The last of the five koshas is anandamaya kosha—the bliss sheath. Anandamaya encompasses not the feeling of bliss, but rather, the experience of bliss. In contrast to vijnanamaya kosha, you do not witness the bliss...
Anandamaya Kosha
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koshas
Vijnanamaya Kosha
The fourth of the five koshas is vijnanamaya kosha—the wisdom sheath. Vijnanamaya encompasses intuition and intellect. It can be thought of as the witness mind, or that aspect of our consciousness that is not entangled...
Manomaya Kosha
The third of the five koshas is manomaya kosha—the mind sheath. Manomaya encompasses the processing of thoughts and emotions. It is the connection point between the lower and upper two sheaths. It involves the functions...
Pranamaya Kosha
The second of the five koshas is pranamaya kosha—the energy body. The vital energies of the body—also known as prana—on the physiologic level and on a more subtle level, are contained within this kosha. Prana does not necessarily “reside” within the body, as it...
Anamaya Kosha
The first of the five koshas is anamaya kosha—the physical body. Your limbs, torso, and head; your skin, muscles, bones, and organs—everything that makes up your body, inside and out, is the anamaya kosha. The practice of yoga begins with the anamaya kosha because it...
The Koshas
The yoga practice is often said to be a mind-body or mind-body-spirit practice. One explanation for this is found in the presence of the five koshas—the “layers” or “sheaths” that exist to help integrate the different aspects of our being. The koshas help up perceive...