the 3 bodies & 5 koshas
A Pathway of Embodied Awareness
In yogic philosophy, the human experience is understood through the three bodies and the five koshas, or “sheaths.” These layers veil our innermost essence — pure consciousness — yet also serve as pathways towards it. By gently exploring each sheath, we learn to recognise the interconnection of body, breath, mind, wisdom, and spirit, allowing awareness to unfold naturally from the outermost to the innermost self.
Meditation and sound are complementary tools that guide awareness through the five koshas — the sheaths of being that veil and reveal our true nature. Together, these practices awaken the body’s intelligence, harmonise energy, calm the mind, and attune us to the spacious awareness that is our essence.
the 3 bodies
the gross body
The gross body is the physical body (annamaya kosha)—bones, muscles, organs, breath, and sensory perception. It is the most tangible layer of experience and the easiest place to begin meditation.
In sound meditation:
The breath anchors awareness in the body, calming the nervous system and creating safety.
Instruments such as drum, rattle, and flute provide rhythm and melody that the physical body can feel and follow.
Low-frequency sounds from gong and large bowls are often perceived as vibration or resonance, helping release muscular tension and promote grounding.
Sound enters through the ears but is felt throughout the body, allowing the gross body to soften and settle into stillness.
the subtle body
The subtle body (pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha, vijnanmaya kosha) includes breath (prana), energy channels (nadis), and the mind and emotions. This is where thought patterns, mood, and energetic flow reside.
In sound meditation:
The natural rhythm of the breath supports balanced pranic flow.
Tibetan and crystal bowls interact with the subtle body through sustained tones, overtones, and harmonic vibration.
Sound waves help quiet mental activity, regulate emotional states, and encourage a sense of spaciousness.
As the subtle body becomes more coherent, participants often experience emotional release, imagery, or a deep sense of calm and clarity.
the causal body
The causal body (anandamaya kosha) is the most refined layer, associated with deep rest, intuition, and the underlying patterns that shape our habits and perceptions. It is experienced most clearly in silence, stillness, and non-doing.
In sound meditation:
Moments of silence between sounds are as important as the sounds themselves.
Gentle, expansive instruments such as chimes or sustained gong tones can support entry into states similar to deep meditation or yogic sleep.
Awareness may rest beyond thought, beyond breath, touching a sense of presence or inner knowing.
Sound acts as a doorway, but the causal body is encountered when sound dissolves into quiet awareness.
The Five Koshas
The Physical Body
The outermost sheath, composed of food and matter, represents our tangible form, the skin, bones and muscles-All that we can see the body to be. The physical body is the sacred vessel of consciousness and is directly affected by the more subtle koshas. Through meditation, we cultivate awareness of bodily sensations (pranamaya kosha), thoughts and emotions (manomaya kosha), discernment (vijnanamaya kosha) and stillness (anandamaya kosha), learning to inhabit the body completely with gentleness and respect.
The Energy Body
The pranamaya kosha is the sheath of life force — the subtle current of prana that animates the body and breath. Meditation refines our sensitivity to this flow, guiding awareness inward to the quiet movement of energy beneath the breath.
Sound and vibration directly influence this energetic body, helping to release blockages and restore harmony. As we listen and feel sound resonate within, the flow of prana becomes balanced and vibrant.
The Mental Body
This sheath encompasses the mind, emotions, and sensory experience. Meditation allows us to observe thoughts and emotions with compassion, softening identification with mental activity.
Sound becomes an ally here — soothing the emotional body through vibration and release. Through these practices, the manomaya kosha becomes more spacious, allowing awareness to move beyond reactivity into balance and ease.
The Wisdom Body
This is the sheath of insight, discernment, and intuitive knowing. Through meditation, we begin to rest in the quiet clarity beneath thought — where understanding arises naturally. As awareness refines, the vijnanamaya kosha illuminates the subtle wisdom that guides conscious living.
The Bliss Body
The innermost sheath is the anandamaya kosha, the field of bliss. It is not an emotion but the radiant peace of pure awareness itself.
Meditation opens the doorway to this sheath, allowing consciousness to rest in its natural state. Sound becomes an extension of this inner stillness — expressions of joy and wholeness. Through the integration of all koshas, we awaken to the simple truth of being: that the Self we seek is already here, quietly present within every breath and heartbeat.