Koshas

I've been trying to evolve my yoga practice beyond the physical asana practice by reading more yoga philosophy. I came across an article about the confusion of defining oneself since there are multiple parts of ourselves like our physical identity, our beliefs and opinions, our job, our emotions, and our spiritual selves, just to name a few. The article identified this crisis with the 5 sheaths, or koshas of the soul. The term, koshas is found within the yoga philosophy. It states that these 5 layers encase the soul and function as a journey into the soul starting from the first kosha, the physical and most tangible aspect of ourselves to the last kosha, the spirit. According to yoga philosophy, any question of who you are or the meaning of life can be solved by exploring all of these layers of the self; physical, breath, mental, wisdom, and spirit. Once each kosha is fully understood and acknowledged, one can appropriately apply to areas of areas in one's life instead of focusing on a few layers, like the mental or the physical which is limiting. Understanding and acknowledging each of the koshas only gives you more control and enlightenment in your life.