व्याधि स्त्यान संशय प्रमादालस्याविरति भ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्धभूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि चित्तविक्षेपाः ते अन्तरायाः
vyādhi styāna saṃśaya pramāda-ālasya-avirati bhrāntidarśana-alabdha-bhūmikatva-anavasthitatvāni citta-vikṣepāḥ te antarāyāḥ
Illness, sluggishness, doubt, impaired judgment, burnout, over-consumption, distorted self-image, failure, and relapse. There are some of the most challenging (and common) distractions and obstacles we face along this path.
Who do our minds work for? For the betterment of our beautiful immortal souls who yearn to be integrated with divine consciousness? Or for the survival of our bodies and egos, for whom we have sufficient respect, but who we know are just bit players making a brief appearance on the grand stage of the universe?
Patanjali lists nine challenges that cause the soul to lose the mind to the ego and body. These are illness, sluggishness, doubt, impaired judgment, burnout, over-consumption, distorted self-image, failure, and relapse. When our mind has fallen into the service of the ego or the body in one of these challenges, what do we do to lift it back up?
One thing that lift us is a higher power. If you have already have relationship with a higher power, this should be easy.
When you’re sick, pray for health; when sluggish, for energy; when doubting, to know the truth; when clouded by impaired judgment, for sober clarity; when suffering from burnout, for inspiration; when driven to over-consume, for contentment; when racked by self-criticism, for unconditional love; when reckoning with failure, for peace; and when frustrated by setbacks, for perseverance.
Helpfully, for those of us for whom prayers don’t come naturally, Patanjali offers pranava, simple powerful mantras. The most famous is Om, but there are many. A good one for dealing with challenges is So Hum, “I am that.”
Even if you don’t believe in God, you can still understand from a scientific perspective that everything has a source. Patanjali calls the source Iśvara. We can direct our needs to Iśvara, a non-anthropomorphic idea of an actual, scientific source. You don’t have to know exactly how the body produces the states you desire, just know that it has a way, and have faith it can do so.
When you’re sick, ask yourself, “Where can I find wellness?” Everything has a source. The source of everything is Īśvara. Breathe in “So” and breathe out “Hum,” to dissolve into Īśvara, the source of health. Stop thinking about yourself as an individual who can be limited by illness and make way for your innate capacity to understand what needs to happen for wellness to be restored.
When sluggish, So Hum energy.
When doubting, So Hum truth.
When clouded by impaired judgment, So Hum sober clarity.
When suffering from burnout, So Hum inspiration.
When driven to over-consume; So Hum contentment.
When racked by self-criticism, So Hum unconditional love.
When reckoning with failure, So Hum peace. When frustrated by setbacks, So Hum perseverance.
On the following pages are affirmations and mantras for each of Patanjali’s nine challenges.
Vyādhi (व्याधि, “illness”) sometimes has external causes and can’t be avoided, but vyādhi often comes from not taking good care of ourselves, for instance from improper food or irregular sleep.
To avoid vyādhi, I create wellness by caring for myself with rejuvenating sleep, nourishing food and energizing exercise.
When I am challenged by vyādhi, there is just one obstacle to finding health and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by vyādhi. When I give up that limiting belief, I find that my body possesses an ever-present innate intelligence whose purpose is to maintain my natural state of wellness. This intelligence exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. If I tune into it, it will guide me and I will do what I need to do to be healthy.
So Hum Īśvara, the innate intelligence of all living beings whose purpose is to maintain our natural state of wellness.
Styāna (स्त्यान) is sluggishness; a lack of mental energy, alertness or vigor.
To avoid styāna, I limit time-wasting activities, especially unproductive screen-time, as well as people and circumstances that needlessly drain my energy.
When I am challenged by styāna, there is just one obstacle to finding energy and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by styāna. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of infinitely abundant vitality. This innate vitality exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. When I tune into it, it fuels my body, mind and spirit.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of infinitely abundant vitality where energy is unlimited.
Saṃṣāya (संशय) is doubt. Skepticism is one of the most important functions of intelligence; blind faith can be foolishness. Misplaced or excessive doubt, however, can be extremely destructive. Suspicion of others can erode trust and lead to paranoia. A lack of confidence in our own worth and capacity can deprive us of self-respect. Doubt can destroy faith, leaving nothing but hopelessness.
A healthy amount of skepticism keeps my mind sharp and allows me to distinguish fact from fiction, but I don’t indulge in doubt to the point where I become pessimistic, my faith in the truth falters, and I lose my capacity to love and trust myself and others.
