when was the last time you caught yourself hanging in a moment of what can only be described as wholeness?
aware of your body and sensations. aware of your breath as it mirrors the state of your energy being centred and alive. your mind clear and attentive, even sharp. your heart feeling open and content.
as if everything in you is humming with a sense of unwavering connection to your higher Self.
these experiences of your Self are innate and ever present. sometimes, it just takes a bit of care and awareness to bring yourself back into homeostasis.
in fact, your entire being is designed to move toward this balance. but, when we rush through life and ignore the subtle signals — be it from your physical self, the state of your mental health and/or the cravings and patterns that play out unconsciously — the systems that would otherwise naturally co-create this equilibrium can get lost in translation. overriding the wisdom within that knows what’s truly nourishing and needed.
this separation is what leads to dis-ease. like blockages or a calcification of the unique layers of yourself that can disconnect you from your health, vitality and truest nature.
this is where you might return to the koshas as a road map to a state of health and being fully alive again.
through understanding and curiosity of where you’re feeling stuck and what’s driving your experience, you will recognise the pieces of you that might need a little more loving attention and compassionate action.
this process requires patience, openness and a willingness to learn — BUT it’s the lifelong process (practice) that creates a life that’s ripe, fulfilling and whole.
the Pancha Koshas are the layers containing your true Self - atma.
throughout the entirety of your existence, these five layers are each playing an integral part in your relationship to life.
like a spiral moves both inward and outward, your experiences and Self becomes freed by a similar movement of your actions and awareness. when you cultivate balance in one layer you allow space for the light of your atma to shine outwards and into the world.
personally, this is a foundational WHY for my practice. where I continue to come back onto my mat to maintain a level of clarity as life moves me forward and into various states of feeling ‘good’ (vibrant, joyous, enthused) and ‘not so good’ (lethargic, overwhelmed, anxious).
in the past, if I were heading towards a downward curve of the spiral that is life — I would’ve identified to the part of me that wasn’t feeling all that great. that part, or layer, of me would lead the conversations I had with myself, lead the way I moved in life and end up running the show.
if I were feeling more agitated or angry than usual, I would label myself as a ‘bad person’.
if my energy were a little more depleted than normal and I needed rest, I would label myself as ‘lazy’ or ‘incapable’.
if my body didn’t look a certain way or feel a certain way in my yoga practice I would compare myself to others.
…you get the idea.
the key is to realise that when one layer of yourself is a little out of whack, it doesn’t DEFINE YOU.
it’s an invitation in.
a signal from your Self to take a further look, acknowledge what might be really going on underneath those labels and with a little conscious action you will find your way back. you will find your Self whole again.
join me over the next few entries of the journal, where we’ll dive into each element of the koshas.
starting from the outermost skin to innermost shell of your original Self.
unearthing your potential to living a more connected and uplifted life.