This is a meditation through the five koshas.
In yoga therapy and the science of Ayurveda,
We talk about the Pancha Kosha model or the five sheaths of the human body,
The Anamaya Kosha or physical body,
The Pranamaya Kosha or energetic body,
The Manamaya Kosha or conscious thinking mind,
The Vinyanamaya Kosha or super conscious mind,
The intellect,
And the Anandamaya Kosha or bliss body.
This meditation takes us on a journey,
Connecting us with each of these parts of ourself with a stop along the way at the heart center.
You don't have to have any prior knowledge or experience of the five koshas to practice this meditation.
You can also break it down into smaller parts when you only have a short amount of time in your day and you just need to connect to the body.
You can simply practice the body awareness,
Perhaps adding breath awareness to ground you in the present moment.
So let's begin by settling in to a comfortable position,
A posture that supports your spine,
Head,
And neck and encourages you to remain awake and alert.
I recommend sitting for this practice,
But if you are unable to do so for any reason,
Feel free to recline.
Just make sure that your body is fully supported and comfortable,
That no part of you is compressed or constricted,
And that you're able to breathe freely.
Take a few moments now to get comfortable and begin to connect with your physical body.
Feel your feet connected to the earth or whatever surface is supporting them.
Feel your sitting bones,
Your tailbone,
The sense of rootedness in the body.
Notice all the parts of your back body now touching the surface beneath you.
Taking a deep breath as you exhale,
Allow all of those points to sink into the surface,
Fully supported.
Begin to scan through the body and notice any areas of discomfort,
Tension or pain.
You might even notice places that feel numb or lack sensation.
Notice your legs fully supported,
Hips,
Torso.
Begin to soften through your shoulders.
Allow the arms to rest completely.
Feel your hands noticing where they feel like they're Pearl Please let your hands open in your irons.
Begin to soften through your shoulders.
Allow the arms to rest completely.
Feel your hands noticing where you have placed them without looking.
Feel the palms of the hands,
The fingertips.
Allow the hands to rest completely.
Relax the jaws.
Soften your forehead.
Soften all the muscles around your eyes.
Perhaps allowing the eyes to close if it's comfortable.
Or simply soften your gaze.
Begin to connect with your breath now.
Feel the air as it enters and leaves your nose.
Take a few long,
Slow breaths in.
And with each exhale,
See if you can allow your body to sink into the surface beneath it a little bit more.
Breathe into your belly now and notice sensation here.
Feeling the belly fill like a balloon as you inhale and allowing a sense of ease as you exhale.
If you like and it's comfortable for you,
You can touch the tips of your index fingers to the tips of your thumbs and curl the other fingers into your palms in Chinmaya mudra.
Resting the hands in your lap.
Take a few breaths to notice any sensation as you hold this mudra.
You might begin to feel your breath and your ribs and your chest.
Breath filling the space around your heart.
As you breathe into this space,
Imagine the heart getting lighter and softening with each exhale.
Breathing into the space around the heart,
Exhaling.
Feel the heart get lighter.
Begin to connect to your own heart with a sense of kindness and compassion.
Ask your heart what it needs and take a few moments to listen with a kind attention.
Just seeing whatever arises without judgment.
As you spend some time listening to your heart,
Notice any emotions that are present.
Notice any thoughts that arise.
Again,
Without judgment,
Simply allowing,
Watching these thoughts,
Sensing emotions that are present.
Without getting involved in any stories,
Simply watching as the observer of your own thoughts and emotions.
If anything challenging arises,
Bring awareness back to the sensation of your breath.
Feeling the breath around the heart or feeling the breath in your belly and the gentle softening on the exhale.
When we are able to observe our thoughts and emotions without identifying with them so completely,
We are able to see more clearly.
These thoughts lose the power to draw us into their stories and are gradually released.
Allowing us to connect to our true selves,
Our true being.
Let's begin to go deeper.
If it's comfortable for you,
You can place the hands now in Chitta Mudra by touching the pads of the index fingers to the tips of the thumbs as before.
But this time,
Extend the other fingers straight out.
Then bring your hands together in front of the chest like prayer hands with the pads of the middle ring and little fingers touching.
The thumbs touch along their length and the tips of the index fingers touch each other.
Relax your shoulders back and down.
Take a few moments to connect with your breath and with this mudra.
Simply noticing whatever comes up.
You may notice the breath directed upwards,
Filling the upper chest,
The upper back,
Neck,
Head and sense organs.
As you breathe in,
Sense a feeling of expansion and spaciousness.
As you exhale,
Allow your awareness to rest now at the center of the brow,
The third eye.
Imagine a screen here on which thoughts,
Feelings,
Images and memories naturally arise.
Totally be present with whatever arises with a sense of detachment if possible,
Allowing and witnessing.
If anything particularly challenging or overwhelming arises,
Bring awareness back to your breath and the belly,
Your sitting bones or your feet on the floor.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing out.
As you gradually deepen your ability to be present with whatever arises,
Begin to sense any heaviness begin to dissolve with each exhale.
You may begin to experience a greater lightness and ease of being as you release that which no longer serves you.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Begin to notice yourself watching your thoughts,
Becoming aware of awareness itself.
Sense that you are not your thoughts or emotions.
Sense that you are the conscious presence witnessing all that arises in the body,
The heart and the mind.
Breathe in to the brow center and exhale back to the heart.
Allow awareness to rest here at the heart.
If you like,
You can rest your hands now in your lap or you could place your right hand on top of your left with the palms facing up.
Again checking in,
Relaxing the shoulders and the elbows,
Allowing for a gentle softening.
Take a few breaths to rest effortlessly in ease.
Feeling the breath in the heart and in the belly.
Watching whatever arises and letting go without attachment.
If you like,
You could add an affirmation here or a mantra such as,
I am peace.
Or you could use the Sanskrit shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
Peace,
Peace,
Peace.
Using these words in and out.
Shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathe into the heart space now and exhale back down to the soles of your feet.
Feel the feet touching the earth.
Feel the sensation in the palms of your hands.
Sense your sitting bones,
Your legs completely supported.
Feel the touch of air on your skin.
Imagine to awaken the senses to the space around you.
Noticing any sounds that are present.
Noticing any aroma in the room.
And as you feel ready,
Gently opening the eyes if they're closed.
Perhaps perceiving the world with new eyes.
Take a few moments to allow your eyes to adjust and to reflect on your practice.
Perhaps taking a few moments to journal about any insight received.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Om shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
Peace be with you.
