Bertahan Walker

Five layers of our being Kośa (pronounced "kosha") means sheath, like the lampshades covering the light. Maya means appearance, as if something appears to be one way, but is really another. Pañca means five. The Upaniṣads explain that our true Self, our pure consciousness (or whatever term can be useful to describe our unchanging essence) is covered up by many layers. It is inaccessible due to the "thick fog" of misunderstandings or distortions present in each layer. The "work" therefore is to bring more clarity, more light, more awareness to each layer. More simply though, this model of five layers is very useful to consider all different aspects that make us who we are in daily life. 1. Physical - Annamaya kośa The most outer layer, the most dense, is the layer of our body, our skin and bones. Anna means food, which is necessary to sustain this layer. When we work with āsana practice, we are primarily working with this layer. 2. Energy, breat