The Participant Observer

“Yoga should be adapted to take account of individual needs, and not the other way around.”

— T. Krishnamacharya

Have you ever wondered what a whole person approach to healing through Yoga Therapy may actually mean?

It means looking beyond just the physical body to the whole person: body, breath, mind, emotions, awareness, and our deeper sense of self—and how these dimensions influence one another, our current circumstances and our path to healing.

This is the foundation of the Pancha Kosha model, one of yoga’s frameworks for understanding the whole person.

The koshas can be thought of as five interconnected layers or dimensions of our experience. They offer a way for a yoga therapist and client to explore not just what is happening, but how it is happening across the whole person.

The Five Koshas

Annamaya Kosha — the physical body
This is our most tangible layer: the body we can see and touch. In yoga therapy, we might explore movement, posture, strength, mobility, pain, tension, physical sensations, and how the body is responding to practice.

Pranamaya Kosha — breath and vital energy
This layer relates to breath, vitality, and the ways our energy moves through daily life. We might explore breathing patterns, the relationship between breath and movement, or how different breathing practices affect energy, regulation, and our overall state.

Manomaya Kosha — mind and emotions
Here we begin to explore thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and habitual responses. How do we experience stress? What happens when discomfort arises? What stories or patterns accompany our physical experience? Practices may help us develop greater awareness of these patterns without becoming defined by them.

Vijnanamaya Kosha — wisdom and awareness
This is the capacity to observe, discern, and understand our experience. It is where the Participant–Observer becomes especially important. As we practice, we begin to step back and notice ourselves: What am I experiencing? What is changing? What do I need? What is helpful?

Anandamaya Kosha — deeper connection and sense of self
This innermost dimension points toward experiences of meaning, connection, contentment, and wholeness. It is not necessarily a particular emotional state, but a recognition that we are more than our symptoms, challenges, thoughts, or physical circumstances.

These layers are not separate. They are constantly interacting.

A change in the body can influence the breath. The breath can influence the mind. Our thoughts and emotions can affect how we experience the body. Greater awareness can change how we respond to all of it.

The Participant Observer

This interconnectedness is one reason yoga therapy is highly individualized and often times offers more profound and lasting results than other healing modalities that are less whole person centered. You are both a participant in your practice and healing, while also being the observer of your experience and patterns.

You participate fully in the practice while also learning to observe yourself—your body, breath, thoughts, emotions, patterns, and responses. Over time, this process of practice, observation, awareness, and self-study can help you recognize what supports you and develop greater confidence in responding to your own needs.

The goal isn't simply to give you a set of practices. It is about connecting the pieces and individualizing the approach—bringing together what you experience in your body, breath, mind, and life, while putting you at the center of the process.

Be in touch to if you would like to have a free 15-min chat about how Yoga Therapy may be of help to you and your current circumstances. Email me at JMountainYoga@gmail.com or respond to this email.

You can also go to my website for more information:

More about Me

https://www.jmountainyoga.com/pages/about-me

More about Yoga Therapy

https://www.jmountainyoga.com/pages/yogatherapy

More about working with me one-on-one

https://www.jmountainyoga.com/pages/privateyoga

REMINDER - there are no classes this week 9/28-10/2 as I am in the 6th of 8 week long trainings for my Yoga Therapy certifications. See you all next week.

Be well,

Joanne