The 5 Koshas

The 5 Koshas (Sheaths) are a great way to examine our practice and develop our "witness consciousness," in the beginning stages of the practice. Like many paths and lists that lead the way for a practioner, we learn it, become aware and then hopefully move on to experience all 5 levels and beyond! In my personal experience, the 5 Koshas are not an entirely linear path, as in stages that literally happen from 1-5, although initially this may seem the case. You may find, depending on the day, or moment, that you jump from one to another, or may even experience all of them simultaneously.

First, what are the sheaths covering? Your Self! These are the gross to the subtle layers we travel on the path to self-realization in our practice.

1. Annamayakosha - The Food or Physical sheath. In the beginning of our practice we confront our bodies and the gross form of ourselves through asana in ways we might never have suspected. Initially we discover blocks in our body in the form of mis-alignment, tension, contractions and we even experience joy, freedom of movement and flexibility. A large part of the practice is connecting and bringing deep awareness to our bodies. To truly embody our bodies!

2. Pranamayakosha – The Vital Force or Breath sheath. Through our bodies to begin to connect to Prana - our breath. Whether to relax, to move with mindfulness or to make our practice connected in a moving meditation, the breath is the link from our physical form to the next kosha - our mind.

3. Manomayakosha - The Mind sheath. Our thought and mind-state affects > Prana (breath) which affects > the body. Equally, bringing mindfulness to the body and breath leads to the mind. Developing "witness consciousness" or awareness to the quality of our thoughts - positive or negative, our belief systems, etc. we begin to bring focus to our mind.

4. Vijnyanamayakosha – Wisdom sheath. As we develop a clear view of our body, breath, mind / thought process, all previous 3 koshas lead to a deeper knowledge of ourselves. This is true and collective wisdom of ourselves. In this state we can direct our aims toward self-realization.

5. Anandamayakosha - Bliss sheath. A level of spiritual experience and individual consciousness. When we reach a meditative state we move toward a glimpse of union or oneness. In terms of our practice, it is usually a time when we experience freedom, pleasure and joy in our practice.

and Beyond — In class we were discussing the Bliss sheath which is still a "sheath." This is because it remains a very subtle layer between our individual consciousness and universal consciousness (samadhi - union, oneness.) Our beyond is Samadhi - to be experienced by the practioner.

Ida and Pingala Nadi

As we start to focus on the breath, Prana – our vital life force, we're drawn to the subtle aspects of ourselves. Breathing through the right and left nostrils, Ida and Pingala Nadi, have profound affects on our energy and mind state which fluctuates throughout the day.

A Nadi is an energy channel. There are many in the body and the gross form of the Nadis are the arteries, veins and the nervous system. Ida Nadi is found through our left nostril, affecting the right brain and flowing in a spiral from the root (1st) to the third eye (6th) chakra. It is represented by these qualities: lunar (moon), feminine, inspiration, vision, calming, sensitive, emotional, receptive, creative, passive, cooling. Pingala Nadi flows through the same chakras through the right nostril and affects the left brain. It's qualities are: solar (masculine), motivation, drive, determination, knowledge, perception, rational, active, heating. Thus, each person has the qualities of Yin/ Yang, Shiva / Shakti, Sun / Moon, masculine / feminine which call for balance.

Throughout the day our breath fluctuates from right to left nostril at different times of the day. To manipulate these channels to our benefit, try laying on the left side in the morning and breath deeply through the right nostril (Pingala) to energize yourself for the day. At night lay on your right and breath through the left (Ida) to relax. Or take a few deep breaths through the corresponding Nadi when you want to evoke a certain mind state.

For an optimum state of being, try Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) to open both passages equally. When both are flowing freely and our chakras are in a clear state, we open a third channel called Sushumna Nadi, allowing for full awakening of consciousness. When Kundalini (dormant energy at the base of the root chakra) rises, it is meant to travel through this Nadi and lead to awakening / self-realization.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

The Path of Yoga was first laid out in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Sutra = “threads”) written in Sanskrit in the second century B.C. It is the first book to attempt to communicate the actual practice of yoga. There are many interpretations of it. I like the translation by Swami Satchidananda from Integral Yoga school. They also print a small pocket-sized version of the book you can carry. There are three sections to the book which outline the path to Samadhi (see definition below.) The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root "Yuj," meaning to yoke, join, create union and harmony. In yoga practice we work to create union of the body, breath, mind, spirit.

