"A human being is the Self encased in five wrappings like a Chinese puzzle, starting from the material body, the first "self" we are generally aware of, and progressing inward to the "bodies" of vitality (prana), mind, intuition, and finally joy. Along with quantum leaps in awareness as one ascends these "levels of significance," the awareness of joy grows exponentially in intensity and duration until one is joy; it can never go away."
- Eknath Easwaran, The Upanishads p. 135
There are five koshas, or sheaths, that make up the body. The outermost and most easily accessible is the annamaya kosha, or food sheath. It is made up of the food we eat. The Upanishads have long passages about how we are made of food from the earth.
"When I teach yoga or do my own practice, I start with a keen awareness of the first kosha- the body sensations- to make the more subtle layers of the self more accessible. In other words, if you want to deepen your breath or affect your state of mind, you have to honor and pass through the gateway of the physical body."
- Shiva Rea, You are Here, Yoga Journal online article
