[W]e’re born with a karmic inheritance of mental and emotional patterns—known as samskaras—
through which we cycle over and over again during our lives. Bo Forbes
In Yogic, Buddhist, and Taoist terms, the “wheel of life” or the cycle of birth and death is an ongoing and evolving experience. In these ancient belief systems, humans are vulnerable to repeating the birth-death cycle in subsequent lives unless we refine our awareness. What causes our vulnerability or suffering is the latent impressions and imprints (samskaras) we absorb through our human birth and growth process. Once we become aware of the life patterns holding us in our repetitive cycles, we can break free from what no longer serves us by altering our intentions and actions.
Samskara is the life cycle or energy (positive and negative intentions and actions) that keeps us in human form. Enlightenment, on the other hand, is the evolutionary process of using our intentions and actions to elevate our consciousness and free ourselves from suffering and delusion. The “bad” news is – these samskaras (mental conditioning and delusions residing in our subconscious) are always present and cannot be completely destroyed. The “good” news is – there are only nine obstacles living in our unconscious, they are predictable and can be transcended. In other words, what we are aware of we can choose to change.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (1.20), he defines yoga as the restraint of the fluctuating patterns (conditioning and delusions) within the mind. In Sutras 1.30 – 1.32, he further instructs us that awakening our higher consciousness releases us from the grip of these nine obstacles. The obstacles, also referred to as mental distractions, are —
- Illness/physical disease
- Laziness/mental dullness/procrastination
- Doubt/indecision
- Lack of attention/carelessness/negligence
- Lack of enthusiasm/apathy/sloth
- Sensuality/cravings/sexual indulgence
- False/misperception/confusion
- Failure to attain/lack of progress
- Inability to maintain concentration/inconstancy/instability
These nine mental distractions reside in our unconscious, which makes them challenging to self-diagnose. To aid in our diagnostic process, Patanjali provides us with four symptoms that are the consequences of these obstacles. These symptoms are found closer to the surface of our mental and physical processing in our conscious mind and therefore much easier to “see” —
- distress/anxiety
- despair/depression
- trembling/unsteadiness of the body
- irregular/disturbed breathing
Take a moment to write down which symptoms or consequences are present in your life, right here, right now.
SYMPTOMS:
Review the nine samskaras (mental distractions) listed above. From a scale of 0 to 10, how present is each obstacle in your life, right here, right now — 0 to 3 is present but not a habit; 4 to 6 is more present; 7 to 10 is definitely a habit.
OBSTACLES:
Can you see the connection between your conscious SYMPTOM(S) and your unconscious OBSTACLE(S)?
My poem below reflects this journey from samskaras into self-realization.
Fearless Freedom
When one’s inner empress and emperor
find solid footing and proportion, there
hails harmony. Neither too much
nor too little prevails.
The wisdom of the ages weds its application
in this world. Intuition births material creation.
Hearts soar, bodies heal.
Where rage and hurt prevail, balance between
body and spirit is lost. Emotional sensitivity,
remnants of a thin-skinned nature,
eclipses intuition’s innate wisdom.
Exclusion and escape edge toward
darkness’s precipice. Fear and doubt attend.
Hearts tremble, bodies crumble.
Tho’ harmony is sought over disintegration,
both states ennoble spiritual strength.
From each one’s pinnacle, new choices
awaken.
Who we choose to be determines freedom.
When fearlessly ourselves, we find liberation.
For more yoga actions, asana sequences, and poetry, click here. Namaste.
