness.

~Michelle