Levitation in Yoga: Examining the Siddhi of Laghima

The Mechanics of Laghima

In the classical tradition, levitation is not magic but a manipulation of the 'subtle body.' The human body is said to be governed by five primary winds or energies known as Vayus. One of these, the Udana Vayu, is located in the throat and upper chest and is responsible for upward movement, speech, and growth.

According to the Yoga Sutras (3.39), by performing Samyama (perfected concentration) on the Udana Vayu, the yogi can gain the ability to 'ascend' or rise above the ground. The text suggests this allows the practitioner to walk on water, thorns, or mud without sinking, and eventually to leave the ground entirely. The theory is that the yogi becomes so 'light' that the downward pull of gravity is neutralized.

Historical Accounts vs. Modern Reality

From the life of the 11th-century Tibetan yogi Milarepa to the 19th-century accounts of Saint Joseph of Cupertino in the West, stories of levitation are widespread. In India, numerous 'babas' have claimed the ability, but when put to the test, these demonstrations usually involve sitting in a lotus position and using leg muscles to 'hop' forward, which is often called 'yogic flying.'

While these hopping movements are a real physical feat requiring significant core strength, they are not levitation in the sense of floating steadily in the air. Skeptics point out that if levitation were possible, it would be the most important discovery in the history of physics, yet it remains elusive in controlled environments.

The Symbolism of Weightlessness

Many modern scholars suggest that Laghima should be understood metaphorically. In this interpretation, 'becoming light' refers to the state of a mind that is no longer weighed down by the 'heaviness' of worldly attachments, trauma, and the ego. A person who has attained this state 'walks lightly' upon the earth. They are not bogged down by the 'mud' of life's problems.

However, it is important to note that the classical texts do not present it as a metaphor. They describe it alongside other physical attainments, suggesting that the ancients truly believed—or at least taught—that the laws of physics could be transcended by a sufficiently refined mind.

The Role of Prāṇāyāma

The path to Laghima is said to be paved with extreme mastery of breath. Specific techniques involving long breath retentions (Kumbhaka) and the activation of the throat lock (Jalandhara Bandha) are mentioned in Hatha yoga texts. The idea is to fill the body with 'Prana' or 'Akasha' (ether), making it buoyant. Whether this leads to actual flight or simply a profound sense of lightness and vitality is a matter of personal belief versus scientific evidence.

Why Levitate?

Even if levitation were possible, the tradition asks: what is the point? If the goal of yoga is the cessation of the turnings of the mind (citta-vritti-nirodha), then floating six inches off the ground is a spectacular distraction. The great masters often warned that seeking such powers was a sign of a 'circus mind' rather than a spiritual mind. The ultimate 'rising up' is the ascent of consciousness from the material to the spiritual.