– (Belling, Noa (2006). Yoga for ideal weight and shape. Sydney, Australia: New Holland Publishers (Australia) P/L.)
Five Koshas:
Physical
Annamaya Kosha
Anna means food. All of the physical
aspects of life come and go, and are consumed by another aspect of external
reality. Thus, the outermost of the koshas is called the sheath of food, or
Annamaya kosha.
Energy
Pranamaya Kosha
Prana means energy. It is the vital force that produces the subtle
vibrations related to breath, and which are the driving force behind the
physical aspect of the senses and the operation of the physical body. It allows
the invisible indweller, our True Self to be able to animate in the external
world. At the same time, however, it allows the eternally still, silent center
of consciousness to be mistakenly identified as the moving, visible physical
body.
Mental
Manamaya Kosha
Mana means mind. It is the level of processing thoughts and emotions. It
is in direct control of the operation, through the prana, of the physical body
and senses. It is like a supervisor in a factory, in that it gives
instructions, but is not supposed to be the manager of the factory of life.
Because of this, it naturally has doubts, and created illusions. When it
receives clear instructions from the deeper level, it functions quite well.
However, when it is clouded over by its illusions, the deeper wisdom is clouded
over.
Wisdom
Vijnanamaya Kosha
Vijnana means knowing. It is the sheath of wisdom that is underneath the
processing, thinking aspect of mind. It knows, decides, judges, and
discriminates between this and that, between useful and not useful. It is also
the level of ego consciousness, meaning the powerful wave of I-am-ness. This
I-am-ness itself is a positive influence, but when it gets co-mingled with the
memories, and is clouded over by the manas, it loses its positive strength.
Bliss
Anandamaya Kosha
Anandamaya kosha is the most interior of
the koshas, the first of the koshas surrounding the Atman, the eternal center
of consciousness. Ananda means bliss. However, it is not bliss as a mere
emotion experienced at the level of the sheath of mind. Ananda is a whole
different order of reality from that of the mind. It is peace, joy, and love
that is underneath, beyond the mind, independent of any reason or stimulus to
cause a happy mental reaction. It is simply being, resting in bliss called
ananda.
Atman
Self
Atman is the Self, the eternal center of
consciousness, which was never born and never dies. In the metaphor of the lamp
and the lampshades, Atman is the light itself, though to even describe it as
that is incomplete and incorrect. The deepest light shines through the koshas,
and takes on their colorings.
– Bharati, Swami. "Koshas or Sheaths of Yoga." Swamij.com. Traditional Yoga and Meditation of the Himalayan Masters, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
