Manomaya Kosha

Manomaya Kosha is the layer of the mind, encompassing all of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings. It also governs the functions of ideation and contemplation. The gunas—fundamental energies that influence our nature—partially reside within this sheath, shaping our perceptions and reactions.

In the Yoga Tradition, it's believed that the world we perceive is a direct reflection of our mind. Manomaya Kosha functions like both a camera and a projector: it captures and assimilates information from the external world and simultaneously projects our inner beliefs and thoughts, shaping the reality we experience. As beings with free will, we hold the power to create our own reality. If we don’t actively choose this path, external influences will shape our reality for us.

Every second, we're surrounded by 11 million bits of information, yet our senses can process only 126 bits. To manage this overwhelming input, our minds filter reality through processes of deletion, distortion, and generalisation. Our experience is further shaped by six basic human needs: certainty, variety, significance, love, growth, and contribution. When these needs are met in a balanced and resourceful way, we achieve clarity and alignment within ourselves.

The deeper layers of the self—the fourth and fifth sheaths, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha—become accessible only when our physical, pranic, and mental bodies are purified and in harmony. This, to me, is the essence of yoga. Through dedicated practice, an inner alchemy unfolds, igniting the pathway of fire that leads to these subtle spiritual dimensions, lying patiently within the mysteries of the human spine.