According to yogic philosophy as listed in the Taitiriya Upanishad, each human being has 5 koshas, or layers of being, that encase the soul, layer by layer. These sheaths encase, interact, & interpenetrate each other. In order to achieve harmonic homeostasis, what yogi’s refer to as spiritual enlightenment, all 5 sheaths must be in syncopated balance & supporting one another fully without gap, interruption, or conflict.
In our practice, we approach through the 5 natural elements of earth, water, fire, air, & space, with each element corresponding to a kosha:
As I have said, we human beings live between the two realities of earth & sky. The earth stands for all that is practical, material, tangible, & incarnate. It is the knowable world, objectively knowable through voyages of discovery & observation. We all partake of this world & its knowledge through the vast store of accumulated collective experience. There is one word for all this. It is Nature.
B.K.S. Iyengar
In gratitude, humility, and humbleness, we’ve organized our practice of the 8 limbs of yoga, as listed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, within the 5 natural elements of earth, water, fire, air, & space.
A balanced earth element may better support and permit feelings of solidity and a connection with yourself, others, & your surroundings. When the earth element is balanced, feelings of safety, resiliency, and generally feeling “grounded” are common. Anatomically, the root “chakra”, or energy center in the body, is located at the base of the spine. We engage the perineum to activate root energy, or mula bandha, which prevents the downward escape of energy. A deficit in root energy frequently occurs when we do not feel “grounded”. Overly active root energy may be experienced as general feelings of lethargy. To balance this root energy, we practice grounding through the bottoms of the feet or by allowing our entire body to touch the earth (through yoga postures such as mountain, corpse, & child’s poses). Echoing this placement by integrating ties from our ropes practice that focus on the feet or entire body (such as the heel tie, or full-body harness), we can further emphasize this connection. Here, we step into the body and observe the interplay of the three gunas (sattva, rajas, and tamas).
A balanced water element may permit feelings of creativity, finding your “flow” or fluidity in movement and thought, calmness, & a general openness to joy. Anatomically, the water element is located in the pelvic region of our bodies – which is also the location of the sacral “chakra”. A deficit in sacral-related energy may be felt when we experience low passion, energy, or libido. Overly active sacral-related energy may be felt when we experience hyper-sexual or emotional energies. To balance this energy center, we practice hip-focused postures such as butterfly, low-lunge, & pigeon. By integrating pelvic-focused ties such as the simple hip harness we can further emphasize this connection. Here, we examine the power of the breath as it relates to our Pranayama practice.
A balanced fire element may encourage feelings of strength. Anatomically, it is located deep within the abdomen. A deficit in solar plexus-related energy may be felt when we have low confidence, are withdrawn, or carry shame. An overly active solar plexus-related energy may be felt when we are overly confident, aggressive, or angry. To balance this solar plexus energy, we practice hot yoga flows & core-focused postures such as twists, plank, boat, & chair. By integrating abdomen-focused ties such as the hishi karada, we can further emphasize this connection. Here, we bust through the bullshit that so readily attaches itself to our thoughts & emotions as it relates to our Pratyahara practice.
A balanced air element may permit feelings of mental agility, as though we feel “light”. Anatomically, it is located in the center of your chest, just over the sternum. Energetically, it is associated with uddiyana bandha, or “upward lifting” lock, which encourages loving feelings of compassion. A deficit in heart-related energy may often be experienced when we feel lonely, unloved, unfocused, or unproductive. Overly active heart-related energy may be experienced when we feel carried away by our racing thoughts, or feel overly attached. To balance heart energy, we emphasize the opening of the chest through yoga postures like cobra, bridge, & bow. By integrating chest-focused ties such as the star harness, we can emphasize this connection further. Here, we begin to practice our rope floorwork as it relates to Dharana & Dhyana.
A balanced space element may be experienced as feeling nourished and connected. It may allow us to better balance internal and external energies as a whole. Anatomically, it is located in the neck. Our practice here is to engage jalandhara bandha, or “throat lock”, which offers a host of physical and mental benefits. A deficit in the throat-related energy may occur when we feel isolated, misunderstood, or are have difficulties expressing ourselves. Overly active throat-related energy may be experienced when we have difficulty listening to others, or often interrupt when someone else is talking. Within the space element, we practice arm balance postures. By integrating arm & hand focused ties such as the prayer tie or server’s hand, we can further emphasize this connection. Here, we bring it all together & practice our rope suspension as it relates to the practice of Samadhi.
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