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In #4, we discuss what it means to advance in a yoga practice. Through the lens of the koshas--concentric layers of a human’s identity described in the Upanishads--you can view advancement as moving from the gross to the subtle, from the physical to the mental.

We unpack the koshas and their related practice methods from the outside in, from asana for anamaya kosha (the physical or “food” body), to pranayama for the pranic body, and so forth. 

From her perspective as a private teacher, Sarah Jane shares the qualities that arise as harbingers of an advancing practice, and reveals her guiding principles for establishing a self-led practice. Throughout the show, Jen offers some nuggets for yoga teachers on how to bring a wider variety of teachings into the yoga room. This discussion would not be complete without noting how crucial it is to resist external pressures to focus too closely on asana.

As yoga teachers, we are concerned with the integrity and depth of the methods available to us and our students. And as Buddhist practitioners we cannot help but bring up wise effort and muse how anandamaya kosha, the innermost sheath seems akin to buddhanature. We finish with resources for people who want to move beyond asana and pranayama.

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Sources and Further Reading:

• Athorough article-length overview of “The Koshas: 5 Layers of Being” by Linda Johnsen. 
• Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, speaks about disembodiment, yoga, resilience, and more in On Being “How Trauma Lodges in the Body.” 
• “Meditation in Motion,” a quick description of Kripalu’s integrated approach to practice. 

Training Beyond Asana:

• Kripalu School of Yoga 
• Sarah Powers’ Insight Yoga Institute Primary Level Teacher Training for teachers and long-time practitioners. 
• The Himalayan Institute’s Mission Programs
• Kaya Mindlin’s Supreme Release Yoga online programs integrate the full spectrum of Vedic wisdom.
• Tricycle Magazine, Shambala Publications, and Sounds True offer online courses ranging from meditation to subtle-body yoga to deep dives into the Buddhist Canon.
• Through Sati Yoga, Jen offers the online course “Taoism & Yin Yoga: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Practice.” 
• Sarah Jane offers

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