I've heard the
term Annamaya Kosha many times. It's yogi-speak for physical body. What I
somehow missed was the literal interpretation of the term, which is "food
sheath". I love that. I'm on day 9 of a strict elimination
diet. All I can think about is
food. I eat every few hours. Sometimes more. When I'm not eating, I'm thinking about
eating. I crave food. I always have but this diet process has upped
the intensity exponentially. Yup, this
body is a food sheath.
And suddenly the theory
of Koshas or the 5 energy bodies became a little more clear to me. It's been 7 years since my initial yoga teacher
training. It's time. But I discounted the idea of Koshas because
they weren't scientific. To my knowledge there's no hard data to prove or disprove
their existence. They were
"airy-fairy" concepts.
Still there is no
question - for me - that food interacts with my "Pranamaya kosha" or
energy body. When I eat foods that I am
sensitive to, I feel like energy is being sucked out my finger tips with a huge
vacuum. Some foods give me
"elephants on my chest." My
breath is shallow, laboured.
My "food
sheath" is also intertwined with my emotional body - Manamaya -
kosha. There is constant play between
wanting, will-power, joy (fitting in to
sizes I haven't known since high school is a bonus side-effect of the process),
frustration, and hunger (yes, in my world hunger is an emotion). Much
of my hunger is very much
emotional. I know that. I want foods that have for years made me feel
ill. I crave the heaviness - almost an
opiate effect - that I used to get from eating "trigger foods." Even while I'm eating copious helpings of
fresh fruits and vegetables, I fight off notions of depravation.
In good moments,
(when I'm not experiencing brain fog from my latest binge) I can access my
"wisdom body" Vijnannamaya Kosha.
The part of me that can discern emotional from physical hunger knows
that I am more than "just a food sack sheath" and that this perceived
"suffering" is temporary - as is all suffering.
I am learning,
albeit slowly, that Anandamaya Kosha -
or the bliss body - where we deeply experience peace, joy and love - can't be found in the bottom of a bag of chips
or even an excellent croissant... though I've looked for it in both places.
