Yoga, without a doubt, is the ancient art of uniting your mind, body, and spirit. It offers you a natural and holistic way to good health, happiness, and well-being. The daily practice of yoga offers you numerous health benefits like freedom from unnecessary stress and headaches. Yoga helps unlock your hidden potential and realize the divine nature within.
However, you should know that yoga considers not just the physical body but a total of five layers of the self. You should work on all these levels to allow true healing to start. Enroll in a spiritual healing retreat to understand everything about how you can overcome these five layers.
With that said, let us understand what these five self or Koshas are.
Yoga Koshas – A Brief Introduction
The five layers of self are also known as Koshas, which means layers or sheath. Starting from the outermost layer, each body of the self is made up of subtle energies. These energies cover your physical, mental, energetic, wisdom, and bliss body.
However, you should understand that separating one body from another is not possible. These are all interwoven and anything happening on one layer of the self impacts all others.
You cannot practice yoga by ignoring the subtle aspects of your being. If it is happiness or contentment you are after then pay attention and care to your being. You should enroll in a Yoga Alliance teacher training program to dive deeper and connect with these layers of the self.
That said, let us now understand the five different layers of the self.
1. Physical Body
Let us start from the outermost layer of your being, the physical body, which is also known as Annamaya Kosha. The word Anna standing for “food” and Maya for “made of”. You are familiar with the outer body or the Annamaya Kosha.
2. Energy Body
Covered by the physical body, the energy body, also known as Pranamaya Kosha comprises your body’s subtle life force known as Prana. This sacred energy is also the force behind activating every cell, atom, body system, and cell.
Unfortunately, any blockage within this energy body affects the overall functioning of your physical body. Your body’s subtle energy has a considerable influence on your mental state. In other words, your sacred Prana energy is dependent on your breathing.
Shallow breathing always leads to an imbalance in your prana energy. In the long run, unstable pranic energy makes your mind aggressive and imbalances all other systems in your body. Enroll in a spiritual healing retreat to learn techniques for keeping the subtle body in balance.
3. Mental Body
This is the third layer that corresponds with your mind, nervous system, and emotions. You use this layer of self to express emotions, thoughts, and feelings. The Mental Body, also known as the Manomaya Kosha stands for the thought process.
If you have an overactive mental body it wreaks havoc on your nervous system and emotional state. Your mental body is responsible for helping you experience all five senses, absorb, and process the world around you. Daily practice of yoga calms down your mind and keeps you away from stress and fatigue.
4. Wisdom Body
The fourth layer of self is the Wisdom body. Tapping into this body requires a little bit of internal awareness, which you develop over time with yoga. It is also known as the Vijayanamaya Kosha or the intellect. Apart from continuous streaming of thoughts and feelings, the wisdom body covers the higher intelligence present in your being.
Remember, your conscience and intuition are both a part of the wisdom body. It helps you develop an awareness of who you are apart from the body. Regular practice of yoga helps you overcome the mental body and connect with the wisdom body to rise above everyday stress. Enroll in a Yoga Alliance teacher training to tap into your inner wisdom.
5. Bliss Body
This is the deepest energy body yet it is also the true nature of your being. The bliss body, also known as Anandmaya Kosha represents your spirit. It is where you experience unbounded freedom, peace, and joy. Your consciousness expands beyond the physical boundaries of your body.
Conclusion
The five Koshas described above are what constitutes your being. Enroll in a reputed spiritual healing retreat to enjoy unbounded peace and joy.