In addition, another great book on the 8 Limbs, is a book called the "Tree of Yoga" by BKS Iyengar. I recommend to read both this book and an interpretation of the Yoga Sutras for a complete picture.

The Eight Limbs outline the path of Yoga but are not necessarily a chronological path. Most practitioners will find that beginning with a daily Asana and Pranayama practice naturally leads to the remaining limbs by enhancing an awareness of Self. In the case of the Yamas and Niyamas, most spiritual practices have similar guidelines to help create an environment for our mind and body to settle into the concern of one-pointed meditation leading to Samadhi.

The Yamas and the Niyamas should also be thought of in relationship to physical, emotional and mental actions. For instance "non-violence" might be easy to practice on the physical level, but it becomes an even deeper practice when we consider not having violent thoughts to ourselves or others such as thoughts of self-deprecation or gossiping about others in a way that might harm their reputation. For Purity - we can eat pure food, drink clean water, but we also want to have pure thinking, positive thinking.

1. Yamas – 5 External Restraints – Rules of social conduct

• Ahimsa – Non-violence
• Satya – Truthfulness
• Asteya – Non-stealing
• Brahmacharya – Control of sensual energy - can mean control of sexual energies or over-indulgence of sensory pleasures. Also means having moderation in all things.
• Aparigraha – Non-clinging (or non-covetousness, non-hoarding)

2. Niyamas – 5 Internal Observances – Rules for the individual

• Saucha – Purity, internal and external cleanliness of body and mind.
• Santosha – Contentment. A feeling of equanimity.
• Tapas – Self-discipline. The word tapas also means heat or burning of impurities.
• Svadhyaya – Self-study. Study of the higher-self and sacred texts.
• Ishwara Pranidhana – Dedication to god, surrender to god’s will. Also meaning surrender to the great mystery, to greater powers beyond the indiviual.

3. Asana – Asana means a Seat, Pose or Postures (such as Warrior 1, Tree pose, etc.) In addition the two qualities of a posture are Sthira (steady and alert) and Sukha (comfortable, no unnecessary tension).

4. Pranayama – Prana means breath or life-force energy, Yama means to control or extend. In class we have a strong focus on mindful breathing practices such as Ujjayi pranayama to enhance our vitality and also to focus the mind. Wherever the mind directs is where our prana will go. Pranayama is also considered energy-work and relates to activating the chakra - energy system.

5. Pratyahara – Sense Withdrawal. We practice this by directing our 5 senses inward and by going inward mentally.

6. Dharana – One-pointed concentration. In class we focus on the breath as an object of meditation.

7. Dhyana – Meditation – Continuous one-pointed concentration or continuous being in the present moment. This is an unbroken state of concentration for a long period of time.

8. Samadhi – Bliss, a state of absorption where oneness is experienced. Samadhi is a state that we can not really practice, but is experienced as a result of practicing the other 7 limbs. It is the gift or the fruit of the tree of yoga that we receive.

Welcome to the Inner Lotus Yoga blog with Jennifer

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping to create a forum for us to share information and experiences to further inspire our yoga practice together. One aspect of practicing with a group is the support you receive from fellow practioners as well as the instructor. Sometimes it's difficult to always address one student's concerns, special needs and questions. So don't hold back! Please feel free to send in anything you'd like to ponder.

For instance, some ideas might be:
• Postures you would like to tackle, are struggling with or would just plain love to have a class built around to explore.
• Aspects of the philosophy you would like to know about or have integrated into a class.
• Words in Sanskrit you would like to know the meaning to and more...

Here's to some experimentation, please share your thoughts as often as you'd like. Also if you're looking for information on my class schedule and more, please check out the website: innerlotus.com for updates. Most importantly, thank you for coming to class, sharing your Self and inspiring me to do all of this!

Namaste,
Jennifer

Here is a photo from Debbie taken in class: