Before I had a yoga practice, life’s challenges knocked me on my butt. I often felt powerless. Frustrated. Alone. I would get stuck in the situation and have trouble finding my way out. I’d lose myself in a whirlwind of sadness and confusion.
Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be that way.
In my yoga study, I received a gift called the “kleshas.” These “means to liberation,” as the ancient sage Patanjali called them, are considered the five root causes of human suffering. When we take time to better understand the kleshas, we are taking time to better understand ourselves. In our upcoming workshop, Who Am I Now, we’ll step Bravely into studying the kleshas as steppingstones toward liberation from our stuckness and fear.
An overly simplified explanation of the kleshas:
Ignorance
We humans sweat the small stuff and lose sight of the big Universal picture.
Egoism
We forget about the Universal connection between all of us and we allow ourselves to feel alone.
Attachment
We cling to things that feel good and don’t give ourselves opportunities to grow.
Aversion
We avoid things that we don’t like, even when it’s not good for us.
Clinging to Life
We are afraid of change and we allow it to cause us fear and stress.
For me, the kleshas are like a breath of fresh air. With them, I can explore life’s situations from a place of curiosity and learning, rather than a place of blame and shame. They helped me through the deepest, scariest transitions of my life, as I struggled to find my inner Brave Woman. And, they continue to help me understand myself and the world I live in every single day. Things still get tough, but I never feel helpless. I’m a Brave Woman.
I hope you’ll join me for “Who Am I Now,” coming to Hudson, WI and Duluth, MN in September. Let’s explore together, Brave Women.
Big love,
Elen