Working with the body sheaths (koshas) to heal anxiety and trauma
The concept of body sheaths or koshas stems from the ancient yogic tradition as laid out in the Upanishads. The teachings can be seen as the basis for modern approaches of mind-body connection. However the concept of koshas goes deeper and is rooted in a spiritual understanding of the world. In this article you’ll get an overview about what the five koshas are, how they interrelate and how this knowledge can help you on your journey to holistic health and wellbeing.
The five body sheaths (koshas)
Basically, the idea is that there is more to a human being than the physically manifest flesh and bone. In fact, this physical body is just one out of five layers. Starting with the “gross” physical, the sheaths get more and more subtle. Let me first give you an overview of the five koshas:
- Annamaya kosha (physical sheath)
Annamaya kosha is the physical sheath that composes the outer layer. It’s sometimes referred to as the food sheath because it consists of, and is fueled by the food we eat. Annamaya-kośa is usually the sheath with which we identify the most. To keep this layer in a good shape it’s of great importance to stick to a healthy diet (high quality foods) and appropriate exercise.
- Pranamaya kosha (pranic sheath)
This layer surrounds and penetrates the physical body as the vital energy which flows in and around the body. Pranāmaya-kośa is influenced and fuelled by the prāṇa absorbed mainly through the breath. The practice of prāṇāyāma (yogic breathing) and breathwork helps to keep this energy flowing freely, which also affects the health of the physical body.
- Manomaya kosha (mental sheath)
Even more subtle than the first two koshas, Manomaya-kośa consists of the thinking mind and emotions. The thoughts and emotions we experience affect the energy flow in and around us, which in turn affect our energetic and physical health. This layer is deeply connected with our nervous system and our emotions. If the body is in constant stress, the nervous system switches into survival mode and the physical body feels accordingly — tense, contricted, anxious. The mind is trying to make sense of the bodily sensations and thoughts will be anxious, as well. To keep this layer healthy it’s necessary to regulate your nervous system and work on your repressed emotions.
- Vijananamaya kosha (intellect/intuitive sheath)
Vijanamaya-kośa is the home of our inner knowing and wisdom. It is this aspect of our being which is connected to a higher spiritual realm, from where we receive messages from beyond what our minds could ever understand. When the mind chatter is strong, it can be hard to distinguish between one’s thoughts that are distorted from previous experiences, and the eternal wisdom that speaks through intuition. In order to calm the mental chatter, a regular meditation practice is vital.
- Anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath)
Beyond the other 4 kośas, and yet permeating and comprising them all, is the sheath of bliss. This is the aspect of our being which we recognise as a deep inner peace and joy, free from our thoughts, emotions, energy and body, and yet at the same time embracing them all. To be fully present in anandamaya-kośa means to be in a state of enlightenment or eternal bliss (samadhi) and basically transcendence of the human experience. It’s typically not to be reached in a lifetime.
Working with the koshas to heal anxiety and trauma
All the koshas are interconnected, so dysregulation in one kosha will often affect others (except for anandamaya kosha- this layer is unchangeable, but, it is basically not accessible before becoming a spiritual master). A dysregulation in each kosha will show up differently, and it will radiate out and affect the other layers, as well.
On the other hand, working on balancing one kosha will positively affect all the other koshas. Therefore, if a client has for example certain physical problems such as chronic back pain, it is one option to work directly on the physical layer of the body — but another option is to look at, for example, the mental layer. Tension in the back can be the result of carrying unresolved trauma and emotions. Working on the emotional level, uncovering what has been pushed down into the unconscious and allowing to integrate it, will in most cases have positive effects on the physical body level. My approach to working with the mental sheath is Neo Emotional Release. Read more about this work here.
Another example is, let’s say, chronic fatigue. Someone suffering from this condition can have physical symptoms (body feeling tired) but mental symptoms, as well (thoughts of desperation, hopelessness). A very efficient way to work with chronic fatigue is doing breathwork. Breathwork directly affects the pranamaya kosha, which is the sheath of vital energy. Breath, according to the yogic philosophy as well as other spiritual and religious traditions around the world, IS life itself. It’s intuitive — we live for as long as we breathe. In a breathwork session, the amount of oxygen intake in the body is heightened, the mind is silenced and prana flow in the body is activated. On an energetic level, breathwork is like a full body cleanse — the flow of fresh prana flushes through the body and pushes through resistances that have accumulated over time. In many cases, more than one breathwork session will be needed but many clients report alleviation of physical and mental symptoms already after one session. Read more about my breathwork offers here.
