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 sheath, you are the bliss. Bliss can be thought of not as an ecstatic happiness or even joy, but a steady state of being, no matter what circumstance arises.

The state of wholeness, of integration with the moment and with yourself, encompasses the inner sheath of anandamaya. This bliss state is usually experienced in fleeting moments, but can remain for longer periods. Importantly, anandamaya is still a sheath, a layer that can be peeled back. When anandamaya is peeled away, we reach atman—our very center. Atman is our direct connection with the divine, with the essence of all that is. It is our pure consciousness.

Anandamaya pervades each of the previous outer sheaths, but is only experienced once we are able to peel the illusions of each sheath away to reveal our true nature. Anandamaya can be experienced in those moments when you are wholly immersed in that which you are doing—when you no longer separate yourself from your experience.

Striving to reach anandamaya kosha is a futile attempt, for it is only revealed when we release any form of mind control over it. Anandamaya is not of the mind. It is a deeper experience than that which can be contemplated. Even describing it in words is not completely accurate. The bliss of a child fully immersed in the moment—that is anandamaya.

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 in what we are doing or thinking, but rather, acutely aware of what we are doing and thinking. Vijnanamaya kosha is awareness, simply put.

When you’ve reached the point in your yoga practice where you are much less distracted by random thoughts or occurrences and much less caught up in the anticipation of the next posture, you find that you are more able to feel the pose. You know what is happening in your body and your mind as you settle into the posture, noticing the nuances. This awareness is achieved when vijnanamaya kosha is properly developed.

Vijnanamaya builds on the foundation of the previous, outer sheath—manomaya kosha. Manomaya lays the groundwork for reaching vijnanamaya. We must first navigate the seas of our turbulent and busy minds before we are able to rise above the waves of thoughts that pull us away from our center. With this practice, we develop a steady mind and are able to view ourselves from a distance, so to speak. Vijnanamaya allows us to step back from our current situation and view it from a better perspective. This is where insight comes from.

Like manomaya, vijnanamaya can be obtained with regular yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation practice. Once we are able to fully engage vijnanamaya kosha, we will experience a deeper peace in our lives that comes by way of freedom from thoughts, actions, and speech that does not serve us. Given the world we live in, it is highly unlikely that you will maintain this awareness 24–7. Rather, it will come in waves, gradually increasing over time until you are much less likely to get caught up in the daily dramas your mind tells you about. As your yoga practice deepens, take notice of the subtle changes that occur and you will notice aspects of your awareness that exemplify the development of this 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 of the mind that relate to everyday living and our individual interpretation of life. The manomaya kosha can be either useful or detrimental, depending on how we train the mind. Fortunately, the practice of yoga is designed to bring out the higher functions of manomaya kosha.

The mind makes a constant commentary about our experiences as we go about our lives. It is this commentary that can be a major hindrance to the development of the mind. Essentially, our minds create constant judgments and assumptions based on our one-sided perception of our experiences. Fortunately, since our yoga practice allows us to experience these same aspects of our lives from the mat, we can work on the manomaya kosha during practice.

During your practice, your mind will come up with all sorts of thoughts about your practice—your ability, your strength, your balance. It will comment on the postures of other people. It will comment on the teacher or the teaching. You will make assumptions, you will judge, and at times you may be overcome with emotion. Getting caught up the mind’s constant commentary is a sure way to end up frustrated or unhappy. But it is all part of the process. This is how the mind works. And we can use our practice to develop the higher functions of manomaya so that we can move into the inner, more subtle sheaths without hindrance.

The concentration we place on the breath, postures, and gazing point during yoga all help to train the mind to stay present. Instead of being pulled into the stories we tell ourselves about our experiences, by keeping the attention on the breath, the asana, and the gaze, we become more able to simply notice the commentary as it arises, and to let it fall away as we remain steady. The next time you find yourself getting caught up in the stories you tell yourself, notice that you’ve done so, and bring your attention back to the breath. This constant return of focus to the breath takes work, but eventually is becomes an inherent practice that allows us to be more of a witness to our mind rather than held in the grips of our thoughts.

