manas: mind
maya: that which consists of
kosha: layer, sheath
manomaya kosha is where you contextualise the sensory landscape within and around you as you move through the world. the mind-layer that exercises attention, observation and at times - has an agenda entirely of its own.
through mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, pranayama (to only name a few) you enter the realms of movement from the ‘lower mind’ to the ‘higher mind.’ where the stream of your consciousness goes from a constantly running inner dialogue to spaciousness, knowing and intuition.
the mind is what governs your perceptions, emotions and actions.
yoga is just as much a practice for your mind as it is for your body and energy.
in fact, the original purpose of asana, the physical shapes you make in a yoga class, were designed to allow the original practitioners to simply sit in their own flowing awareness for hours upon hours, even into days. unfazed by the outer environment, totally tuned in.
for modern practitioners of yoga and meditation it is even more imperative to be able to find this capacity for stillness and open awareness. what happens when you take a minute to just sit with your thoughts, sensations and feelings without having to take immediate action?
“in yoga, we are simply trying to create the conditions in which our mind becomes as useful as necessary for our actions”
—Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, The Heart of Yoga
understanding the yogic mind - four components that make up manomaya kosha
manas - the sensing mind-body
this is the part of your mind that can feel restless and distracted when unchecked. it is constantly taking information (senses) in generating automatic responses from your body (actions) out.
for example, you hear someone call out your name and you exclaim “hey!”
you see an empty glass on the table and then grab it to wash.
you feel the loving touch of your partner and oxytocin excretes from your body.
p.s. there is an entire rabbit hole to go down here about the jnanendriyas (cognitive senses) and karmendriyas (senses of action) - but I might save that for another time. hopefully you pick up what I’m putting down a little here though.
the key is to bring awareness to what you’re noticing and how you’d actually like to respond, rather than a knee-jerk sort of reaction. bringing us to the other layers of mind…
buddhi - your ability to discern, your intellect
when the manas of your mind is collecting information, it’s buddhi that switches on to create intentional action and understanding. this is the space of discrimination between what is real and not real, what requires action or inaction and what is beneficial or harmful.
when faced with a decision to be made, buddhi is the executive (‘higher thinking’) function of the mind that evaluates any consequences and moves you toward ethical actions and truth.
buddhi is insight, wisdom and discernment that comes from moving beyond your sensory responses and ego’s desires. this is a space where you can then grow spiritually and return to your true nature again.
you can cultivate buddhi through practices like yoga, meditation and self-study (swadhyaya) of yogic texts and scared scriptures. reflection of your own life as a source of enlightenment.
ahamkara - the ego, your ‘I-am-ness’
everyone wants to talk about the ego in spirituality or yoga practices. ‘stripping it back’ or ‘dissolving the ego’ are common phrases you may have heard. the ego can get a bad rap sometimes. when out-of-balance ahamkara can lead to attachments, identification outside the self, material possessiveness and imbalanced relationships.
BUT - ahamkara, the ego, is crucial to how humans have survived throughout millennia. a sense of belonging, a sense of connection with others can be fostered through how you identify yourself as relating to your environment.
think about the stranger you have seen wearing your favourite band’s t-shirt, do you feel more inclined to reach out of yourself and say ‘hi’ or ‘great shirt’ to them with a smile?
it’s important to understand and be empowered by your own personal identity. it’s equally as important avoid separateness by hardening that identity to a specific piece of yourself, forgetting the whole. or getting caught up in us vs. them mentality without clear reasoning from your own experience, memory and connection to oneness, source.
citta - your logbook of memory
this is the subconscious accumulation of experiences over your lifetime and even your ancestors’ lifetimes. citta holds these experiences as patterns that effect your present mood, behaviour and thoughts.
over time, and with repetition (consciously or unconsciously) these patterns can solidify as deep grooves, called samskaras, that shape your wants, habits and reactions.
samskaras can be helpful. every morning when you wake up you go straight to your yoga mat and roll it out for practice, without even a thought. you feel better, energised and clear afterwards.
samskaras can be harmful. you were told repeatedly as a child that you were doing things wrong. in your adulthood, you hold yourself back (subconsciously) from trying new things or have an aversion to failure that causes negative self-talk or feelings toward yourself.
in the practice of yoga, meditation, pranayama we are literally breaking the physical, mental and energetic moulds that have become engrained into your life. through moving with total freedom, catching a recurring thought or breathing in a nourishing rhythm - you create a foundation for change.
it is from inhabiting your mind that breaks you free from limiting patterns and living your life half-asleep. this is where you make informed actions from the wisdom of your Self.
you could say we begin to live a new life…
tread through the corners of your manomaya kosha lightly, with compassion and openness. it’s from this acceptance that true wisdom and connection unfolds.
into the next kosha we go.