DISSOLVING OBSTACLES
The path of yoga can be long and hard, filled with obstacles, pitfalls,
and detours. Luckily, yogic philosophy provides a roadside assistance
program to aid you when you become stuck.
There are nine primary obstacles that we will face while we cultivate our yoga practice:
1. Vyadhi
- Illness, disease, physical or mental. It is difficult to do yoga if
you are physically sick. Thus it is important to lead a healthy
lifestyle for the prevention of illness and promotion of optimal health.
2. Styana
- Apathy, disinclination towards performing ones kartavya or duty. By
procrastinating, we avoid our practice and create excuses for not being
on the path and doing the work.
3. Sanshaya
- doubting ones capability or the result of yoga. We can only come to
know Reality when we
are free from doubt. It is important to cultivate faith in God, oneself, as
well as the yogic path.
4. Pramada
- Heedlessness, carelessness, a lack of persistence. Yoga is both a
science and art and approaching it without skill, care, respect and
devotion will create erratic and possible negative results.
5. Alasya
- Sloth, inertia of mind or body due to dominance of the tamasic
element. Yoga requires discipline, zeal and tapas (will-power) to
succeed on its path. Laziness will prevent you from attaining your
highest potential.
6. Avirati -
Overindulgence, attachment to pleasurable things. We must learn to
"let go" of our attachments to desire and physical objects if we are to
make progress in yoga.
7. Bhrantidarshan
- False vision, a premature sense of certainty. The development of a
false notion about the practice of yoga and its outcome can not only
lead one off the path of yoga, but also create harm and disappointment.
8. Alabdha-bhumikatva -
Non-attainment of the next yogic stage or accomplishment. This happens
due to faulty or poor practice and creates a feeling of being "stuck"
and leads to discouragement.
9. Anawasthitatwa
- Instability, non-permanence of a yogic accomplishment or stage. Not
able to maintain an attained stage can be a real drag. This again can
be a result of faulty or poor practice.
When any of these primary obstacles are encountered, four minor
obstacles may appear according to the circumstances:
1. Duhkha - Pain or sorrow
2. Daurmanasya - depression, pain caused by non-fulfilment of desires.
3. Angamejayatwa - the shivering of parts of the body.
4. Shvâsa-prashvâsa - disturbances in kumbhaka or breath retention causing the irregular breathing pattern that comes with mental agitation.
You will need to be able to remove all these obstacles at will to be
successful in yoga. They may appear at any time, and if not conquered
during their first appearance, they are most likely to return until you
learn how to overcome them.
The key to the removal of any and all of the above obstacles is the
cultivation of the one-pointedness of mind. These obstacles will
naturally pass with time unless we allow ourselves to become entangled
and bogged down in them. By focusing all of your attention on a single
object the obstacles dissolve and begin to lose their importance and
power.
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