Klesha Dissolution Through Yogic Self-Inquiry

Patanjali identifies the kleshas (afflictions)—avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death)—as the underlying causes of all suffering and disease. These mental patterns create the habitual thought-emotion loops that generate stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic illness. In Ayurvedic psychology, the kleshas are the deepest roots of mental imbalance, more fundamental than the doshas themselves. Through yogic self-inquiry and meditation, practitioners observe how these afflictions operate in their own minds, creating the conditions for their natural dissolution. As each klesha loses its unconscious grip, the mind becomes lighter, clearer, and naturally returns to balance. This framework gives Ayurvedic practitioners a precise psychological technology for addressing the existential roots of mental suffering. Rather than treating only symptoms, klesha work addresses the fundamental ignorance that perpetuates cycles of illness, offering genuine healing and psychological freedom.