Kleshas

It's incredible to me that wisdom that was spoken about, passed along, and written down some 2500 years ago has relevance today. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is such a text, that to this day offers a framework for bringing ourselves, not only into balance, but to deepening the connection to a sense of who we really are. This past week we have been uncovering five afflictions known as Kleshas. Ignorance (Avidya), pride/ego (Asmita), desire (Raga), aversion (Dvesa) and fear of death/loss/change (Abhinivesa). It is thought that Avidya/ignorance seeds the next four and relates to estrangement from the self, the feeling of not really knowing who we are.

One of the founding reasons why we practice yoga is to address and eradicate these very real human conditions. Yet, most of us don't even know they exist. Just as an iceberg only has a small percent of it's total mass visible on the ocean surface, so too can be said for the Kleshas. We don't even know they exist and at the same time, it's these very things that create suffering in our lives. 

Imagine you've sauntered into a town that's been deserted for 100 years. You come across a house that still has furniture and you see what you think might be a bureau with a mirror over it but it has so much dust accumulated on its surface you're not quite certain. So you grab a cloth and slowly start to remove the layers of dust and begin to see a reflection...of you. The more you polish the mirror, the more clearly you see yourself reflected back. In much the same way this is why we practice yoga, as it offers a systematic method for us to begin to remove the multiple veils that we hide behind.

As DKV Desiskachar states in his book, "The Heart of Yoga" once we begin to gain clarity we need to continue on with our practices. Imagine if you only dusted the mirror once...over time more dust would settle and clarity would be lost. Not only are the Kleshas described in the Sutras of Patanjali, but so is a method of working with them through the eight-faceted path (known as Ashtangha Yoga). Once we begin to see the causes of suffering in our lives, we are given a way to work with them. The eight-faceted path is: internal/external observances (Yama/Niyama); poses (Asana); breath (Pranayama); withdrawal of senses (Pratyahara); concentration (Dharana); meditation (Dhyana); and enlightenment (Samadhi).

A large part of the practice relates to turning inward, into the self rather than looking outside of ourselves for answers. One of the most well-known sutras 1.2 is:

Yogas citta vrtti nirodha

Yoga is the restriction/cessation of the fluctuations of the mind

This basically encourages us to practice yoga in order to calm the constant buzz that visits us once we try to sit in meditation. I think of "vrttis" as hummingbirds around a feeder or a swarm of gnats that swirl around our heads. Constant and seemingly uncontrollable (especially at 2 am in the morning!), this whirlpool of thought drags us away from our interior selves, connecting us to our outer and often material world. 

When we learn to find a point of focus (breath, mantra, sound, sensation) it begins to lessen our awareness of the vrttis and invites us into our inner realm. The more frequently and regularly we do this, the easier it becomes and the more polished our mirror. As BKS Iyengar beautifully wrote in "Light On Yoga":

"As a breeze ruffles the surface of a lake and distorts the images reflected therein, so also the chitta vrtti disturb the peace of the mind. The still waters of a lake reflect the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it. The yogi stills his mind by constant study and by freeing himself from desire."

Most of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that yoga is much more than a series of poses. It's a road map for creating more peace in our lives and when we live with a peaceful heart, we begin to foster and see that reflected back to ourselves. So this week, get out your cleaning cloth and start polishing...you'll be astounded by what you see!