Wk. 68 COMPACT – Koshas – Anandamaya

Anandamaya Kosha

The fifth and final Kosha is called by Anandamaya. Within our metaphor of the lamp shade to describe the sheaths of the Koshas, this might be the lava-lamp shade where everything is bliss. Anandamaya means joy, bliss or extreme happiness. It is one of the highest states of being and we normally experience this state when we transition into sleep but also when we wake as in a deep meditation. This Tantric practice involving forward bends, back bends, twists and strong core will fully try and put you into that state of wakeful bliss and reach Samadhi or the pure absorption into wholeness.

The Anandamaya Kosha is the pure exploration of the causal body. We have moved beyond the Physical and the Subtle bodies and are now exploring our soul’s karma and unpacking it like the luggage we will carry into our next lifetime. At the same time once that luggage is unpacked we can feel the emptiness in order to be reminded of the fullness of the Subtle and the Physical. This is why the Koshas all work together and why progression of the Koshas is key. You need to work the kinks out of the Physical and Subtle bodies before experiencing the profound stillness of Anandamaya.

The Ananadamaya Kosha is where we heal. It is where we truly find the deeper experience of engagement refining and evolving each of the Koshas. Through Pranayama techniques and a bit of chanting in this practice, Anandamaya gifts us the experience of wakeful wholeness, completeness and oneness freeing us from the bondage of the limiting ego.