The Koshas Sheathing the Soul

Annamaya/physcal bodyManamaya/mental-emotional body Pranamaya/energy bodyVijnanamaya/wisdom body Bliss/anandamaya body Self/Atman

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

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

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 it’s the “Big Boss/Owner,” there’s a problem through meditation we become aware of this level of being and begin to explore its “stories”

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 what’s useful and what’s not gets co-opted by manamaya kosha, which clouds the wisdom of inherently available here yoga’s project and our life workis to contact this level, uncover limiting core beliefs and let them go

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