Embodied Health

How Yoga Therapy helps us heal our deepest layers

Denver Clark, C-IAYT, E-RYT500

For thousands of years, yoga has been passed down from teacher to student through experiential learning. As modern yoga begins to catch up to the depth and beauty of ancient yoga, people are searching for deeper meaning and lasting healing. Gone are the days of obsession with poses. Now, we are entering the era of Yoga Therapy.

But what exactly is it that makes yoga “Therapeutic?”

Sometime around 800-300 BC, the great work of the Upanishads began and the precise origins of the teachings and the teachers themselves are not entirely clear. The Upanishads are also commonly known as the Vedanta – Meaning the “last chapters” or the highest purpose of the vedas and these teachings were originally passed down orally from teacher to student through the memorization of chants. These teachings include information and instruction on meditation, philosophy, consciousness and ultimate knowledge. The chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad – which is believed by some to have been one of the earlier chapters, written perhaps around 5^th-6^th century BC – is where we find mention of the 5 Koshas or Panchamaya Koshas.

“Pancha”, in Sanskrit means 5, “Maya” is Illusion and a “Kosha” is a sheath or layer.

Essentially, these are the layers of each person from gross to subtle that help us peel back our illusion that we are anything more or less than perfect beings of light.

These 5 layers are:

1. Annamaya Kosha – The physical body
2. Pranamaya Kosha – The energy body
3. Manomaya Kosha – The mind & emotions
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha – The insight consciousness
5. Anandamaya Kosha – The bliss body

Everything we do and everything that happens to us affects all 5 of these layers.

For example,

1. We are locked out of the car outside on a hot summer day and my body becomes overheated. – Physical sensation in the Annamaya kosha
2. This heat in my body affects the quality of my breath. My breath becomes fast and difficult, blood rushes to my face, I begin to sweat and feel faint – Energetic sensation in the Pranamaya kosha
3. Because I am overheated inside and out, I become annoyed and angry and blame you (with some choice words) for locking the keys in the car – Mental response in Manomaya kosha
4. Later, once we’ve found a cool place inside to rest and I’ve had some time to reflect on the incident, I realize my comment was unfair and mean. I approach you with an apology and explain that what I said was not true, it was simply a sideways remark caused by my anger and frustration. – Insight in the Vijnanamaya kosha
5. Because of this, we both feel at ease and the situation has been resolved. All seems right once again in our relationship– Moment of bliss in the Anandamaya kosha

This is just one example of an outwardly physical experience affecting the entire system.

Here is a reverse example:

3. You suddenly remember that you have an important deadline tomorrow and you are nowhere close to prepared! – mental experience in Manomaya Kosha

2. Suddenly, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises and you feel a tightening in your stomach at the thought of showing up to work ill-prepared – energetic response in Pranamaya kosha

1. Let’s imagine every day at work is like this. Over time, your body is in a perpetual state of panic and sympathetic nervous system response. This leads to long term stress and creates chronic high blood pressure, ulcers and perhaps even one day a heart attack – physical response in Annamaya kosha

This is a perfect example of how mental and emotional stress can make people physically sick over time.

In the practice of Yoga therapy, the practitioner addresses this.

Perhaps you have chronic left sided shoulder pain with little to no explanation as to why. It’s just always been “stiff and painful.” In addition to exploring some helpful physical movements, stretches and strengthening exercises, a Yoga Therapist will ask the question, “How does this chronic pain affect your daily life?” and “How does this make you feel?”

Maybe this pain is affecting your ability to play Tennis, the one thing that used to bring you joy after a stressful week at work. This may be giving rise to feelings of anxiety or depression (mental sheath).

Perhaps there is even more information in the history of your life that gives insight you’re your yoga therapist, I might ask you to explore if there is something weighing on your heart (located on the left side of your body). Maybe connected to the loss of your mother. Or maybe there is a lack of rest and relaxation (associated with the Left side of the body) due to your new stressful job. These elements might indicate an energetic blockage here that is manifesting in your pain even though you may not have had an actual injury.

Absolutely everything we experience is connected to each of these layers. And the beauty of modern medicine now catching up to this ancient awareness of interconnectivity is what brings us the gift of Yoga Therapy.

So what if the next time you become aware that something is out of balance, you asked yourself the question:

“How is this affecting me Physically, Energetically & Emotionally and what is this trying to teach me?” By exploring these questions, you begin the practice of Yoga Therapy or true yoga. This insight is what allows us to shed the illusion of what we think is important and re-connect to the truth that we are all perfect beings, undefined by what is happening in the outer layers. This, is what connects us to Bliss.

For more information on Yoga Therapy or training in Yoga, Yoga Therapy and the 5 Koshas you can find me at Heartwood Yoga Institute in Bradenton, Fl.

I look forward to offering the presentation “Embodied Activities for Addressing the Koshic Model with Clients” at the annual Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) in Reston, VA June 15-17, 2023.