According to Vedantic philosophy, it is believed that we have five energy layers, Panch Koshas, where pancha translates to five in Sanskrit. Like with Russian dolls, these layers are nested into each other, surrounding our inner layer which is protecting our Atman, or Self. Sometimes also called sheaths or casings or panchakoshas. Let's deep-dive into the functions of all layers and how you may experience the five dimensions of your body.
1. Annamaya Kosha (Our physical body)
Annamaya Kosha is our physical body, where Anna translates to food, and Maya to made out of. This layer is the outer layer of your body and consists of our skin, bones, muscles and everything which is a part of our physical body.
Diet, rest and exercise are all very important to keep this layer in balance. Eating a balanced yogic diet of fresh foods, fruit, vegetables, legumes and adjusting to your dosha by a Ayurvedic medicine practitioner is a great start to a more healthy diet and lifestyle.
Annamaya Kosha in our yoga practice
Most yoga practitioners only train their Annamaya Kosha by asana practice. In this Kosha you experience symptoms if you are ill. According to Ayurveda illness may also begin if there are imbalances within the deeper layers.
You can nurture your Annamaya Kosha by giving your body proper Ayurvedic nutrition, staying active with Asana practice and with yogic cleansing techniques, and Yoga Nidra (sleep). Also getting sunshine and fresh air is healing for your Annamaya kasha.
2. Pranamaya Kosha (Our energy body)
Pranamaya Kosha is our energy body. This is where all our Prana, subtle life-force or life energy exists. Prana is the same as Chi in the Chinese tradition and is found in our approximately 72 000 nadis we have in our body. These are energy channels, much like nerves, which are powering your body and flowing the prana around in your body. The Pranamaya kosha holds the subtle life force energy which is powering your Annamaya Kosha.
As the Prana is the force of our physical body it handles the elimination of our waste, it is the function behind our cells and is the force which makes our heart pump and our organs functioning.
The function of Pranamaya kosha can be altered as our nadis are connected to our brain. All sensory inputs create, increase or decreases your prana by the input of our five senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch) in connection with our experience. A positive experience will increase the prana, and negative will decrease the prana and can therefore directly affect our physical body.
Pranamaya Kosha in our yoga practice
In yoga, we can control our prana by practicing different Pranayama techniques. By controlling our breathing, we control our energy. In Ayurveda this is the layer of healing and cleansing. By working on keeping our bodies clean with asana and our nadis free-flowing, our body will better be able to heal.
3. Manomaya Kosha (Our Mind body)
Manomaya Kosha is our Mind body. Manas translates to mind, and consists out of our senses (taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing) which makes it possible to absorb impressions. All this input is processed in our brains and is related to our autonomic nervous system, which is a part of our peripheral nervous system. This system works on its own, i.e. you don't need to think about your heart pumping your blood in your system or your breathing, which is all autonomic.
As the Manomaya Kosha is our psychological layer, we can directly alter the health of this prana with meditation. By imagining a truly peaceful scenery, you will experience peace. By chanting positive mantras, your thoughts will become positive. By practicing Niyama and Yama, you will become more in peaceful and grateful. You will be kinder and your strong mind will equal in a strong body as your energy levels will be high. This is not only greatly important to our immune system, but also for our mental health. In Ayurveda you are always working on all layers on your body to heal any illness, as all layers are connected.
Manomaya Kosha in our yoga practice
We can be aware of our Manomaya kosher by truly deepen our practice with our breath. Applying Ujjai breath while practicing asanas, you will get a deeper experience in your practice and experience the mind-body connection. You can also calm your senses with either pranayama, asana or meditation and through that balance your Manomaya Kosha. It's important not to lose touch with your true self, and to keep prana free flowing. Practice meditation to work on your controlling your mind and consciousness. Yamas, niyamas equally important.
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha (Our Wisdom body)
Vijnanamaya Kosha is our Intelligent body. Vijnana translates to intellect. Our Wisdom body is our consciousness where our awareness is, built by thoughts. This is where we find our higher purpose and experience a feeling of being in tune with ourselves. Vijnanamaya Kosha is also associated with our intuition, when we experience the gut feeling of simply just knowing. This is a protective layer of life-experiences which protects you with its knowledge.
Although disconnected from the gross body, according to Ayurveda you will nurture the wisdom body with healthy food, which in turn becomes pure energy. This layer is also nurtured by feeling connected to others, giving, selflessness. Practicing your Yamas and Niyamas, especially self-study, will boost this layer.
Vijnanamaya Kosha in our yoga practice
Practiced with asana, by being aware of any sensations you are experiencing. In everyday life, practice your Yamas and Niyamas. In meditation you can experience Vijnanamaya kosha by truly being in touch with your feelings and thoughts. In Ayurveda you can deepen your knowledge of the tri doshas to learn more about your true nature.
5. Anandamaya Kosha (Our Bliss body)
Anandamaya Kosha is our Bliss body. Ananda translates to bliss and is believed to be our inner self, or soul and is located in our hearts. This is where you find your true nature and inner peace. As this layer is pure love and happiness, it is also the thinnest one of our shields and behind it - is your soul, or atman.
The soul is not connected with our layers, simply protected by them. In other words, it is separated from our intelligence, the mind, our emotions, our physical body, as the soul doesn't know it is a soul, i.e. can't be grasped with any senses. The Atman is The Self, and Brahman is the universal energy which our atman consists of. Although some teaching suggests these are different energies, it is up for you to decide on with your experiences.
Anandamaya Kosha in our yoga practice
All eight limbs are truly equally important. Practiced and experienced with Asana and pranayama. Practiced in meditation. Really try to understand the Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana and focus on attaining Samadhi. In life, the Anandamaya Kosha is experienced by unconditional love, truly pure, happy moments, deep meditation, Samadhi.
Summary
All layers are interconnected with each other, and dependent of each other to function properly. We can experience all our koshas by being aware of our sensations in our body, awareness of our breath, where our mind is wondering, our inner wisdom, and finally connecting with our soul. The eight folded path is designed to truly become in tune with your layers and getting to know yourself.
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