September 2022 week 1

This month we are continuing our studies of the 5 Kleshas. To review: In Sanskrit, Klesha means poison and refers to a negative mental state that obscures the mind and allows the conditions of suffering to arise.
You have experienced a Klesha
If you have said…I hope……
Felt some kind of anxiety or
Have you felt sadness?
The Kleshas take us out of the present moment and catastophize life. The 2nd Kelsha is: Asmita - Ego consciousness. I am-ness. This rolls from the first klesha (Avidya - spiritual ignorance) being out of alignment. In other words, once we forget our true self, we substitute it with a false identity, a constricted self which is the ego. Asmita refers to our self image being defined by our possessions and positions of life; said another way - the veil or coverings that hide our true nature and trap us.
Once again lets be reminded of the solution to the Kleshas:
The Yoga Sutras are the sacred text of the yoga philosophy and Sutra 10-11 states:
“The subtle causes of suffering are destroyed when the mind merges back into the unmanifest. The gross effects of suffering are discarded through meditation.”

Start out this month of transition with some quiet contemplation. Lets ask ourselves: are there any veils or coverings we are using to hide our true self?
What small step can each of us take to remove the obstacle of Asmita in our life?
Our intention this month is: I am enough, I have enough, all is well. Take some time this month to sit quietly repeating this intention and maybe writing a few notes of reflection. Fall is an amazing time, life is full so lets all live it to the fullest!