Becoming Happier: Exploring the Mind through the Five Kleshas

Yoga therapy emphasizes salutogenesis, an approach that focuses on promoting health and well-being rather than pathogenesis, which centers on disease and dysfunction. Historically, Western healthcare systems have largely adopted a pathogenesis-oriented model, influencing not only treatment approaches but also how individuals perceive themselves and their experiences. In contrast, yogic philosophy offers a framework for cultivating balance within the body and mind, guiding individuals from dukkha (suffering) toward sukha (ease and well-being).

Contemporary perspectives suggest that a significant portion of our experience of happiness is shaped by how we interpret and process our internal and external environments (Brennan, 2019). This raises important reflective questions:

• How do we perceive the world in which we live?

• Which internal factors influence our capacity for happiness?

• Why do we behave in certain ways in response to life experiences?

• How are these patterns connected to the body, mind, and emotions?

• How might we begin to reduce suffering and cultivate greater clarity?

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (II.12), written over two millennia ago, the concept of the five Kleshas is introduced. These Kleshas are described as inherent psychological afflictions that shape perception and contribute to human suffering. Often operating outside conscious awareness, they influence cognition, emotional responses, and behavior.

The Kleshas may be understood as “colorings” or filters of perception. Just as a lens alters how we see the external world, these internal patterns shape how we interpret our experiences. As a result, individuals may find themselves reacting automatically rather than responding with awareness and intention.

The Five Kleshas

1) Avidya (misperception)

Avidya is considered the foundational Klesha from which the others emerge. It reflects a fundamental misapprehension of reality and includes four primary distortions:

• Anitya: perceiving the impermanent as permanent
• Asuchi: perceiving the impure as pure
• Dukkha: perceiving that which leads to suffering as pleasurable
• Anatmasu: identifying with what is not the Self

For example, individuals may come to define themselves through illness or external roles, reinforcing identification with transient or external phenomena. Such identification can limit the capacity for change unless awareness is cultivated.

The remaining Kleshas may manifest in varying degrees: dormant (prasupta), attenuated (tanu), intermittently active (vicchinna), or fully activated (udharanam).

2) Asmita (ego-identification)

Asmita refers to a sense of individuality that becomes rigidly identified with thoughts, roles, or perceptions. This can create a perceived separation between oneself and others, contributing to patterns of comparison, judgment, and disconnection.

3) Raga (attachment)

Raga describes attachment to experiences perceived as pleasurable. While preference is a natural aspect of human experience, excessive attachment may lead to dependency and reduced emotional regulation.

4) Dvesha (aversion)

Dvesha is the tendency to avoid or resist experiences perceived as unpleasant. Alongside raga, it contributes to fluctuating emotional states and may reinforce reactive behavioral patterns.

5) Abhinivesha (fear of loss or survival instinct)

Abhinivesha represents a deeply rooted fear associated with survival. It is often described as an instinctive and largely unconscious process, present even in individuals with significant self-awareness. Physiologically, it may be associated with more primitive neural structures involved in basic life-sustaining functions.