The only instruction in the Yoga Sutras of Pantajali for practicing yoga asana, or poses, is that there is a balance between “steadiness” or effort (sthira) and “ease” (sukha). Finding this balance in yoga—or in whatever situation life brings—is always happening. Here's a framework to practice this balancing act in five steps:
- Start with the body.
- Breathe.
- Bring awareness to thoughts and reactions.
- Open to intuition and self-compassion.
- Relax into stillness.
There’s a natural focus on exertion. This may manifest as an intense kind of effort that is goal-focused and competitive. We want to feel like we’re “doing something.” But working toward more balance offers the experience of yoga. When discipline is married with ease in a pose or in life, the result is a flow of energy, clarity, and stillness of mind. This unitive state, or “moving into stillness” as Erich Schiffman calls it, is yoga.
The framework of the Koshas (at right), described in the Upanishads, can help navigate this balance. The five Koshas, or “sheaths,” are the layers that surround the Self, much like Russian nesting dolls. Here’s how the koshas can work as a practical framework for investigating where and how to create more balance in a pose—and in life.
1. Start With The Body
The koshas move from outside in. So, the first layer is the physical or “food” body (annamaya kosha), which is manifest in muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons. This is the primary arena for creating the shapes of yoga poses. In life, it includes proper nourishment, movement, and sleep.
To access this layer in a pose, ask yourself, “How is my foundation?” “What muscles do I need to activate?” “Where can I relax?” Scan the body and notice where you’re clenching, forcing, or tightening muscles, or where joints are improperly aligned causing strain. Use simple physical adjustments, props, or conscious intention to release these places of tension (e.g., the neck, shoulders, or belly). For example, something as simple as releasing the jaw or tongue can have a profound effect on relaxing the entire body.
2. Breathe
The second layer is the “vital” or energy body (pranamaya kosha), the bridge between physical body and mind. This life force of the breath, prana, moves throughout the body. Holding the breath or not allowing for a full inhale and exhale can impede the ability to fully relax and enjoy the moment and the unique flow of energy contained in each yoga pose.
Once settled in the outer form of a pose, bring attention to the breath. Are you holding the breath? Is there tightness in the belly? Is restriction in the breath (either inhale or exhale) impacting your level of energy or ability to stay in a pose? To access this kosha, release any restrictions on the breath. Coordinate movement with the inhale and exhale to synchronize the body and breath.
3. Bring Awareness to Thoughts and Reactions
The third layer is our “intellectual” or conscious mind (manomaya kosha), with its automatic habits, impulses, and reactions. The mental body is often where people find themselves. There’s a tendency to get stuck in the mind, make judgements, or react instinctively or with fear.
Check in with your thoughts and reactions. Are you on automatic pilot in a pose you’ve done hundreds of times? Are you over-thinking or using the force of your will to push competitively into a pose in a mind-over-matter kind of way? Perhaps fear is coming up.
To work with this kosha, balance thought patterns by moving back into the body and breath. Return to the present moment. Bring a sense of “newness” to the asana and move with conscious intention, and focus on what’s currently happening.
4. Open to Intuition and Self-Compassion
The fourth is the “personality” which houses discrimination, wisdom, and intuition (vijnanamaya kosha). This more subtle layer into the Self opens when there is enough energy flow, stillness, and ease to access deep wisdom and compassion for self and the larger world. At this point, effort and struggle in a pose begin fall away, and the spirit of the pose starts to emerge. You feel a steady inner strength and the heart opens.
5. Relax into Stillness
Finally, there is the joy of relaxing in the “heart center” (anandamaya kosha) and moving into stillness. While this layer may seem inaccessible, we’re all likely to have experienced moments of this—both on and off the mat.
Access to this core Self is most likely to occur in meditation—or other focused practice—when there is a convergence with a flow of energy much larger than our own. In some counterintuitive way, this moving toward our own center opens us to a radiant flow of love, connection, and cosmic union.
Conni Kunzler has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. As a registered yoga instructor since 2005(E-RYT 200, RYT 500), her teaching focus is on asana alignment, therapeutics, and mind-body awareness. She also holds an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist certification, using nutrition, yoga asana, breath practices, meditation, and other life-style changes as tools for holistic health and well-being.
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