Manamayakosha

What is it?

The Manamayakosha is the layer of the mind, the emotions that make up the individual personality. Cognitively it is the Ego, or the sense of "I" as a separate self.

Yoga practices that work with this Kosha

Pratyahara, the practice of withdrawal of the senses. This can be practiced in meditation, Svasana, and other forms of deep restoration and focus that allow for the investigation of inner states of being.

Since it is the fluctuations/ thoughts of the mind that create an individual sense of self, working with the manamayakosha, must address the emotions and feelings, likes and dislikes that an individual identifies with.

From the yoga point of view, feelings and thoughts are categoried in relation to the The Three Gunas: Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva. Thus, it is important to identify involvement of each of the Gunas in an individual to work effectively heal or integrate their manamayakosha.

References

• Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Training Manual, Nosara Yoga Institute
• Professional Yoga Therapist Manual, created by Integrative Yoga Therapy, 2006, Joseph LePage
• Yoga and Ayurveda by David Frawley