Journaling through the five koshas

Why Journaling has always been a part of my life

Journaling has been a part of my life since I could hold a pen. I have filled pages with scribbles, sketches, feelings and reflections. Over the years I have tried many styles. Julie Camerson’s morning pages. Automatic writing, Bullet journaling, which my friend Meike suggested. Each has offered me something useful for different times and stages of life.

Finding a Journaling Style that works for you

Morning pages help you empty your head before the day begins so you can step into your day with more mental space. Bullet journaling helps you organise tasks, plans and ideas all in one place. Some people call it the thinking journal. My own journaling practice now sits somewhere between the two. It took time to settle into a rhythm that felt like my own, but each method helped me to gain clarity and find a system which works for me and I definitely recommend you to experiment.

What my journaling practice looks like now

As I have grown older, my writing is much more free. I worry less about how things sound or what my words reveal, or how scruffy my journals may be. I am not looking for perfect aesthetic but a way to look deeper and gain insight and they have been a huge part of my growth. They help me see what is happening in my inner world, and as a result they help me stay organised in my outer world.

Our Words come from many layers, not just one

Something I have learned is that our words do not rise from one single place. They come from different layers of our experience. Some days our body speaks first. Other days it is the breath, the mind or the deeper part of us that notices truth before we can even explain it.

The Panchamaya Koshas and why they matter

Yoga describes these layers through the Panchamaya Koshas and it can helps us to understand

• What is happening in the body (Annamaya Kosha)

• How our breath and energy shift (Pranamaya Kosha)

• How thoughts and emotions react (Manomaya Kosha)

• Where our insight comes from (Vijnanamaya Kosha)

• and the deeper awareness that holds everything together (Anandamaya Kosha)

When I keep these layers in mind my journaling feels much more structured and supportive. I can see which part of me is speaking, I can name what is happening without being overwhelmed by it and I can move from confusion to clarity with more ease.

A Simple Inner Map For journaling and self study

Below is a simple inner map that I use in my own practice. It helps you recognise which part of you is speaking and what you need in that moment. This map also supports nervous system regulation because you become more aware of how each layers responds. It can be helpful when working one to one with clients and when planning classes and sequencing.

Why I do not always begin with the breath in class

In group classes I have learned that beginning with the breath is not always the best place to start. Many people have difficult or unhelpful breathing patterns and shifting their attention straight to the breath can create more agitation. In my experience it is often better to begin with gentle movement. Once the body has settled and students feel more anchored, you can introduce the breath with more ease and less pressure.

THE KOSHA MAP

Annamaya Kosha - The physical body / layer

This is your body, you may notice tension, tiredness, aches and steadiness. When journaling from this layer, describe physical sensations as they are and keep it factual and try not to attach a story to what you notice. This will give you a good baseline which can teach you how your body contributes to your mood and thoughts.

What this may sound like: My neck feels tight, my shoulders feel tense. I notice these sensations without judgement.

Pranamaya Kosha - The breath and energy body / layer

Here you observe your breath and your energetic tone. Is it fast or slow, shallow or full, held or flowing. You may even notice how the food you eat, the company you keep, your environment and interactions influence your energy.

When you write from this layer notice the focus or rhythm and the charge and flow. The pranamaya kosha teaches you what supports you and what drains you.

What this may sound like: My breath feels short, I feel the urge to gulp air and my belly feels empty as if I am only breathing with my shoulders and throat, its rhythm is unsteady and when I drink too much coffee I feel this unsteadiness more.

Manomaya Kosha - The mental and emotional body / layer

This layer holds your thoughts, your reactions and your judgements and emotional patterns. It can feel crowded or busy, but writing helps you to understand your stories rather than act from them. Here you can name patterns, things which trigger you and your habitual responses to situations.

The manomaya kosha helps you to create space between thought and your reactions.

What this may sound like: My mind is busy. I am worrying about this presentation I have to give. I am scared I have not prepared enough and can feel pressure building. But these are thoughts and they come and go.

When you name what you are feeling in this way, you stop identifying with the thought as if it is the whole truth. You seperate the emotion from your sense of self. Which in turn helps reduce the pull of spiralling thoughts and prevents the from driving your physical and energetic reactions. It also helps steady the mind so you can respond with more clarity instead of reacting from fear or pressure.

Vijnanamaya Kosha - The insight and witness body / layer

Here you can observe your experience with more clarity. You will notice your writing slows down and becomes more measured. You begin to see what is happening without judging it. You also start to notice the difference between reacting in the moment and responding with awareness.

What this may sound like: I can see that lack of sleep, pressure at work and fear are affecting me. I am not doing anything wrong. I am having a natural response to stress. Now that I can see this clearly, I have space to choose how I want to respond.

In this layer you gain perspective. You understand the conditions that shaped your state and this understanding helps you make choices that support you rather than choices driven by stress or habit.

Anandamaya Kosha - The deep awareness body / layer

Here is that quiet sense of self that sits beneath everything else and all other experiences. It often shows up as pauses, steady breaths and the moment when things feel settled. Writing from this layer is often simple, calm and clear as clarity comes through without any effort. This layer reminds you that there is stable ground within you, even when life feels uncertain. In yoga it is sometimes called the bliss body, but it is less about happiness and more about a deep inner steadiness.

What this may sound like: There is a part of me that feels anxious but there is also a part of me that feels steady and aware. Both are here

This layers helps you recognise that you are more than the moment you are in. It offers perspective and a sense of inner support that you can return to when everything else feels loud or unsettled.

Bringing the Koshas Into Your Journaling Practice

Working with the Koshas in this way can give your journaling practice a structure for self enquiry and study. It helps see your experience in all its layers rather than as one single feeling or story. You begin to understand your body, breath, mind and deeper awareness as parts of a whole, each offering valuable information about what it means to live a human life in all its colours. It also supports emotional regulation, clearer thinking and a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

Much love

Gem x