Savasana Challenge Day 5

Entering the Manomaya Kosha, the realm of the mind

Welcome to the 12 Days of Relaxation Challenge Day 5!

I hope you enjoyed experimenting with the mantra meditation yesterday in your rest.

Today’s practice introduces you to the Koshas—a theoretical framework from the Yoga tradition that explains the different layers of being.

The 5 Koshas

The underlying premise of the Kosha system is that we contain multitudes. Kosha is a Sanskrit word that means sheath. The five layers or “sheaths” of the Self all mask the True Self that lives hidden beneath the accoutrements of body and mind. We are not just our body or our mind or our breath. We are all of it, all the time. With that said, the mind better understands distinction, so each layer is divided into a subset of parts that can explain who we are. The purpose of yoga practice is to bring you into relationship with all the aspects of your self so that you can eventually access your True Self: universal consciousness itself.

The Annamaya Kosha

The Annamaya Kosha (Anna = food; Maya=illusion, thus t…