The yoga sutras are poetic texts of ancient wisdom. But their power lays dormant until we understand them well enough to apply them in a way that clearly enhances our lives and our communities. A good yoga teacher is a bridge builder; someone who can create revelation in students by relating new wisdom to what students already know and understand. I work weekly with a group of yoga teachers who are advancing their training by studying the sutras together. We are enjoying chewing on these aphorisms (bits of timeless wisdom) and figuring new ways to build bridges of understanding for our selves and our students. This week we are looking at Sutra 11 from chapter 2: The Sadhana Pada – the path of soul growth
The sutra says: The Hindrances (kleshas) are to be Removed by Meditation
Basically Patanjali is saying, “don’t waste time trying to battle hindrances with action or mental control because it is not going to work. They must be ‘pulled out by the roots’, which means getting down to the energetic source and this requires going deeper than action and thought; this requires meditation”.
Remember the hindrances are:
1. Avidya – ignorance of our vibrational nature (and therefore our creative power)
2. Asmita – thinking we are acting alone and effecting only ourselves
3. Raga – desperate wanting
4. Dvesa – disgust or repulsion
5. Abynavesha – fear of things falling apart
Now these hindrances arise with each new level we move ourselves towards. Read that again: These hindrances arise again and again each time we grow further into our fullness. In other words, each time we have a new set of desires, these hindrances must be dissolved in order to align vibrationally with the desires and allow them in. “If you want it, you can have it, when you get out of the way…”
Think about something you are living now that long ago felt out of reach. Get it clear in your mind. Now, go back to how it felt before you had it and review the hindrances. Can you see how Adviya was present for you as you held the not-yet-manifested-desire? This would be the a feeling of overwhelm at what is involved in making the dream come true. Perhaps a feeling that it is impossible. Can you sense how Asmita was present when you held that not-yet-manifested desire? This would be the feeling of having to act alone and compete against others in order to get what you want. Can you sense how there was some desperate wanting? Do you remember some repulsion (perhaps at the thought of failure or self-judgement about your ability to succeed)? And can you recall Abynavesha; the fear that things would “die” or fall apart completely in your attempt to move forward?
And now here you are living that thing that felt so out of reach back then. Whether or not you realized it, you breathed through the kleshas (hindrances), became a vibrational match to them and expanded! And you did it with some form of meditation. Remember that meditation is not just sitting on your butt and breathing in silence. It can anything that lines you up with source (e.g. makes you feel free and hopeful). It could be simple going about your life with a song in your heart and complete trust in divine order…yes, that is meditation.
Now, presently in your life, there are a new set of kleshas between you and where you want to go next. Can you sense them? Write a short list of desires present in your life now. When you read the list, notice where your mind goes and what your emotional state is. Can you sense the kleshas in these reactions?
Now here’s the thing to really get: you do not have to systematically focus on these kleshas and slash at them in order to dissolve them. In fact that would more likely strengthen them. Sometimes the best “meditation” is to let go of thinking about how to get your goals without letting go of wanting them. Something like, “yes I want all that, but today I am going to the beach with my dog to breathe and throw the frisbee.” That is part of the meditation that dissolves hindrances. Here’s the paradox… it is when we “step away from trying to make things happen” that we are inspired and guided to the most effective and fun ways to make them happen.
So why even care about the hinderances if happy distraction is the meditation that dissolves them? Well, when we are aware of them and can feel them hovering and consciously set intention to dissolve them… oh the meditation is much more powerful and manifestation quicken!