In this episode of Deepen Your Yoga Practice, Lauren Leduc explores the five kleshas — the root causes of suffering described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Book II, Sutras 3–9).

These ancient psychological insights, compiled around 400 CE and influenced by Samkhya philosophy, offer a powerful framework for understanding why we repeat patterns, cling to identities, avoid discomfort, and fear change.

Lauren unpacks:

What the kleshas are historically and where they appear in the sutras

The five kleshas: Avidya (misperception), Asmita (ego-identification), Raga (attachment), Dvesha (aversion), and Abhinivesha (fear/clinging to life)

How they show up in modern life — social media, productivity culture, politics, parenting, wellness culture, and relationships

Why the kleshas are not sins, but universal human tendencies

How meditation, self-study (svadhyaya), non-attachment (vairagya), and conscious pause help loosen their grip

This episode is not about self-judgment. It’s about compassionate awareness. The kleshas are proof you are human — not failing at yoga.

Freedom, Lauren reminds us, is not removing suffering from the world. It’s loosening the grip suffering has on your perception.