If you have ever used your breath—specifically, your focus on the breath—to help calm your mind from an overwhelming experience or difficult emotion (on or off the mat), you have felt the two aspects of manomaya kosha. The ability to rise out of thought patterns that do not serve us is perhaps the most valuable aspect of this practice we call yoga. The mind is a powerful force, and we have the ability to train the mind as a way to find ease in life. This is the potential of manomaya 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 pervades throughout the body and the immediate surroundings. But energetically, this kosha lies within the first sheath, anamaya kosha, due to its more subtle nature.

Although pranamaya kosha is subtle, it can be easily felt. You know the feeling that an easy, deep breath brings. You also know how it feels when your breathing is labored. To develop the pranamaya kosha, breath awareness must be cultivated. This can begin in yoga class as you continually bring your attention to the breath. Let your focus deepen as you become aware of how your body moves in response to your breath, and how your breath feels throughout the practice. Let that awareness follow you off the mat and into your life.

Similarly, the energy you feel in response to emotions is also part of the pranamaya kosha. The energies that underlie conversations, thoughts, and actions must also be controlled if we are to truly develop the pranamaya kosha. These energies have a profound effect on us, which is why it is crucial that we gain awareness of them so that we may be better able to magnify our positive words, thoughts, and actions, and minimize the negative ones. This practice is a part of understanding the pranamaya kosha.

Meditation practice is a perfect method to develop pranamaya kosha because the subtle pranic energies come together as we sit quietly with our breath. Thoughts arise and fade away, and we are more able to notice it. The breath is a powerful tool that is accessible to us every moment of every day. When pranamaya kosha is used in the right way, the potential for finding peace within us is great.

Cultivating body awareness in the modern world is truly a challenge, however. We tend to be so outward focused, always looking ahead to the next thing, or paying attention to anything but the present moment. Our bodies simply get shuffled around from place to place, fed whatever food is most convenient, and basically ignored until symptoms emerge that force us to begin paying attention, often too late.

It is no mistake that the practice of yoga, especially in the West, begins with the physical asanas. We need it. The time we spend moving and breathing—all while staying present (for the most part) with these movements and breaths—is truly a gift that can open up our awareness. In order to begin to understand the deeper and subtler koshas, or sheaths, we must first come to know our physical body.

Anamaya kosha is also called the “food body” for the simple reason that, as the saying goes, you are what you eat. The foods we eat literally become our body as they are broken down into nutrients and absorbed so that the body can utilize them. The vitality of the foods we choose to eat is a direct reflection of the vitality our bodies will achieve. Truly understanding and integrating this concept into your life will help remove the obstacles that may have kept you from adopting healthier dietary habits.

The anamaya kosha is deceiving because we tend to identify it as our self. We think that we are our physical bodies. In fact, the yoga philosophy identifies the body as a temporary vehicle that we currently inhabit. How we treat the body plays an important role in the quality of our life experiences. The practice of yoga helps us to understand this. Once we become very familiar with anamaya, the subtler bodies can be uncovered.

Each kosha is contained within the next, moving from the physical body inward. Over the next five months, each kosha will be explained in more detail. The five are summarized below:

The first kosha is anamaya kosha and corresponds to the physical body. The journey of yoga usually begins with the physical body because it’s most accessible to us. We can see it and feel it, and—for the most part—understand it. The physical yoga practice that involves moving through postures allows us understand this kosha and become more aware of our bodies.

Pranamaya kosha is the next sheath and corresponds to our life force, or energy (prana). The critical breath component that accompanies the physical yoga postures is what takes the practice of yoga to the next level. It is the first way in which yoga becomes more than simply exercise.

Manomaya kosha is the mental body, or the third sheath. By fixing our attention on one point—often the breath—we are able to anchor the mind in the moment. This further heightens our practice and, in fact, allows us to more easily experience yoga even when off the mat.

Vijanamaya kosha is the wisdom body. This kosha develops as a result of the integration of the previous three koshas. When the mind remains present there opens a space for wisdom to arise. This is vijanamaya kosha.

Anandamaya kosha is the bliss layer, the final sheath. As each kosha leads to the next, so anandamaya kosha is the culmination of the integrated inner sheaths working together. The result? Bliss. You may catch glimpses of this bliss during or after yoga or meditation practice. This is the harmony of the mind-body-spirit connection. Together, the koshas help us to balance this connection.