One of the things that fascinates me the most about being a human is this understanding that we have many layers. Layers to our personalities. Layers to our history and personal stories. And layers that make up our entire being.

Oftentimes in our society, focus is placed on the physical layers of our reality — and as individuals, the physical layers of our body — and we may focus on taking care of ourselves with food, drink and physical activity. And don’t get me wrong…this type of nourishment is super important. Tending to the layer of our physical bodies is necessary for vitality and health. But if we only tend to the physical layer of our being, we exclude a large piece of who we truly are.

The word “holistic” means: encompassing the whole of a thing, not just its parts. A tree wouldn’t stay healthy if nutrients and water were only given to what is seen above the surface and everything underground was ignored — this “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. The same goes with ourselves — in order to truly nurture our whole selves and stay healthy on multiple levels, we must release the narrow focus on just the physical and take care of much more than only the layers we can see.

This is why I have shared series’ like Awakening the Chakras and Vital Recharge on IDMtv. Not only do I have a nerdy fascination with how we as humans work but because it’s in diving deep into our other pieces of energy and mind and soul — bringing awareness to more than just the physical — that we can get to know ourselves on a much deeper level. In order to fully embody our Self, we have a beautiful opportunity to turn towards and acknowledge all of our dimensions. And this is why I created Holistic Embodiment.

Holistic Embodiment is a 28-day journey that explores what Vedantic yoga philosophy calls the Koshas. The Pancha Maya Kosha, or the five layers of our being, are the sheaths that are woven together like threads of a cloth to house our pure consciousness. Many ancient wisdom traditions merge the mind and heart as one, but through the practices on Inner Dimension TV, we have given space for both to be recognized as their own dimension. So, although there are traditionally five Koshas, we will explore them as our Six Human Dimensions, which many of you may already be familiar with through our practices and shares here on IDMtv and our blog.

As practitioners of yoga, we have opened the doors to practicing a life of union. Holistic Embodiment is a month-long series where we have the opportunity to dive deep into union with all of the layers of our being — our physical bodies, energetic layers, mind and heart, our wisdom and the subtlest layer of our bliss. All layers influence one another. And they all make up our one human being.

The series was designed to alternate between days of physical asana and practices of meditation so that you can explore your daily practice of union on different levels. The classes include vinyasa flow, yin, restorative, meditation, breathwork, mantra and qi-gong-inspired movement. On the days with a meditation, if you feel that you need a movement practice as well, either repeat the previous day’s class or choose any asana practice on IDMtv (I’ve given recommendations in case you’d like some direction) — and see if you can apply the awareness you are cultivating of the Kosha we’re focusing on to the class you are practicing.

This series is accompanied by a workbook filled with detailed descriptions of the Koshas and Six Human Dimensions, hasta mudras for meditation, and journaling prompts to help you dive deeper into your awareness of self.

I really encourage you to take what you learn about yourself and the Koshas over the next 28 days and apply your awareness of more than just the physical to every asana and meditation practice as well as continuing your practice off the mat and in your life. That’s where real yoga — union — is practiced.

I’m really excited to take this journey through the koshas with you. Let’s dive into Holistic Embodiment!

by Brittany

Make sure to check out Brittany’s new series “Holistic Embodiment” streaming exclusively on InnerDimensionTV.com