The Buddhist teachings warn us of 5 main challenging and complicated mental states that block, confuse, or “hinder” our ability to more fully open our hearts and minds, and prevent us from discovering freedom from suffering. In this talk, Shell explores how we can use the practice of energy (or viriya, in Pali) to more clearly recognize these five mental states, and eventually loosen our grip on them in order to discover more joy, freedom, and ease in our lives. It includes a 15-minute meditation aimed at helping us overcome the pain of desire.