One of the boons of long plane journeys is that I always get a lot of reading done. On my last flight from Denver to Chiang Mai (via Seattle, Taipei, and Bangkok), I read Stephen Covey‘s book, The 8th Habit. He mentioned many things that have stuck with me, one of them being how great leaders favor self-assessment over all other forms of evaluation. This, he says, is the toughest, most accurate, and most candid assessment of all.

Yesterday, day eight of the yoga teacher training here in Chiang Mai, I taught the students about one of my favorite  self-assessment tools: the Panchamaya Kosa model (In Sanskrit, pancha means “five” and kosa–pronounced ko-sha–means “sheath”).  Appearing in the first millennium C.E. in ancient India’s Upanisads, these sheaths are like Russian dolls, with one layer enveloping the next. 

I suspect I’m not alone in feeling off-kilter at times. Admittedly, I usually spend more time ticking off “to do” items than following my bliss. As an antidote, this model provides a way of remembering my multi-dimensionality, preventing me from toppling over from lopsideded-ness! 

Returning to this model once or twice a year helps me to see what parts of my life need some TLC.

Here’s a list of the five “sheaths” and how I’ve been feeding each one over the past couple of weeks here in Thailand:

1. Annamayakosa (The Physical Body)

Lunch in the Kuan Yin Dining Hall. I love having big, fresh salads everyday filled with organic, homegrown veggies!

How do you care for your body on an ongoing basis? Consider food, exercise, sleep, and, my favorite, pampering…

2. Pranamayakosa (The Energy Body)

Fresh air galore as I walk to and from the yoga hall multiple times each day. Everything is so lush and green as it's the rainy season.

What is your relationship to your breath? To fresh air + the great outdoors? To acknowledging and honoring the movements of your life force? 

3. Manomayakosa (The Intellect)

The more I step into the role of a teacher, the more deeply I go into studentship. Last week I enjoyed lectures with Carlos Pomeda on the history of yoga, the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Shiva Sutras.

When was the last time that you learned something new? Enroll in that course you’ve always wanted to take. Read at least one book per month (or week). Start a new hobby!

4. Vijnyanamayakosa (The Personality)

Taking off my shoes always reminds me to leave my ego at the door. Here a butterfly finds a resting place.

How do you let past experiences cloud your present? Can you let the past be the past and see new situations and relationships in a fresh way? When you bump up against parts of your personality that you aren’t so proud of, can you practice self-compassion? If so, how do you do that?

5. Anandamayakosa (The Bliss Body)

Two words: DURIAN SEASON! Here's an addiction that I will fully indulge in.

The sages in Peru say, “When you lose your joy, you lose your power.” How do you follow your bliss? What are your passions, longings, and dreams? What are the little ways that you partake in pleasure each day?

Take some time to evaluate yourself. Reflect and journal about your relationship to each of these layers. What commitments are you are willing to make to grow?

Let me know what you discover!

Tags: Bangkok, Bhagavad Gita, bliss, butterfly, Carlos Pomeda, Chiang Mai, Denver, dreams, durian, joy, leader, longings, lopsided, panchamaya kosa, passions, Peru, plane ride, power, Russian dolls, sages, Sanskrit, Seattle Taipei, self-assessment, shiva Sutras, shoes, Stephen Covey, Thailand, TLC, Upanisads, yoga sutras, Yoga Teacher Training

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