Explore the 5 Kleshas

The Five Kleshas – A 6-Month Exploration

Over the next six months, we’re diving into one of yoga’s most transformative teachings: the Kleshas, or mental and emotional afflictions, known as the tree of suffering in the Yoga Sutras.

This ancient model invites us to look at what clouds our inner clarity and disrupts peace. The five Kleshas include:

1. Avidya (Ignorance): the inability to see things as they truly are
2. Asmita (Egoism): misidentifying the self
3. Raga (Attachment): clinging to what we desire
4. Dvesha (Aversion): resisting discomfort
5. Abhinivesha (Fear of death/separation): the root of fear

These patterns show up in daily life and on the mat, shaping reactions and creating suffering when left unchecked. Yoga teaches us to observe rather than resist, and in doing so, we begin to free ourselves.

For the rest of this year, each month, we will be exploring this powerful part of the yogic tradition to bring awareness to the areas most ready to shift. To prepare for this powerful work, ask yourself, What part of your inner world is ready to be seen, softened, or pruned?

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