What is The Radiant Body in Kundalini Yoga?

Mar 06, 2020 / Kundalini Yoga

Woman smiling wearing white sleeveless lace shirt

“You have ten bodies: spiritual body, mental negative, mental positive, mental neutral, physical body, arc body, auric body, subtle body, pranic body, and radiant body, and they all are intertwined.”
– Yogi Bhajan

Your radiant body is true beauty encapsulated. If you’re new to the world of Kundalini Yoga, understanding the terminology that applies to the practice is essential on your journey. Don’t worry; there are many new interesting ideas and concepts that you will learn in time.

One that you may have heard of before now is the radiant body and, of course, the ten bodies of Kundalini Yoga. If you’re uncertain of what it all means, you’ve come to the right place. Within this guide, we will take a look at the radiant body, why it’s important to your practice, and how to strengthen it.

What is the Radiant Body?

“With the radiant body, you can enter the room and even if your makeup is not looking good or you are not feeling good, if your radiant body is very good, your presence works, its grace works.”
– Yogi Bhajan

According to the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, we do not have one body; we have ten bodies. Each of these bodies applies to different elements of being; the soul, the mind, the physical body, the arcline, the auric body, the pranic body, and the subtle body. The tenth body in Kundalini Yoga is known simply as the radiant body.

Note: There is also an eleventh body, the one which is formed when the ten elements come together to finally make a complete union.

The radiant body is a key element in the Kundalini Yoga teachings. It rests toward the edge of our aura and emits our royalty, excellence, and inner light. While many people use material things — such as expensive clothing or styling — to make themselves look attractive, working on the radiant body is a natural way in which to do this. It is about showing your authentic self in its truest light and allowing it to beam outward.

Why is the Radiant Body Important?

“The tragedy is, you do not know how beautiful you are! Once you discover your own beauty you become givers. Beauty is innocent and bright.”
– Yogi Bhajan

Now that you understand the fundamentals of the radiant body, we can delve into what it signifies and means to each individual. When you begin your yogic journey and start to understand your bodies, you will learn the importance of caring for the radiant body.

Understanding the underlying importance of the radiant body could be key to your experience. When you truly take ownership of the tenth body, you may find that you feel more joyous, creative, and happier in yourself. Strengthening it can lead to higher levels of courage, nobility, creativity, and brilliance. For that reason, we focus our intentions on doing all we can to support it and develop through the daily actions we take.

Steps Toward Strengthening Your Radiant Body

“Every human has to have his armor—the radiant body, shining. To polish the radiant body is a very polite and simple thing to do.”
– Yogi Bhajan

Strengthening your radiant body is an ongoing process and one which you can practice each day. There is an entire myriad of ways that you can enhance the tenth body and you will learn more about it as you take your yogic journey. However, for beginners, there are four small yet significant lifestyle changes you can make. Here are the steps you may wish to take toward strengthening your radiant body one day at a time.

1. Dress in white clothing

The color white is a powerful one that denotes all the colors of the rainbow spectrum. Choosing to dress in white clothing is a simple way in which we can strengthen our radiant body. This tone reflects light outward and enables your radiance to shine through without any barrier to stand in the way. Selecting a wardrobe of plain, crisp, white clothes when you can do so may change the way in which you feel each day.

2. Respect your hair

Governing the tenth body, your hair is essential to your radiance and brilliance. If you’re hoping to strengthen your radiant body, you may wish to start with your hair. Taking great care of this aspect of your physicality washing and brushing it well, could help you feel and look more joyous. Leaving your hair to grow naturally will help you to give your radiant body more energy.

3. Repeat empowering mantras

Should you feel weak in yourself or lack the confidence you need, the cause could be that your radiant body is not strong. One of the ways in which you can strengthen it is to repeat a mantra. Needless to say, there are many mantras from which to choose. Decide on one which makes you feel a sense of optimal power. Doing so will help you move forward.

For example, you may find that the Gobinday Mukunday mantra helps you to boost this body. Repeat the full words ‘Gobinday Mukunday Udaaray Apaaray Hariang Kariang Nirnamay Akamay,’ translating as ‘Sustainer, Liberator, Enlightener, Infinite, Destroyer, Creator, Nameless, Desireless’. Practice this mantra for around 11 minutes.

4. Practice the Archer Pose

The radiant body is symbolic of the warrior saint, which is why it is intrinsically linked to the Archer Pose. Practicing this yoga pose will help you to boost your resilience, courage, and honor. As you take on the posture, you will metaphorically become a spiritual warrior, which is an effective way to unlock the radiant body. You may wish to begin each day with this Kundalini Yoga pose and use it as a way to enhance your self-value and confidence.

Enhance Your Radiant Body!

Have you just begun your Kundalini Yoga practice? Now that you’re on the path, you may wish to start enhancing your radiant body. Doing so does not have to cause you any stress, worry, or concern. Instead, you can simply add some yogic methods to your everyday life and use them as a part of your routine. When you start to strengthen the tenth body, you will see a true difference in how you feel and how people respond to you.