Sometimes I wake up and realize I didn’t sleep very well. My mind is not as sharp as usual and I have a headache. Not a great way to start my day. I automatically roll out of bed and onto the floor for my yoga practice and tune my mind into what I feel. I move and breathe focusing on my physical energy but then I add chant and notice the mind becoming more aware. The sound I produce immediately anchors my mind and then I am able to meditate. The senses, in this case, the sound of the chant became the gateway to my practice being enhanced.
In relationship to the pancamaya model, this is the manomaya, which bridges the outer and inner dimensions of our being. The way we take in information through the senses but with the benefit of a heightened state of awareness. Manomaya is the cognitive part of the mind. It is the entire learning process which includes our ability to take in data through the senses, memory and our ability to recall and express that which we have learned. How we use our senses is important.
When we are able to enjoy our senses and not be distracted by them, we can use them to support the balance and harmony we always need. Whether it is using your eyes to see something beautiful in nature, your ears to hear a sound that elicits a feeling of peace, a taste of a sweet delectable fruit, the smell of the sea that calms you, the manomaya is an integral part of the multi dimensionality of who we are.