Namaste. When I first started on the path of yoga, my guru would make me meditate on awareness of the physical body for hours at a stretch. I would wake up at 4:00 in the morning, get ready for yoga and meditation practice, and start testing my limits of Sadhana. I would focus on my breath for about an hour, witness it, and eventually move on to experiencing the sensations of the body. This practice is also known as Vipassana in many parts of India. However, my Guru would tell me that this is only the first step. Although the most important, it is one of the only ways to move on to the higher energy planes of the human body. Little did I know that he was referring to Pancha Kosha, or the five layers of human consciousness surrounding and protecting the core.