5 Obstacles Of Freedom

Yoga is not just the practice of āsana (आसन), Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India thousands of years ago. It is a holistic approach to health and well-being that involves various practices such as physical postures (āsana), breathing techniques (prānāyāma), meditation, and ethical principles (yamas and niyamas).

The physical postures in yoga are designed to stretch and strengthen the body, improve flexibility, balance, and coordination, and enhance overall physical health. Pranayama, or breathing techniques, are used to control the breath and calm the mind, which can reduce stress and promote relaxation. Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and cultivating awareness, which can help to reduce anxiety, increase mental clarity, and promote a sense of inner peace.

Yoga is a way of life, not a ritual or a religious practice, yoga philosophy offers a framework for living which leads to greater personal, social and ecological transformation. It is rooted in ancient Indian scriptures, including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.

I don't want to keep this long, anyway it is not possible to cover the yoga philosophy in one blog, so lets jut move to the obstacles of our ultimate freedom. As the vedas and upanisads mind is the root cause of all the sufferings in our life. According to the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, there are five obstacles, known as Panchaklesha (पंच क्लेश), that cause mental agitation and prevents us from spiritual growth and experiencing moksha. Understanding these afflictions and learning practicing can help us overcome the obstacles and cultivate a calmer and more peaceful mind.

The five obstacles are :

Avidyā (अविद्या) (Ignorance) - Avidyā refers to the ignorance or lake of awareness of our true nature or who we are, according to Buddhism misunderstanding the nature of reality, ignorance of truth is avidya. We often identify ourselves with our thoughts, emotions, and external circumstances, which leads to a sense of separation and suffering. By cultivating self-awareness and practicing self-inquiray, mindfulness we can overcome Avidyā.

Asmitā (अस्मिता) (Ego) - Asmita refers to the ego or sense of self, the "I-am- ness".

Because of avidya we identify our-selves with our thoughts, emotion and external circumstances, and it creates a sense of duality a separation between ourselves and others. This leads to the feelings of pride, envy and jealousy. By cultivating humility and recognizing our interconnectedness with others can help overcome Asmitā.

Rāga ( राग ) (Attachment)- Attachment or clinging to the material, emotional or any thing that brings us pleasure is raga. Ego the I'm-ness brings strong attachment not only to possessions but to people, places and role. This attachment leads to strong desire, craving and a sense of dependency and all these creates suffering when all is not exactly as we will it to be. We can overcome raga by practicing karma yoga, the selfless acts and detachment from our desires.

Devsha (द्वेष) (Aversion)- Devsha is the feeling of strong hate and avoidance, being controlled by raga we constantly lean away from things those doesn't please us. When we become averse to certain experience or situation, we create a sense of resistance and suffering. When we set our attachments, desires and craving, it is natural to fear change and avoid them, but by cultivating acceptance, meditation and learning to be with our discomfort we can overcome devsha.

Abhinivēśha (अभिनिवेश) (Fear of death) - Abhinivesha refers to the desire to live or the fear of unknown. When we become attached to our physical body and fear its demise, we create a sense of anxiety, reduce our focus and leads to suffering. By cultivating an awareness of our true nature as eternal beings, we can overcome abhinivesha.

The kleshas are not only in the subconscious but also found in the conscious mind and it has four stages each, namely latent, attenuated, alternating and active. It's like a stream coming from a mountain and gradually becoming larger longer and finally to a vast ocean. If we can over come these five obstacles we can achieve the absolute freedom. Yoga offers a range of practices, including asana, pranayama, and meditation. To overcome the obstacles, seek knowledge, reed books attend classes, be open minded, challenge your assumptions, expand your understanding, practice humility, recognize the value of others, practice detachment, learn to let go, practice mindfulness, learn to accept, challenge your limits, get out of your comfort zone, face your fear, take risks, practice selflessness, practice non duality, be mindful practice asana and meditate.