5 natural elements
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:
- Annamaya Kosha (Physical Body): Earth Element
- Pranamaya Kosha (Mental Body): Water Element
- Manomaya Kosha (Mental Body): Fire Element
- Vijnanamay Kosha (Wisdom Body): Air Element
- Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body): Space Element
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