The last klesa, abinivesha, is often translated as “clinging to life”. This could be viewed as fear of death – but abinivesha can also be viewed as fear in general.

We are all born with inherent fear and as we get older, we acquire new fears due to life experience: fear of failure, fear of success, fear of heights….

When we live our lives in fear, we shortchange our experience. What fears prevent you from living a full life? Where did they come from? How can you release them?

A Practice For Abinivesha:
Seated meditation, belly breathing for grounding
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)
Extended Side Angle (Parsvakonasana)
Camel (Ustrasana)
Bridge on Chair (Viparita Dandasana)
Supported Shoulderstand on Chair
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Hero (Virasana)
Savasana
Meditation: Bring white light in with each inhale, release fears on exhale.

Quote by Cheri Huber: “Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear.”

The next klesa is raga, or attachment.  In the yoga sutras, Patanjali mentions raga in sutra 2:7: Attachment is that which follows indentification with pleasurable experiences.

In other words, we tend to become attached to those things that we feel bring us pleasure.  I can attest to this in my own life.  I consider myself a hedonist and a gourmand -I take great delight in eating fine foods and other sensuous things.  My 2nd chakra is VERY active and I become quite fond of these creature comforts.  It takes great effort for me to develop a non-attached attitude to my likes.  What are you attached to?  How do you tie your happiness up in this attachment?

We must remember, that these are EXTERNAL sources of happiness. If we define our happiness through outer things, then we miss the fact that our real joy comes from within.   As we let go of our attachments to the outer pleasures, more peace and wisdom comes.

A Raga Practice:

Seated Meditation with extended exhale breath

Seated Hip Opener

Lunge

Sun Salutations

Triangle (Utthita Trikonsana)

Big Toe Hold (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana)

Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasna)

Seated Triangle (Upavista Konasana)

Tortoise (Kurmsana)

Heron (Krounchasana)

Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana)

Savasana

During meditation, repeat the mantra “Let Go” – Let on the inhale, Go on the exhale until you feel settled.

Quote by Oprah Winfrey:

“Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.”

What are the klesas? According to Patanjali, these are the sources of suffering, our obstacles to a spiritual life. The 5 klesas are mentioned in The Yoga Sutras, 2:3: Avidya asmita raga dvesha abhinivesah. (Translation: Ignorance, egoism, attachment, hatred, clinging to bodily life.) Patanjali recommends practicing yoga to remove the obstacles and find our way to samadhi, liberation.

Avidya, the first obstacle occurs when we are not aware. Or as Patanjali says in 2:5: Ignorance is regarding the impermanent as permanent, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and the non-self as the self. By meditating, mantra and yoga, we can still the mind and find the divinity within.

An Avidya Practice:
Seated meditation, Nadi Shodhana breath
Low Lunge
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana)
Wide Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Downward Facing Dog
Child Pose (Balasana)
Head To Knee (Janu Sirsasana)
Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)
Savasana (lying meditation)

For the meditation, use the Mantra “So Hum”. “So” on the inhale, “hum” on the exhale. This reminds us that we are connected to the divine and when we honor and realize that connection, we cannot be ignorant.

Quote from Albert Einstein:
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”