The Five Dimensions of Being Human – Yoga in the Hospital

According to ancient yoga tradition, humans are composed of five dimensions: physical body, energy, intellect, wisdom, and heart.  In this model, called the Panchamaya, these dimensions are interconnected – each level can affect every other level.  For instance, a physical practice of yoga postures (asanas) can influence our energy; conversely, a conscious breathing practice can affect our physical body. Tapping into our thoughts and wisdom can affect our physical and energetic levels as well.
 
This model is the basis of the therapeutic use of yoga to maintain, protect, revitalize and strengthen our functioning as we age.  It  is a powerful way to think about how we can support ourselves (and others), in sickness and in health, and what it means to practice yoga for aging well and wisely.
 
I recently spent a few days in the hospital, with an unplanned gall bladder surgery and the subsequent “cleaning out” of additional gall stones. From the moment I entered the emergency room, I began to call on my understanding of the five dimensions and their interconnectedness.
 
Here are just a few examples:

• Physical: Lying in bed, I did subtle movements with my feet -  pointing and flexing, rotating my ankles, rotating my wrists, and doing a little contralateral movement (Rotating left ankle and right wrist, then right ankle and left wrist).

 

• Energetic: Many times and places during my 4-day stay, I did a breathing practice; one I love is taking a deep inhale and then making my exhale longer. I know this can calm my anxiety.

 

• Intellectual: I listened to learn about my situation from the doctors and the suggested remedies,  procedures, and options.  The knowledge helped me stay centered  and feeling strong.

 

• Wisdom and intuition:  I let my true nature of gratitude, joy, and humor emerge.

 

• Bliss/heart:  When it was quiet, I was able to “go inside” myself, withdraw from my senses a bit, and meditate on how I feel connected to my true self and to the people in my life and beyond.

 
Many people who know me and my passion for yoga assumed that I had to suspend my yoga practice while I was in the hospital. That was far from true. I was unable to do many postures that I usually do during my practice, but I had a rich yoga practice even during those four days in the hospital. I’m grateful for my awareness of this model and the knowledge that I could support and protect my body, mind, and heart in many ways as the medical professionals tended to my physical condition.
 
As I continue to age, I know there will inevitably be additional physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges, and I’ll tap into – and value – the wisdom of this ancient model of human beings in their wholeness.