TUESDAY NIGHTS TOGETHER IN PERSON & ONLINE

First block: 10th Sept - 8th Oct, Exploring the Koshas for harmonious living.

It is no secret that modern day living can be seen as both a blessing and a curse.

We have so very much at our fingertips. At the touch of a button, we can make contact with others across the world, we can order food to be delivered to our door, watch whatever we want, whenever we want.  We have in many ways, quite literally everything we can think of.

And yet….

....and yet, for many of us, there is a growing sense of disconnection and separation from both ourselves, others and our surroundings.

Information is abundant and there are google answers for everything but have you ever paused to notice the whispers that refuse to be hushed by these ‘quick fixes’ and external  source of validation.

No amount of external stimulation and gratification can hush our own inner voice. It can certainly make it harder to be heard and more difficult to be felt, but if we choose to plug into ourselves rather than the cacophony of  external distractions, she is there within us, waiting to be heard.

And that, my love, is where our practice of Intentional Living and Yoga come in.

When we make a conscious decision to prioritise our own voice/felt sensations/curiosity and wisdom we find the path back home. We find connection instead of separation. Community instead of isolation. Mindfulness instead of a mind full of distraction.

In this 5 week series we take a closer look at how we can use the model of the Koshas to bring us back to our centre and ‘true self’ so as we may live in greater congruence with our self, nature and others.

In Sanskrit, kosha means "sheath" or "covering." As such, the koshas are often called the five sheaths or veils. The Upanishads describe the koshas as a system of five layers of awareness. Beginning with the physical body, the densest layer, they move inwards towards the core of the self (or inner self)

While each layer can be explored on its own, they are all inherently woven to make up our existence. It is through our practice of yoga and mindful living, that we can move through these layers (or Koshasa) that make up ones being, transporting us deeper towards our true self so as we may gain a deeper understanding of ourself and move closer towards balance and  harmony within our life

This block runs for 5 weeks from 10th Sept - 8th Oct. Join me as each week we move through and explore each layer of our being through a fully rounded and mindfully considered asana and pranayama sequence.

WEEK 1 We begin with Anomaya Kosh ~ Our food body and the outermost layer (associated with the Earth element). This Kosha feeds the physical body and sustains the other koshas. In yoga, asanas can affect this kosha by nurturing the body. WEEK 2 Pranamaya kosha ~ The energy layer (associated with Water element). This kosha regulates the flow of prana (life-force energy) through our  bodies via the nadis (energy channels) and the chakras . In our yoga practice, both asanas and pranayama (breathing exercises) influence this kosha. WEEK 3 Manomaya kosha ~ Mind (connected to the element of  Fire). Manomaya is the kosha that contains and influences our thoughts and emotions. Various aspects of yoga practice will affect this kosha. For example, meditation, asana mindfulness, curiosity, pranayama and mudras can all ease us toward greater balance in emotions and thought patterns. WEEK 4  

Vijnanamaya kosha ~ This kosha is connected to a deeper level of intuition and inner wisdom (The element of Air). In yoga, meditation and meditative asanas affect this kosha. WEEK 5 Anandamaya kosha ~ The deepest layer, this kosha contains ecstasy, love and joy (connected to Ether - Space). Some traditions refer to this layer as the true Self, while others believe this kosha opens the door to the true Self.