Treating the physical being alone can only provide peripheral solutions for the ailments of a society which is plagued by deep-rooted mental and emotional agony. The inner torment of individuals caught up in the busyness of present-day life takes its toll on their health. The synergy between mental, physical and spiritual well-being is what we need today for attaining and sustaining the overall well-being.
Yoga, a therapeutic treasure with its roots in ancient Indian culture, shows us the ways and means to achieve this synergy. Yoga maintains and improves vigour and vitality. The various meditative practices in Yoga boost inner health and harmony and are invaluable steps in the path to good health. As a spiritual practice, Yoga aims to unify the individual soul with the supreme soul.
The concept of ‘Panchakoshas’ is described in the ‘Taittiriya Upanishad’. It is one of the earliest conceptualisations of the human nature or ‘Prakriti’. According to the Panchakosha Theory, every human being is made up of five different sheaths or energy layers called ‘Panchakoshas’. These five Koshas are ‘Annamaya Kosha’ or the physical layer, ‘Pranamaya Kosha’ or the energy layer, ‘Manomaya Kosha’ or the layer of mind, ‘Vigyanamaya Kosha’ or the layer of intellect and ‘Anandamaya Kosha’ or the layer of bliss.
Yoga is an inward journey where you move through the five layers and concentrate on the well-being of each of these layers. Many times, our understanding of the self is limited to the physical body. This ignorance leads to poor self-awareness and makes us incapable of taking care of the self in a holistic way, which is the only way to true well-being. Through various practices focusing on every ‘Kosha’, yoga lets you become aware of the ‘Koshas’, and creates a path that gradually unravels your true nature or ‘Atman.’
The stressful lifestyle we follow today has increased the incidence and prevalence of depression, anxiety and psychosomatic ailments. It’s about time we understand and acknowledge that in addition to the physical aspects of ailments, taking care of mental health is of utmost importance. Many centuries ago, the propounders of Yoga recognised the disturbances in mental health as the root cause of ailments and developed a health care system that works towards mental and physical well-being. This explains the relevance of this age-old wisdom in today’s times.
From a Yogic perspective, ‘Adhi’, which are disturbances in the ‘Manomaya Kosha' or the Layer of Mind, are the cause and ‘Vyadhi’, which are ailments affecting the ‘Annamaya Kosha' or the Physical Layer, are the explicit effects.
That is, the imbalances always stem from the mental layer and percolates to the other layers or ‘Koshas’. When the disturbances in the Layer of Mind are left unattended, ‘Pranamaya Kosha’ or Layer of Energy also gets affected. Consequently, the flow of energy or ‘praana’ becomes disrupted, which in turn disturbs the ‘Annamaya Kosha' or the Physical Layer and the individual begins to fall into a diseased state.
Often, in modern medicine, the early stages of the ailment are ignored and treatment is aimed at suppressing the manifestations in the physical layer. Yogic therapy touches all the five Koshas or layers and the real causes of an ailment are addressed.
