Overcoming difficulties on the path of integral yoga.

Difficulties with the Transformation of the Three Bodies

The spiritual path is not without difficulties. It is not easy to cultivate the awareness of one's psychic self, and of one's Divine Self. Sometimes one gets depressed because of periods of slow progress. There can also be outside influences of hostile beings who don't want the practitioner to gain Divine Consciousness. All this has to be faced a calm and observant attitude while continuing to practice. Aside from this, the three bodies have their own inherent problems.

With the mind, the intellect is a great obstacle. The intellect is imperfect, not well developed, , is often illogical and faulty in its conclusions. Even when it is well developed, it has no knowledge about the Divine, and can only form presumptions about the Divine nature. The thinking ability of the mind is very stubborn. In ordinary people it is unruly, chaotic, and creates turmoil in the mind.

The vital (emotional) body is even more stubborn. It is important for the vital ego to become conscious of its own defects, and willing to get rid of them. There is no place for vanities, ambitions, lusts and longings. In a normal person the vital ego hates being opposed in its desires and will refuse to change, often justifying its own demands and inclinations, or offer passive resistance. The vital is also perverse. Its likes dramatic pleasure in its own misery and tragedy, even in degradation or in illness. When addressing the vital for purification, one can reckon on strong resistance, because the vital uprisings are actually fighting for their own existence. It is important to understand that these are just energies that are not an integral part of oneself. One should look at them as something external, and remain calm and quiet. Then they will subside.

The physical body is very resistant to transformation due to its nature of inertia, narrowness, limitation, inability to progress, doubt, dullness, forgetfulness. Transformation of the physical can only be done by gradually and persistently infusing the physical with the Divine power, peace, presence.
Besides these three bodies there is also a further transformation to be done of the subconscious and the unconscious.

The subconscious, located below the feet, is the consciousness that lies below our normal consciousness. We are normally not aware of this. It is the consciousness of matter, and thus of the material aspect of the physical body. The subconscious receives impressions of all that we do or experience in our lives, and keeps these impressions in it. It is an important part of our being, here on Earth, and parts of it rise up in our dreams at night. This subconscious also has to be penetrated by, and brought under control and influence of the Divine.

The unconscious is at the basis of the material world. It is a consciousness of extreme darkness, inertia, insensibility, disharmony, disintegration. It is the consciousness of fixed habits, automatic movements, mechanical repetitions, involuntary reactions. Even on the spiritual path it will show itself in the form of doubt, discouragement, loss of faith and enthusiasm, cynicism, refusal to believe, corruption, preoccupation with food, money, comfort to the exclusion of higher things. All this has to be faced when it comes, and overcome with the Light.

Source : http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/aurobindo.htm