The Koshas | Finding Your Bliss
Before I had found a studio space, I already knew I wanted 5 colours painted on the walls in a fluid shape. These colours represent the Koshas, a simple (yet complicated) yogic philosophy to describe ‘bodies’, ‘sheaths’ or ‘layers’ we embody, helping us navigate our inner landscape and align our mind+body connection.
To experience mind+body connection, we need to understand that these layers are not seperate from each other and work in harmony when we bring our awareness to all of them. We often look outside ourselves for peace, bliss and divinity, when really we need to understand it comes from within.
I’ve represented the colours in pastel for the studio space, traditional colours noted below
Starting with the smallest colour, working it’s way outward:
ANNAMAYA KOSHA - The Physical Body | Red
The most tangible body and easily identifiable, also known as our food body. This is our body as we know it - skin, muscles, ligaments, bones etc. Often when we start our wellness journey, we want to nourish ourselves with fresh food from the earth and start a movement medicine such as yoga.
Asana yoga, the practice of physical postures brings awareness to our bodies and is usually the reason why people start yoga.
PRANAMAYA KOSHA - The Energy Body | Orange
Prana means breath, vital energy or life force. While still tangible and always moving, the breath can still be hard for people to connect to. Beginners to asana yoga often state they struggled with the breath and connecting it to movement.
The quality of the breath affects the state of mind, connecting to the breath helps release deeply held tensions in the body and creates pathways for prana, our vital life force to flow.
MANOMAYA KOSHA - The Mental Body | Green
The mental body is the everyday mind; emotions, thoughts, attitudes etc. Another reason people turn to yoga for the mindful benefits. It’s where the ego resides, the ego is made up of stories we tell ourselves about ourself. If we’re lost or confused about who we are, we are stuck in the mental body.
An ongoing practice of yoga helps us understand that we are not the thoughts we think, we’re not our job title, we are not our relationship status, we are so much more.
If a bad day gets the better of you, you notice the breath is shallow and your asana practice is off balance, therefore impacting the first three layers, stopping you from progressing towards your bliss.
VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA - The Wisdom Body | Blue
Once we can move past the mental body, we can start to feel the true effects of the wisdom/intuitive body. Where we step back from our mental body and understand our motivations; we have clarity, good judgement and can tune in to our ‘gut feelings’.
This allows us to view life as it really is, rather than through a filtered lens of pre perceived ideas, memories, feelings or judgements.
Yoga brings you to a place of one-ness, being one with the world around you and away from the “I” mentality. You may even experience this feeling after a group yoga class, you can feel a connectedness and gratitude towards everyone in the room.
ANANDAMAYA KOSHA - The Bliss Body | Purple
Ahh, pure bliss, the light within. Also referred to as pure consciousness, a place we may only connect to in small experiences during our day/yoga practice/life. That doesn’t mean you’re less of a yogi if you rarely experience this, the idea is to work towards this as an intention rather than an end destination.
Like yoga itself, it is a life long journey and keeping this are the forefront of your practice allows you to create a blissful path for yourself.
Next time you’re on your mat notice the Koshas; how does the body feel, what is the quality of the breath, what thoughts arise, listen to your intuitive messages and maybe even feel a glimpse of bliss in savasana.