Annamayakosha: The Physical Body

We’ve all got one, for the most part we’re aware of it, especially when it is screaming at us. But how often do we ignore our bodies signals? Why is it that we let it get to a state of pain or disease before we wake up and realize what a gem we have or had? 

The annamayakosha is the physical body. It’s our muscles, bones, tissues and organs. The systems of the body, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, nervous  and circulatory just to name a few. In Ayurvedic medicine the physical body consists of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) and the dosha’s, our Ayurvedic body type, which can be Pitta, Vata, Kapha or a combo of two to three of the dosha’s. For example, I’m a Vata/Pitta. I tend to be thin with dry skin and my bones pop (make noise, not break) a lot. That is the Vata in me. The Pitta in me tends to heat me up. I don’t like hot weather, I get lethargic, but the plus is that I’m athletic. The Pitta in me makes me strong to balance out the typical wispiness of a Vata. (Note: I’m not an Ayurvedic practitioner. The information in my posts is from what I’ve studied through my Yoga Therapy training.) 

The annamayakosha also consist of Kinesiology, how our body moves. If you have a chance go to a busy place with lots of people walking around. A park or a mall. Just sit and watch. You would be amazed at what you will see. How different people walk, if they are stiff or move with lots of flare. Their gait, the direction their feet point or maybe even their knees. Is their head out in front as if they are in a hurry to get somewhere, do they lean to one side? 

If we pay attention to the way we hold and move our body it will give us lots of clues that will eventually lead us to the other kosha’s. It will help us figure out why our low back hurts or why we carry so much tension in our shoulders. Typically the way we hold our body is related to our emotions. Building awareness into what our body is doing and feeling will allow us to notice what is going on and take steps to fix it. We learn to notice not just what the body is doing, but what our mind is thinking at the time. If you've had a tension headache for a few days, what else has been happening in your life? Perhaps something has been stressing you out at work or at home? Nothing happens on its own, everything is connected.

The annamayakosha is where we generally notice something is wrong first. Mostly because the body has a way of really getting our attention. Be it through pain or disease. Ignoring these signs is not a way of making it go away as it will always come back. Exploring the pain and asking questions then taking steps to resolve it will.

Some yoga techniques to help you explore the body are:

• Body scanning
• Mindful Yoga, noticing how the body moves or doesn’t move 
• Diet and cleansing
• Somatics
• Massage
• Breathwork
• Other Ayurvedic treatments

I’ll explore these techniques in other blogs, but if you are interested in learning about a specific one, there is a lot of information out there. Ayurvedic treatments are serious business so don’t dive in. If you are really interested you should seek a trained Ayurvedic practitioner.

We can’t fully heal our physical bodies till we know what is causing the issue. For pure physical ailments, such as weak muscles, once we have strengthened them and put ourselves on a regimen to maintain it, we are good. But what if there is some other underlying issue? Some other layer of the onion or Kosha that is causing the problem? That is when we start to investigate. What food are you putting in your body, is it fresh or processed? How much sleep do you get, is it good sleep? Do you exercise regularly or sit around for most of the day? If you aren’t taking proper care of your body, why is that?

Next time that pain comes into your neck take the time to investigate not just your body, but your emotions, what is going on in your mind. Stop to notice your breath, is it moving freely or are you holding it, only taking short breaths? Our breath, our Prana is what gives our body energy and life and it is the next Kosha we will explore.

Till then, take the time to listen to your body. What is it trying to tell you?