The Five Koshas in Yogic Philosophy

Yoga helps us to become more aware of ourselves. Not just our physical body, but also the more subtle aspects of who we are.  

You may have heard Yoga defined as 'union' or 'yoking' of mind, body and soul. The goal of Yoga being to bring all the different aspects of Self into harmony and alignment.

In Yogic Philosophy it is said we have five different bodies or sheaths (Koshas).  

The most obvious being the food sheath, or Annamaya Kosha. This is the physical body made up of what we eat. It is the expression of energy in it’s most condensed form. It is built from the elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. It is the most tangible, dense and least easy to change.

The next sheath is called Pranamaya Kosha, or energy body. There are of five vital energies which flow through the physical body via the astral plane; prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana.  Within this energy body we experience hot, cold, hunger and thirst. It is said that the organs of action are contained in this body: mouth, hands, feet, anus and genitals. Another word for prana is chi, or life force.

Then we have Manomaya Kosha which is the mental body. It also sits within the astral body. It is here we experience thoughts, emotions and sensations. This sheath is said to be composed of the mind, the subconscious and the sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin). The role of this sheath is to take in data.

And the third sheath that belongs to the astral body is Vijnanamaya Kosha, or the intellectual sheath. This body analyzes the the information we receive. It controls ego. It is responsible for discrimination and decision making. We might think of this body as intuition, inner knowing and conscious awareness. It gives us discernment or clear seeing.

The Anandamaya Kosha or the bliss body is contained in the causal body. It is the part of us that experiences bliss, joy and peace. We may have experienced our bliss body when we fall in love or perhaps when we melt into a sunset or get an incredible view from the top of a mountain. We experience the bliss body when we give ourselves completely to the moment.

Yoga can helps us be more conscious of these different layers of ourselves. Through expanded awareness we can discern where we are stuck. When we develop conscious awareness of ourselves we can catch when we come out of alignment. We begin to have choice. Instead of being caught in patterns, or firing on automatic, we can re-write our reactions. When some part of us is out of sync, causing tension, conflict or dis-harmony, we have tools to bring everything back into balance.

Through the practice of physical postures (movement), breath awareness and conscious relaxation we can bring these different aspects of ourselves into harmony. None of these different sheaths are more important than the other. There is no hierarchy. The point is to acknowledge we have these different aspects and make sure they are working together.

Sometimes we put too much focus on the physical body. Sometimes we put too much emphasis on the mind, thoughts and emotions. And at times we might get lost in the spiritual. The truth is, at all times, we are all these things. To find connection to ourselves at all these different levels allows us to live a conscious life. To be in contact with ourselves at all these different levels allows us to live with presence; to really be here now and experience more bliss.

If you want to experience your Annamaya Kosha develop an Asana practice. If you want to become more aware of your subtle astral body practice breath awareness, yoga nidra, or meditation. If you want to become more aware of your bliss body, practice acts of selfless service or other activities that remind you of the inter-connectedness of all living things.

Anyone can learn Yoga at any age and any stage.  All you need is a willingness to dive in.
See the images below to help to assimilate the information about the different sheaths.
Reach out if you want to learn more about Yoga. It is my pleasure and passion to share these ancient teachings with other so more and more people can experience the benefits.

May all beings be happy!