Professor Receives Top Paper Award for Research on Indian Spirituality

Dr. Avinash Thombre, professor of applied communication at UA Little Rock, has received the Top Faculty Paper Award from the Spiritual Communication Division of the National Communication Association.

“I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Top Faculty Paper Award,” Thombre said. “When I presented it at NCA, everyone was very curious about how it all works. People are deeply interested in personal health and the idea of seeking higher meaning in life by achieving balance across different layers of awareness.”

His paper, “Food as a Mechanism for Spiritual Self-Transformation in Indian Philosophy and Culture,” explores the role of intrapersonal communication in Pancha Kosha Theory. This yoga philosophy describes five layers of awareness that shape human experiences. In Sanskrit, pancha means five, and kosha means sheath. The goal of Pancha Kosha is to achieve harmony across all five sheaths to attain well-being, a state known as samadhi in yoga.

The five koshas include:

• Annamaya Kosha: The physical body, composed of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space. It is nourished by food, rest, fresh air, and sunlight.
• Pranamaya Kosha: The vital life force that moves through the body, encompassing breath, digestion, blood circulation, and heartbeat.
• Manomaya Kosha: The emotional body, which governs thoughts and feelings.
• Vijnanamaya Kosha: The intuitive or wisdom body, linked to the right side of the brain and guided by ethics, morals, and knowledge.
• Anandamaya Kosha: The blissful body, which transcends time and space.

Thombre compares the five sheaths to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where biological necessities such as food and water form the foundation of the pyramid, while self-actualization sits at the top.

“Personal transformation doesn’t have to be an abstract or esoteric concept. In Indian culture, it can be achieved through consuming the right foods to nourish all five sheaths,” Thombre said. “Enlightenment is the fifth sheath, and different religions emphasize living a good, simple, and honest life to attain it. In Indian culture, the focus is on how food and eating habits can contribute to this transformation.”

This philosophy emphasizes a plant-based diet, mindful eating habits, and food consumption patterns based on natural circadian rhythms.

“I often use the metaphor of Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls to explain this theory, where smaller dolls fit inside larger ones,” Thombre said. “The outermost layer represents the physical body. To achieve enlightenment, you must first take care of your physical self before progressing to the deeper layers. A significant emphasis is placed on diet. We believe vegetarian food strengthens the body.

Meals should be eaten at sunrise, lunchtime, and before the sun sets. We should stop eating before feeling full—ideally, filling 50% of our stomach with food, 25% with water, and leaving 25% empty. We should not eat after sunset, which can be difficult for those used to snacking. Additionally, physical well-being is supported through breathing exercises and yoga.”

Thombre’s research explores how intrapersonal communication—the process of communicating with yourself—shapes individuals’ search for meaning in life.