The Five Kosha Continued

Last week, I introduced you to the concept of the 5 kosha or levels of being. The goal of yoga is to bring all layers of our being together into one whole. The word yoga translates to union or oneness. So with a complete yoga practice this means integrating these 5 layers into unity or wholeness of the person. Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) is but one way to point us toward developing this integration.

Let's take a deeper dive into this topic. In the second of the 5 part-series, we explore the physical layer and what we do with it during a yoga nidra guided meditation.

The Physical Layer: Annamaya Kosha

We start at the layer or sheath, of which we are most aware, the physical layer. This is the level with which we interact with the world around us. It is at this level that we practice our yoga asana, the poses that make up our physical practice. The physical layer is the densest and it contains all of our bodily matter from the largest organ in the body, the skin, all the way down to the cellular level. Nearly every human being is aware of this layer since this is how we find our way through the world and through life. We use the physical body to interact with others and take care of the necessities of daily living. It is this kosha that we relate to most often when we are injured or ill.

For any meditation, it is important to prepare the body for meditation. For our yoga nidra meditation, the entry focuses on your physical layer. Our entry section of the yoga nidra practice is used to make the physical body as comfortable as possible. Comfort of the physical body means finding the position that will work best for you by allowing the physical body to fully relax for the duration of the meditation. We get cozy and comfortable with all the appropriate props before allowing the body to release and let go. The comfort of the props support you for the length of the practice. I usually recommend as many comfortable props as possible, bolsters, pillows, blankets, socks and an eye pillow.

Another part of the yoga nidra practice is the body scan. This is the transition to the next level of the five kosha. Scanning the body allows for bringing your awareness to something that is familiar (your physical body), as your consciousness begins to rotate into the next layer of being. That is why in yoga nidra we call this section rotation of consciousness. We will discuss this further next week when we talk about the energetic layer.

Resource:

Sartain, Christopher (2012). The Sacred Science of Yoga & The Five Koshas. Kindle Edition.

Dial-in to Yoga Nidra

Once again, it's Monday! That means Yoga Nidra is tonight! I share the Yoga Nidra practice online with you via Zoom. Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation, while it is fun to be connected to others via video, you can still gain a lot of benefit by just listening to my voice. If you are unable to be in the class because of internet limitations, you can always dial-in with a phone number specific to the class. You will need to contact me directly to get the dial-in information after you have registered. I hope to see you tonight! Register here.

Private Lessons

I continue to be available for private lessons. With a private lesson, I tailor yoga lessons to meet your unique needs. I am happy to come to your home if you are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Originally, I had suspended online private lessons, but since Covid is back at full strength in Florida, I am pleased to accommodate you online. For private lessons, contact me by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.

Past issues of this newsletter/blog can be found here.