The Koshas

1
The Koshas

• Sheathing the Soul

2
Annamaya/physcal body Manamaya/mental-emotional
body Pranamaya/energy body Vijnanamaya/wisdom
body Bliss/anandamaya body
Self/Atman
3
Anandamaya Kosha

• the physical body and its constituent tissues
• the outermost, most dense and slowest in
  vibration of all the sheaths
• the food sheath that is, that which is dependent
  on matter for its sustenance
• healing occurs at the level of nutrition, sleep,
  exercise, cleansing rituals, medicine
• meditation and asana explore this kosha, which
  becomes a gateway to the others

4
Pranamaya Kosha

• prana is energy the pranamaya kosha is the
  vital/energy body
• it is responsible for the subtle vibrations that
  enable the mind and/or inner being to animate the
  annamaya kosha
• pranayama- techniques of directing/removing
  obstacles from the free flow of energy is the
  tool we use to explore this body
• mudras are also helpful in that they direct
  energy and awareness to specific parts of the
  body

5
Manamaya Kosha

• from manas, which means mind this is the
  psycho-emotional form of mentation/mental
  activity
• ego bound and driven
• directs the physical body and senses through the
  agency of prana
• akin to a factory manager that supervises
  operations
• when it thinks its the Big Boss/Owner, theres
  a problem
• through meditation we become aware of this level
  of being and begin to explore its stories

6
Vijnanamaya Kosha

• vijnana means knowing
• wisdom sheath but also the imprinted core beliefs
  that drive our mental-emotional reactions
• ego or I-am-ness sense of self as simultaneously
  transcendent and manifest
• knows, judges, decides and discriminates between
  whats useful and whats not
• gets co-opted by manamaya kosha, which clouds the
  wisdom of inherently available here
• yogas project and our life workis to contact
  this level, uncover limiting core beliefs and let
  them go

7
Anandamaya Kosha

• most subtle of sheaths/bodies
• bliss of being--peace, joy, love
• underlies mind and is independent of
  circumstances or conditions
• not emotional existential and w/o cause
• eventually, this too must be released in order to
  experience Atman/pure consciousness