The Worlds In Which We Live

There are two parts to our lives.

There’s the external world — the one we see and move through daily. It’s where we find our shelter, our environment, our food and water — the essentials that nourish our physical body. It’s the world of community, of exchange, of land and nature. It’s the world that keeps us alive.

This is the waking world — a world of constant activity and change.

But then, there’s another world — one we all know well, even if we don’t always name it.

The Internal World: Our Subtle Landscape

This is the internal world, the subtle body that lives within us.

In yogic philosophy, we’re not just made up of muscles and bones. We are layered beings. The subtle body (sūkṣma śarīra) is the part of us that isn’t visible to the eye but deeply felt from within. It includes:

• Our breath — the prāṇa that animates us.

• Our sensations — the way we internally register the world.

• Our emotions — energy moving through the body-mind.

• Our thoughts, memories, and mental patterns.

• Our intuition — that inner knowing that arises beyond logic.

The subtle body is the bridge between the physical and the spiritual.

It’s the realm of energy, perception, and awareness — where the mind, heart, and breath interact.

And while it’s deeply personal, it’s also highly responsive to the external world.

When we’re under stress, the subtle body contracts — breath shortens, emotions surge, thoughts spiral.

When we’re calm, it expands — breath deepens, the heart softens, and clarity emerges.

So when I speak of the internal world, I mean this subtle terrain — the invisible but deeply alive space within us.

The one that we navigate through our yoga practice, our breathwork, our stillness.

And the one that, when tended to with care, can completely transform how we experience the outer world.

In the ancient Indian sciences, this relationship is clearly understood:

• Ayurveda, the science of life, guides us in maintaining balance in the outer world.

• Yoga, the philosophy of life, helps us explore and regulate the inner world.

Both are vital. Both are active. But the nature of their activity is very different.

Your Nervous System: The Bridge Between Worlds

Think about the nervous system — a beautifully intelligent system that mirrors this duality.

The parasympathetic nervous system governs our state of rest, recovery, and regulation. This is the “rest and digest” mode. Even as our lungs breathe and our heart beats, we can feel grounded, calm, and clear.

The sympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is designed for survival. It’s the “fight or flight” response that heightens our senses, sharpens our instincts, and mobilizes energy in times of stress.

Both systems are essential. But when the sympathetic branch is over-activated — when we’re constantly on edge or in defense mode — our experience of the internal world changes.

The Dream State of the Mind

This is when we enter what I understand as the dream state — an internal space filled with thoughts, judgments, and mental loops.

It’s not the calm, aware presence of the subtle body.

It’s the inner dialogue that never stops.

The stories we tell ourselves, the anxieties we rehearse, the past we replay, the future we anticipate.

And it’s still the internal world — just one in which we’ve fallen asleep in thought.

The truth is, even while we’re awake, we can be lost in this internal dream — disconnected from what’s actually happening now.

Yet this very same internal world holds the key to our peace.

When we become aware of our mind — through breath, through stillness, through a simple mantra — we begin to wake up within the internal world.

This is what yoga helps us do: to bring the mind into the present moment, into the true waking world — the world as it is, now.

Sometimes it’s as simple as closing your eyes (if that feels safe), placing your hand on your belly, and feeling your breath.

Other times, it’s repeating a mantra or affirmation bringing your attention gently back when the mind wanders.

Practice Is the Path Back

We all go through difficult things.

We all carry our own experiences.

Sometimes we’re too anxious to engage with the outer world.

Other times, we’re reactive when we do.

The goal of yoga — of any true internal practice — isn’t to escape life, or to perfect it.

It’s to find a steady, quiet peace inside so that the outer world becomes a place of play, joy, and presence.

Because when peace is found within, everything outside changes.