Multidimensional Health

It was just a few days after my diagnosis. My mind was flooded with thoughts. I had already met several doctors, and they all agreed on the expected protocol: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and ongoing preventative hormonal care. Yet, something felt deeply off. They were all focused on how to "fix" my cancer—but no one seemed interested in something just as vital: my health.

Let’s face it—none of these treatments are known to make a person healthier. Just take a look at the side effect lists!

On one particular Friday, I felt especially devastated. No one had offered a reasonable answer to what felt like a basic, almost trivial question: How can I become healthy again?

I went out for a walk to clear my mind. After some time, an insight emerged. I remembered a concept I once encountered during my yoga teacher training, a model that describes the human being as composed of multiple layers: the Pancha Kosha model.

This ancient framework first appears in the Taittiriya Upanishad, where a curious young seeker named Bhrigu, under the guidance of his sage father, explores the question of Self. His journey leads him through five distinct layers of being:

1. Annamaya Kosha – the physical body

2. Pranamaya Kosha – the energy body (breath and life force)

3. Manomaya Kosha – the mind and emotions

4. Vijnanamaya Kosha – the layer of inner wisdom

5. Anandamaya Kosha – the bliss body, our connection to joy and peace

All of these layers encase the innermost essence: the Atman, the eternal spark of consciousness within.

The moment this memory resurfaced, I felt struck with clarity. It offered the exact perspective I was craving.

If I truly wanted to be healthy, not just free of disease, I needed to tend to all of me, not just the cancer or my physical body. I needed to support my vitality, calm and care for my mind, reconnect with my inner wisdom, and rediscover the things that brought me joy.

It might sound simplistic, but this realization gave me something powerful: a map. A multidimensional map of being that highlighted many possible paths toward wellness. The Pancha Kosha model became my guide through the cancer journey. It allowed me to check in with every aspect of my existence, not as a checklist—but as a portal back to wholeness.

Over time, I found a range of tools and techniques that nurtured each Kosha. I came to understand how deeply interwoven these layers are—and how supporting one influences the others.

And whenever I felt lost, I had a way to return to myself.

I humbly bow to the wisdom passed down through the lineage of yogic sages. May we continue to remember: we are whole, multidimensional beings, and healing is possible when we honor every dimension of our humanity.