“There are moments, where perhaps without really noticing, we feel totally interconnected with each other or the universe. We may feel deeply in love with our baby, or a partner, or we rest, sunbathing in an almost dreamless state, where we feel totally at ease. Perhaps we pause, engrossed in the view, or a mountain, a star or flower. Each of these states is the experience of Anandamaya kosha – or the state of pure bliss.”
Introducing the 5 Koshas
The five koshas are known as the five layers of our being that bring us closer to the most authentic version of ourselves. Each layer of being represents a sheath of the soul that we can equally nourish to experience fulfilment, inner peace, and connection to the Universe and our inner world. Every kosha ends with “maya” which means illusion because it is believed that all of physical reality is an illusion in and of itself.
What is the Annamaya Kosha – The Physical Body / Self?
The Annamaya kosha is the most straight-forward layer of being as it is the most tangible. The Annamaya kosha is the densest layer and is our physical self. Anna translates to food and relates to our physical practice and movement.
When we are not truly connected within, we often fail to recognize the impacts that food has on our body. Food and physical practice directly correlate with our energy, feelings, happiness, and thoughts. When we feel stressed or anxious, many of us tend to overeat or reach for junk food or comfort food without realizing the tax this has on our system. Rather than lifting us up and making us feel better, overeating or consuming processed foods lowers our energy and vibration.
Pranamaya Kosha – Energy & Life Force – Breath Body
The Pranamaya kosha is a bit challenging to understand as energy is not as tangible the way that the physical self is. Prana is defined as the breath of life, or our vital life force energy.
One way to understand the Pranamaya kosha is to think about when someone walks into a room, and everyone can sense their aura. Whether they are clearly angry, upset, and negative, or come in full of gratitude, happiness, and peace, everyone else in the room can easily sense their vibe and it will impact the energy of the entire room.
Your energy has significant impacts on your wellbeing and way of life whether you are intentional with it or not. Everything around you impact your energy from the food or the media you choose to consume, the air you breathe, the sun, and even water.
What is the Manomaya Kosha – Emotional Body?
The Manomaya kosha is the mental sheath that represents our memories, thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and dreams. Our perspective on life is developed through the mind and originates from deeply rooted beliefs, opinions, and assumptions handed to us by family or friends. The mind impacts our outlook on life.
“Your mind is your instrument. Learn to be its master and not its slave.”
Vijnanamaya Kosha – Wisdom & Awareness – The Intellectual Body
Vijnana translates to discernment, consciousness, awareness, and wisdom. This is a very subtle layer of being where you can find your intuition and the wisdom that comes from within. When you are tending to the other koshas, you will naturally be more observant and aware of your intuition as you have a stronger connection to your inner world. The Vijnanamaya kosha allows you to detach from self and become a witness, which is where true inner peace lives.
Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss
The Anandamaya kosha is the innermost layer of being that is impacted by all other layers of being. It is the lightest layer of being and is known to be indescribable with words – it must be experienced. Anandatranslates to deep bliss or joy and occurs when in a deep meditation or relaxation. When the Anandamaya kosha is nourished, we feel unconditional love, liberation from our suffering, and happiness that comes from a sense of purpose. Although the Anandamaya kosha represents pure bliss that occurs when surrendering through all layers of being, you will experience bliss in small ways throughout daily life.
Access your BLISS by nourishing all the Koshas
When you are nourishing each of the five koshas equally, you will feel alignment within. You will feel deep inner peace and a sense of knowing that you are on the right path at the right time. Kosha alignment provides us with enlightenment and allows us to identify the most authentic version of ourselves. It strengthens the relationship we have with our inner world which allows us to experience life on a deeper level and feel free from things like energy blocks, societal norms, the ego, fear, limiting beliefs, and so much more.
