Koshas - The Layers of Being

Kosha means layer or covering. They are the five layers of reality. There is just one reality but at different levels it shows up in different forms. There are five koshas in the energetic body covering the pure field of emptiness. They represent different levels of vibrational energy, from denser to more subtle. On all levels there is intelligent information.

The koshas are interconnected and they influence each other. A shift in one will create shifts in the other four as only on the level of physiology are there boundaries. And it is possible to refine all levels of our being. The five koshas are Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vigyanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha.

Annamaya Kosha

This is the densest of all the koshas. It represents the body, nature and the material layer of existence. It is the most static layer yet it is highly intelligent. Our physiology is a rearrangement of whatever you put inside and this is the layer that transforms the food we eat. ‘Anna’ means food so this layer is often referred to the food body. It is the hardware of the energetic body.

Discipline is needed in order to refine, purify and prepare the physical body for higher levels of energy and expanded awareness. Bodily health depends on the health and vitality of the energy that flows within it. Eating mindfully and practicing asana are great ways to refine this layer.

Pranamaya Kosha

This is the prana (life-force energy) that flows through matter bringing it to life. Prana flows through subtle energy channels in the body. There are 72,000 nadis, 12 meridians, 7 main chakras (energy centers) and 5 prana vayus (movements of energy).

It is this layer where movement begins. It is our interpretation of life. Prana is infused with intelligent information, so the more access you have to prana, the greater access you have to optimal vitality and the greater is your ability to experience life. Prana is subtler than the body so you can shift it more easily. As you work with prana, you shift the biochemical environment in the body, allowing transformation to take place.

This layer connects all layers in the energetic body. It is the messenger between Annamaya Kosha (hardware) and Manomaya kosha (software). Our breath is really important here. It has a massive effect on the body and the nervous system. It alkalizes the body, increasing our vitality.

Manomaya Kosha

‘Mano’ means mind so the Manomaya Kosha is the mental body. It is the kosha that processes thoughts, feelings and emotions, the software of the energetic body. It is responsible for the instinctive needs and desires of the individual and it is what gives people the sense of “I”-ness.

Mind, here, is more than the physical brain. It is the brain ‘in action’ and is located throughout the whole body. Every cell has its own intelligence, its own mind.

This kosha separates the plant kingdom from the animal kingdom by providing beings with consciousness. Many diseases are rooted in this kosha of thought, feeling and emotion as ultimately any crisis is a crisis of consciousness.

Satsangs are a powerful way of correct the intellect, while meditation cultivates witness consciousness. When you can witness the thoughts, feelings and emotions without identifying with them, it is possible to change them. Otherwise, you remain at the mercy of the mind.

Agyanamaya Kosha

This is the pseudo-wisdom body and is not actually part of the original five koshas but it serves as an important level of awareness in an individual’s evolution. It is mostly unconscious. It is the result of conditioning and functions in higher awareness than the Manomaya Kosha but lower than the Vigyanamaya Kosha.

Agyana is incorrect knowledge or ignorance, but it feels like knowledge. It is the unconscious assumptions and conclusions that we have about life. As we believe this to be true, we act based on this. To get to Gyana you need to face your Agyana and move through it.

It is important to consider this layer so that we can get a deeper understanding of our current state of awareness. And it is important to know where the thoughts are originating from. Is it the Vigyanamaya Kosha or the Agyanamaya Kosha?

Vigyanamaya Kosha

This is true intellect, wisdom, intuition and higher awareness. ‘Vigyana’ means knowing. At this level of awareness, we experience a higher state of consciousness and feelings evolve beyond mere emotions into states of love, joy, compassion.

When the Vigyanamaya Kosha is not awake, the lower mind can take over creating ignorance and boredom. Only in ignorance is there separation and suffering. Exercising the higher mind is essential to have a balanced existence. The greater access you have to Vigyanamaya and Anandamaya Koshas, the less you are identified with the body and mind. Then your fundamental experience is of union, of spirit, as you are a spiritual being having a physical experience. As we clear conditioning, our light shines brighter.

Kriya is extremely powerful for releasing bio-memory, creating energetic shifts at the cellular level. Mantra allows us to go beyond the mind and access our compassionate heart.

Anandamaya Kosha

‘Ananda’ means bliss. So, this is the body of love, joy, connection, peace and bliss. Bliss is not a mere emotion but a constant experience of ecstasy without reason. Bliss is the experience that we gain from connecting to the true Self without masks, opinions, ideas or identities. It occurs as we give attention to living from within the wisdom body and by invoking the heart’s intelligence. This kosha is exponential in its nature.

You are alive because you want to be, because there is bliss in Being. All the problems you have are after bliss.

A state of bliss naturally arises as we focus on bringing wisdom into our lives, embodying it. So we use Satsangs (wisdom), Svadhyaya (self-study), meditation, kriya and pranayama practices, along with sacred rituals to increase our experience of the Anandamaya Kosha.

Joy can show up in various ways, by being humble, by not feeling like you need to have an opinion about everything, by being grateful.

The Interconnectedness of Being

So, now you know what the five layers are and how to work with them. But in truth, as they are all interconnected, we are working on all koshas at once. And yoga works from the inside out and the outside in. So, working with the physical and energetic bodies creates shifts in the way we think and feel and changing our thinking creates shifts in how we show up in the world.

Opening up the body through asana, for example, allows our energy to flow in a better way which creates a possibility for us to access higher emotional states and to make contact with that deep bliss of being.

But for us to really experience our wholeness, we need a practice that works with all aspects of our selves, all layers of our being. That is what Sattva Yoga is. It is an integrated, holistic and profoundly transformative practice that includes Meditation, Pranayama, Kundalini and Kriya techniques, Wisdom, Laya movements, Bhakti, Mantra, free movement, partner work and hatha asana to create profound shifts in the individual and their life. Sattva is a way of living life, a science of the evolution of consciousness. And it makes so much sense when we see how connected these five layers are and how they are always influencing each other.

As we elevate ourselves and make contact with that state of bliss more and more, and start to live from that place, the whole of life rises up to meet us.

That doesn’t mean that old patterns and habits, old conditioning, won’t show up now and again. It will. But you will be able to see it, face it and move through anything that arises in a much more elegant way as you start to become more and more whole within yourself.

Remember, it is possible to refine ALL levels of our being. Dive deep and become free!

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