by Lisa Kneller
In this talk, I am acknowledging the depth of yoga practice through the variety of lenses available in the practice. I talk about the five mental activities according to the Essence of Yoga, Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. I also review the Koshas and mention the Chakras.
Meet your Teacher
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Transcript
Hello, I'm Lisa Neller, And I'm a yoga teacher on Insight Timer. And today I want to talk about the depth of yoga. I love how the practice of yoga teaches us so much about being human. The yoga sutras help us in understanding and evolving this mental peace of ourselves. It teaches us that the mind is a little chatterbox and we can manage it. According to the Essence of Yoga, Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, There are five mental activities. They are understanding, Error, Imagination, Deep sleep, And memory. And these are coming from aphorism 1. 6. Understanding is having a correct mental grasp. It is a mode of apprehension and of measuring reality. Error appears to be correct grasp, But is actually a misunderstanding that originates either from the information itself or from its bad transmission, Reception, Or interpretation. You know the old party game telephone, Where someone whispers something into the next person's ear and they pass it on to the next person, And so on until the message reaches the end, Right? Usually, The message has been distorted in some way during the journey. This is an example of how error occurs in the mind. Imagination is the faculty of creating things that do not correspond with reality. Deep sleep is dreamless sleep. It differs from the dreamlike state. Memory is the faculty of recording elements that arise from the other four activities. According to the essence of yoga, In practicing yoga, We seek to do four things. One is to develop a correct mental grasp that influences our evolution in a positive way, Reduces mistakes that cause suffering, Even though they may galvanize us to activity, Fresh questioning, Or improved attitude. Number two, Use the imagination creatively as it is the basis of all creation, Artistic or otherwise. Number three, Respect the restful sleep that is indispensable for regenerating our being. And number four, Use the knowledge of what arises from the other four mental activities or the other three mental activities in a positive way. The essence of yoga defines each of those mental states and goes into more detail about their various attributes and offers questions or reflections for us to consider. There is also the concept of the koshas in yoga. The koshas are the various parts of our human being. The five koshas are the anamaya kosha, Which is the food sheath, The physical biological body, Which includes the skin, Bones, Muscles, Arteries, Organs, All of which are associated with the earth element. It is also about survival. The prana maya kosha is the energy body or the vital sheath and its element is water. It is the prana or life force that animates the body and gives it energy. So think breathing, Digestion, And circulation. The manomaya kosha is the mental sheath. Manas means mind. This kosha is the mental sheath of the body and consists of our feelings, Thoughts, Emotions, Memory, And imagination. This kosha is responsible for our cognitive functions like memory, Perception, And reasoning and is where we process our experiences and emotions. Then there is the vijnanamaya kosha, Which is the intellectual sheath or the intuitive body. And vijnanamaya is the sheath that sets human beings apart from animals. While we can both experience emotions and deep connections, Only human beings have the intellectual ability to determine right from wrong and eternal from illusory. Our intellect, Intuition, And inner wisdom are all part of the vijnanamaya kosha, Making it a key factor in our spiritual growth and development. This kosha is also where we connect with our innermost selves and experience a sense of unity with the universe. The fifth kosha or sheath is called ananda maya kosha or the blissful sheath. It's also called the bliss body. It is the finest and thinnest veil covering the self and is also known as the level of the soul. The bliss sheath is what allows us to feel joy, Love, And happiness. It is also responsible for our spiritual contentment and liberation and where we experience our interconnectedness with all things. The koshas are often illustrated in a drawing that looks much like a target with concentric circles starting with the bliss body in the center and with each ring there is another layer or kosha. The outer ring is the ananamaya kosha, The next one in is the pranamaya kosha, The third one in is the manomaya kosha, And the fourth ring around the circle or center is the vijnanamaya kosha. And then of course in the center there's the bliss. We can also look at the chakras to get an understanding of how the energy body works and if you want to go real deep you can study the connection of the psyche to the chakras which is fascinating. There's a great book on this called Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anadeya Judith. I believe looking at these various aspects of ourselves through yoga and throughout life helps us gain understanding which helps us make better decisions. And while the sutras say that yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity, Some people might even say that yoga is the ability to take the right action at the right time. So we can break down our mental states through yoga and have a better understanding of the way the human mind works. Then we can have a breakdown of the various parts of ourselves We can have a breakdown of the various parts of ourselves that include the whole body, The mind and the spirit and the intellect, All of that. And this is such a great starting place to understand ourselves as humans and that we all have these universal parts that need tending to. The practice of yoga is vast and deep and includes information regarding thinking or mental states, Consuming on all levels from eating to buying, Guidelines for living in the moral and ethical principles of the yamas and niyamas, And there are also sister practices like Ayurveda to help us heal. Yoga is a tremendous blessing. I don't know where I'd be without it. For anyone listening, I hope you enjoy and appreciate a good yoga practice. And it's good if it serves you, Makes life more manageable, And brings you more freedom in your mind, Body and heart. Blessings to you and thanks for listening.
4.7 (14)
Jean
September 28, 2025
Great explanations, helped me understand the essence of yoga
Jackie
April 22, 2024
Thank you for this explanation!
