We have arrived at the fifth level and largest kosha – anandamaya kosha – bliss!

When you have stability in the fourth kosha (vijanamaya), spontaneous happiness or a feeling of love can occur for no reason. This feeling may last for a few seconds, minutes, hours or even days. Bliss goes beyond words, therefore happiness or love doesn’t really properly describe it. It’s akin to a feeling of a sense of purpose, or oneness, with everything.

Our state of anand or blissfulness is already present. Some people recognize it easily and in others it may not be developed, or it is ignored or avoided.

Practicing gratitude is a wonderful way to cultivate appreciation for what you already have and to invite more positive thoughts and feelings into your life.

Try these exercises:

1. In your journal start writing down what brings you joy. Try not to think about this too much, just start and see what flows.
2. Reflect on your writing and sit with those feelings. Notice what comes up in your meditation. With every like there is an equal dislike (attachment and avoidance). Anandamaya kosha goes beyond likes and dislikes, therefore the purpose of this exercise is not to experience bliss but to help you recognize how the mind associates emotions to experiences.
3. Keep a gratitude journal. Every morning write down at least 3 things that you are grateful for. The more you appreciate, the more the energy around appreciation grows.
4. Notice – when you are doing something (or nothing) that you absolutely love, when there are no thoughts and you feel a sense of immense joy or connectedness to all things. You are living in anandamaya kosha. Again there are no words.

If you’re interested in more tips for wellbeing, check out my book Life Reboot, available on Amazon and Kindle now.