The Five Layers of Health - Ancient Yogic Insights into Healing and Well-being

The key to human health is found not just on the level of the body and mind, according to yogic philosophy, but in all layers of our being.

In the yoga framework, our extended being encompasses five layers, or koshas. These are referred to as the Pancha Kosha, or “Five Sheaths” in yoga philosophy. The five koshas are a nested system consisting of the bliss layer, the wisdom layer, the mind, the life force, and finally the body. The grosser layers arise from the more subtle layers, and all the layers influence each other, and function as a system.

This powerful model has far-reaching implications, even for modern day existence. It can help us better understand what it means to be human, it can also help us tune into the needs of different parts of ourselves. It gives us a map for navigating the terrain of health, healing, happiness and self-actualization.

In this webinar and yoga practice series, Kristine Kaoverii Weber, the founder of Subtle Yoga, will explain how the kosha model can be used, with other models of health (including the biopsychosocialspiritual model, the socioecology model, and the chakra system model), to help us achieve better health and wellness – individually and as a society. She will also give a detailed description of, and sample practices for, each kosha. 

This Premium Course Also Includes These Great Bonuses!

• Two 30-minute yoga practice videos showing how to target specific koshas.

• Recordings of Both Webinar Sessions: Yours to keep. It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get the recordings of both webinar sessions (both MP3 and MP4), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.

• Transcripts of Both Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.

What You Will Learn

• How to use the five layers to thrive in your yoga practice and your life.

• How to clarify a stronger sense of purpose and meaning, and utilize it as a solid foundation for health.

• How to integrate Kosha-informed practices to deepen your yoga experience. 

• How the Kosha model can offer a broader perspective on how we think about individual and population health.

Course Content:

Session 1: The Body and the Life-Force System – Creating the Foundation and Energy for Your Health

In the first session, Kristine will discuss how the Kosha model reframes what it means to be healthy, strong and vital. She provides an overview of the annamaya kosha (the physical body) and the pranamaya kosha (the energy body) and describes how you can better guide your yoga practice to serve the needs of these interrelated layers.

In addition to providing information about the subtler systems of the physical body, Kristine will address the link between the annamaya and pranamaya which can be accessed through breath-centered asana as well as pranayama practice. She will also discuss the intersection of the breath and the mind and emotions, focusing on cutting-edge neurobiologic findings.

She will provide an introduction to how the ancient kosha model could be integrated with contemporary Western understandings to provide a broader perspective on health and healing.

Session 2: Mind, Wisdom and Bliss - Catalyzing Health and Healing through the Subtle Koshas

In the second session, Kristine will describe the subtler layers of self - the manomaya (mind), the vijnanmaya (the wisdom layer) and the anandamaya (the bliss layer). You will learn ways to make your practices more subtle so that you can access these deep sources of health and healing. Kristine shows ways in which you can practice (and/or teach) that are accessible and person-centered, and lead to a deeper experience of the subtler layers of self.

Kristine will also explore the intersection between the koshas and the chakras. Meditation practices are integral to accessing subtler layers of self and are an important yoga strategy for personal and spiritual development. Kristine will address some common obstacles with meditation and offer some suggestions from the yoga tradition for improving your meditation and catalyzing your practice.

This course qualifies for 3.5 non-contact hour CEs with Yoga Alliance.