The Inward Journey Through the Koshas
The ancient yogis have drawn a map to explore the deepest levels
of our being and to facilitate the inward journey of yoga. The
concept of having five selves (atma) within our body appeared in
the earliest yogic texts, the Upanishads . Fifteen hundred years
later Advaita Vedanta refined these five selves into the koshas,
the five sheaths or coverings that veil the light of our True Self
(Atman). The koshas are imagined as layers of an onion and form
a barrier from realizing our true nature of bliss and oneness with
the universe. Yoga is the tool to peel back these layers to
bring our awareness deeper and deeper into our bodies, eventually
reaching the innermost core, our True Self. When we can clearly
see through the layers of the koshas we then attain a state of
yoga, oneness with the universe.
The outermost layer is our gross physical body, the Annamaya kosha.
Anna means 'food', as this sheath feeds our awareness into the
other layers and provides the ability to sustain the other 4
koshas.
The next three layers of the self are considered to be part of the
subtle body or suksma-sarira. The next layer within the physical
sheath is the energy body, the Pranamaya kosha. Prana means
'life force energy" as this sheath contains and regulates the
movement of the physical and mental energies through the energy
channels (nadis) and energy centers (chakras).
The next layer in is the mental body, the Manamaya kosha. Mana
means '"mind" as this sheath contains mental thoughts and
emotional feelings. This kosha governs the rational, linear, and
sequential thought processes.
The last layer of the subtle body is the wisdom body, the
Vijnanamaya kosha. Vijnana means "knowledge" as this sheath
contains intuition, wisdom and witness consciousness.
The last kosha covering the True Self is the bliss body, the
Anandamaya kosha. Ananda means "bliss" as this sheath contains the
pure unchanging happiness, joy, love, peace and ecstasy that is
found here at the deepest layer of our being. These are not
merely feelings, but a state of being that has always existed yet
has been buried by the other koshas. Behind this thin layer
resides the pure consciousness of our True Self.
The koshas serve both a guide for the deeper practices of yoga and
as map for our journey. The path of yoga is one of progressively
moving inward, through each of the koshas, to experience the
radiance of the True Self. At the same time, yoga allows this
inner radiance to shine through our individuality.
In the beginning of yoga practice, the primary focus is on
Annamaya Kosha, the alignment and physical sensations of the
physical body. Once we have connected with this kosha we can use
the breath as a bridge into the Pranamaya kosha, connecting with
the energy manifesting in the body. Focusing on the body, breath
and the energy absorbs the mind and the thoughts diminish allowing
the Manamaya kosha to dissolve. Now we can explore the
Vijnanamaya kosha to access our intuition and inner wisdom.
Finally we move through the first four layers and taste the bliss,
extacy and joy of the Anandamaya kosha. True enlightenment
happens when all the koshas dissolve and we become absorbed in our
True Self.
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