Klesas: The Five Afflictions and Emotional Roots

The Yoga Sutras identify five klesas (afflictions): ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and fear of death. These map precisely onto core beliefs perpetuating emotional dysregulation. Avidya (ignorance) reflects misunderstanding emotions as permanent rather than transient. Asmita (egoism) manifests as shame and identity fusion—"I am anxious" rather than "anxiety arises." Raga and dvesha (attachment and aversion) drive desperate clinging to positive emotions and fighting negative ones, intensifying dysregulation. Abhinivesha (death fear) underlies panic and existential despair. DBT addresses these through cognitive work, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation skills. Patanjali's klesa framework provides deeper philosophical understanding: dysregulation isn't pathology but ignorance of mind's nature. By recognizing these afflictions operating, practitioners gain agency. Identifying which klesa dominates reveals which DBT intervention targets the root: mindfulness for ignorance, self-compassion for egoism, acceptance for attachment-aversion patterns.