The Layers of You: Yoga’s map through the 5 elements

by Abby Verigin

It’s a warm Tuesday evening in the valley. As I drive to teach an evening yoga class in the next town, I notice I’m rushing. My jaw is tight, my hands grip the wheel. I pause for a deep breath, soften my face, and ease my hold. Slowing my speed, I tune in to the quality of my breath.
Inhale. Exhale. You’ll get there when you get there, I remind myself.

Moments like this remind me that yoga isn’t just what happens in the studio—it’s a way of living. This is what I want my students to remember: yoga is there for you anywhere, anytime.

I discovered yoga therapy when I was searching for a way to deepen my studies academically. My search led me to VSOHA, a wellness college in Vancouver offering a two-year yoga therapy program. I had no idea that decision would change the course of my life. Yoga has a way of doing that—opening our minds to new ideas, helping us uncover truths (even the ones we’ve been hiding), and guiding us along the path of self-realization. Because that’s what is it, a journey to the truest version of yourself. We peel back the layers and dust away the dirt that hides what we hold within. 

What is Yoga Therapy?

When people ask me, I often explain:

Yoga therapy is an alternative or complement to talk therapy.
It helps bring harmony to the body, mind, and spirit through traditional yogic techniques, offering a therapeutic, collaborative, and client-led experience.

In a world of disconnection, yoga offers balance, ease, and reconnection—to ourselves, the environment, and each other. While society urges us to go faster, do more, and build bigger, yoga invites us to pause, turn inward, and accept what’s true. In a culture full of busy minds, yoga therapy offers a way to feel whole and discover our authentic selves.

After all, isn’t that what we’re all doing here? Trying to figure out who we are, what we want, and why we want it?

The 5 Koshas & the Elements

One way yoga guides self-discovery is through panchamayakosha—from Sanskrit pancha (five) and kosha (sheath). This concept, found in Vedic philosophy and the Taittiriya Upanishad, describes five layers of being, similarly to the stackable Russian dolls my grandmother had in her home.

Each kosha is linked to one of the five elements. In yoga, this means the elements aren’t outside of us—they are within us. We are made of the same matter as the Earth itself. Recognizing this truth reminds us of our inherent connection to nature and each other.

In yoga therapy, I use the koshas to help clients explore where there might be imbalance—whether in excess or deficiency—and offer practices to restore harmony.

A Guided Elemental Meditation

Below is a short meditation you can try to connect with each kosha and its corresponding element.

1. Find your seat.
Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes if that feels safe.

2. Breathe.
Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your ribcage.
Exhale with a gentle sigh.
Repeat 5 times.

3. The Physical Layer – Annamayakosha (Earth)
The outermost layer, representing your physical body.
Scan from head to toe. Feel your weight, your groundedness.

4. The Energy Layer – Pranamayakosha (Water)
Your life force energy, your vitality.
Breathe deeply and sense the gentle currents within.

5. The Mental Layer – Manomayakosha (Fire)
Your mind, thoughts, and perceptions.
Notice what your mental chatter is saying right now.

6. The Wisdom Layer – Vijnanamayakosha (Air)
Your intuition, your inner knowing.
Ask yourself: Do I listen to my gut?

7. The Bliss Layer – Anandamayakosha (Space)
Your essence of joy and freedom.
The part of you beyond body, mind, and energy—yet holding them all.

Stay here for a few moments. Notice if one layer felt louder, heavier, or lighter than the others.

When you’re ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, stretch, or yawn to return.

Yoga teaches us that we are the elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—and that harmony comes when we live in connection rather than separation. The more we remember this, the more we return to balance—both within ourselves and with the world around us. I hope this read inspired you to dive deeper into who you are and how you are not separate but deeply connected.

This is the gift of yoga therapy: a space to pause, listen, and work with these energies intentionally. Each breath becomes an invitation to ground, to soften, to release, and to expand. Over time, this awareness extends beyond the mat or meditation cushion, weaving into daily life.

In a world that often forgets this truth, living in harmony with the elements is not just a personal practice—it’s an act of collective healing.

Sat Nam

Abby 

Abby is a C-IAYT yoga therapist living & raised in Fruitvale. She is dedicated to teach others that movement is medicine. Through traditional yoga techniques, functional movement patterns & nervous system regulation, she strives to help you flourish through the multiple layers of yourself. Abby loves spending time in nature, observing mushrooms, collecting herbs & hiking with her partner & St. Bernard. 

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