In order to know, who we are we need to connect to our koshas. The Taittiriya Upanishad describes these five veils which are the five koshas.

Annamaya Kosha is the food sheath. It is made of earth and sustained by food. It is transient and perishable.

The Pranayama Kosha is the energy sheath, and it is composed of prana (life force), this layer powers the organs and maintains vitality.

The Manomaya Kosha is the mind sheath, and it is the domain of the emotions, thoughts and sensory mind. It is changeable and reactive.

The Vigyanamaya Kosha is the intellect sheath, the seat of wisdom, discernment (Viveka), and ego. It is the internal compass.

The Anandamaya Kosha is the bliss sheath. It is the subtlest of all. It reflects the pure joy of the Atman and is experienced in deep meditation or dreamless sleep.

Each of the koshas have to be nurtured and nourished. They are layer upon layer of our being. They lead one from the outermost layer to the innermost chamber of bliss. Each sheath has karmic memories and illusions. Purifying the sheaths is essential and then only is it possible for us to be on the path of self-realization.

The purpose of the koshas is to unveil the atman and to realize Brahman—the ultimate reality.

Dear ones, in order to work on our koshas, the first step is Breath Awareness, Samvrit pranayama and Yoga Nidra. Please just become aware of your breath, your thoughts, and you will be on the path of unveiling your koshas. It is a process which has been granted and gifted to all fellow practitioners of Yoga by our Gurus.

Extracted from “Koshas of Human Body” by Shubham Sharma.

Aim Hrim Klim