What are subtle bodies and how many are there
The five gradually subtle bodies that make up the personality are described in the classics of yoga. People are made up of a material body made from the food they eat. Those who take care of this body are feeding on the universe itself.
Inside, it is another body made of life energy. It fills the physical body and takes shape. Those who perceive this life force as divine gain excellent health and longevity because this energy is the source of physical life.
Within the life force there is another body created from the energy of thought. It fills two denser bodies and has the same shape. Those who understand and control the mental body no longer suffer from fear.
Deeper still lies another body made of intelligence. It permeates three denser bodies and takes the same form. Those who are aware free themselves of unhealthy thoughts and actions and develop the composure necessary to achieve their goals.
An even more subtle body is hidden within him, consisting of pure joy. It penetrates into other bodies and has the same shape. It feels like happiness, delight and bliss.
These five bodies are called "scabbards" in Sanskrit, because each one fits into the next like a sword. Only the densest is made of matter; the other four are energy states that are invisible to the physical eye, although it is easy to feel their presence within if you pay close attention to them. Since the internal bodies are the source of well-being throughout life and are the vehicles in which people travel after death, ancient Indian yogis developed specific exercises to strengthen each one in turn.
Second body
In yoga this is called annamaya kosha. But yoga also gives insight into the second body, the organizing field that holds the material body together. It is the life energy that governs biological processes, from breathing to digestion and blood circulation. This is called qi in Chinese medicine and prana in yoga.
The energy body in yoga is called prana-maya kosha. When it stops functioning, the physical body can no longer work. The heart and lungs stop working, and cells begin to disintegrate.
Third body
The third sheath, or mental body, is the apparatus responsible for sensory and motor activity and everyday awareness when people function "automatically."
It is a body created from thought processes. This body operates from the moment of the first breath to the last, but the body is temporarily shut off daily, restoring itself to a state of deep sleep.
The mental body "feeds" on the sensory impressions that people offer it.
Fourth body
More subtle is the vijnanamaya kosha (power of judgment). It is often translated as "intellect", but its real meaning is broader, it encompasses all functions of the higher mind, including conscience and will.
The activated fourth shell is what distinguishes humans from animals. Only humans have the ability to direct their own lives, free from the impulses of instinct, and to make moral choices. The sages considered the development of a healthy 4th body so important that they put exercises for it at the very beginning of the yoga system.
Fifth body
In the vast majority of people, the fifth shell is completely underdeveloped. This is anandamaya kosha, the subtlest body. Usually only saints, sages and true mystics have done the inner work for the development of the fifth body.