When I am challenged by saṃśaya, there is just one obstacle to finding the truth and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by saṃśaya. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of infinitely wise consciousness. This source of truth exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. My mind opens to it with trust and optimism. The truth becomes clear and everything makes sense.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of infinitely wise consciousness where the truth is clear and everything makes sense.
Pramāda (प्रमाद) are the mental impairments, lapses of judgment and bad habits that impede clear thinking.
I avoid the pitfalls caused by recklessness, negligence and inebriation through faithful effort and self-control. I avoid the lapses of judgment caused by distraction, illusion, over-reaction, and bad habits, through careful attention and thoughtful reflection. Always compassionate, I am considerate and respectful of everyone, including myself. I avoid all forms of pramāda so that I don’t make mistakes that could cause me to say what should not be said or do what should not be done.
When I am challenged by pramāda, there is just one obstacle to finding the love I need to guide me to my highest good and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by pramāda. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of infinitely abundant compassion. This source of loving guidance exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. When my heart opens to it with loving kindness, care and consideration, I finally have the mental clarity to know just the right thing to do and say and the self-control to do and say just those things.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of infinitely abundant compassion where the mind is clear and love guides the way.
Ālasya (आलस्य) is apathy, fatigue or burnout.
I avoid alasya by establishing healthy routines that allow me to care for myself and others, while having time to relax, socialize and engage in enriching, stimulating activities that nourish my mind, body and soul.
When I am challenged by alasya, there is just one obstacle to finding motivation I need to keep moving from a place of love and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by alasya. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of infinitely abundant inspiration that exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. I surrender my will to it with eagerness and fill with the power of love and compassion.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of infinitely abundant inspiration where willpower comes from love and compassion.
Āvirati (आिवरित) is over-consumption.
The pleasures of the senses are wonderful and all the better when lovingly shared with others. I avoid avirati by always examining the root-causes of my desires, especially when I feel insatiable. Physical affection, intimacy, and feelings of fullness, comfort, wellbeing and safety are basic human needs, but when I find myself indulging to excess, or unable to find satisfaction, I check myself for deep-seated emotional hungers driving my impulses. I understand that I am the only one who can resolve my own feelings of emptiness and lack.
When I am challenged by avirati, there is just one obstacle to finding contentment and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by avirati. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of unlimited abundance, a cornucopia of loving care providing everything anyone could ever need. This source of fullness and satisfaction exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. I surrender my appetites to it and its generosity fills me.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of unlimited abundance where contentment flows from a cornucopia of infinitely generous love.
Bhrāntidarśana (भ्रान्तिदर्शन) is a false or distorted perspective, especially of ourselves, leading to arrogance and delusions of grandeur, and on the other side of the same coin, the inverse, a lack of self-worth.
I know myself. I accurately appraise and appreciate my assets and abilities. Likewise, I understand the limits to the importance of my good qualities and I am able to assess my flaws and faults. I appropriately balance self-esteem and humility. I don’t let it swing out of control between narcissism and self-hatred. My self-image is consistent. It isn’t dependent on who comes into my awareness, because I don’t compare myself to others. To do so would be senseless; we are all created equal.
When I am challenged by bhrāntidarśana, there is just one obstacle to finding gratitude and that is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by bhrāntidarśana. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of unconditional love. This source of worthiness exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. I surrender my judgments to it and find that everyone and everything, including myself, is inherently worthy of appreciation.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of unconditional love where everyone and everything is inherently worthy of gratitude and appreciation.
Alabdhabhūmikatva (अलब्धभूमिकत्व) is failure. Failure is always painful, but it is especially so when a relationship fails or when failure comes in the form of rejection.
I avoid being discouraged by releasing the complicated feelings of guilt, shame, blame, bitterness, anger and fear that failure provokes and just hold on to its lessons. Every perceived failure is the experience I need most to learn and grow. Forgiveness is how I find the grace to understand each failure as a teaching moment. This moves me forward into the open space of new opportunities that I patiently prepare myself for by shaping my values, building my character, and increasing my capacity for compassion and love. When I do this with sincerity, I realize that the journey is more important than the destination.
When I am challenged by alabdhabhūmikatva, I need acceptance and peace. The only obstacle to finding it is my belief that I am an individual who can be conquered by alabdhabhūmikatva. When I give up that limiting belief, I find an ever-present field of consciousness where everything and everyone, including myself, is perfect just as it is. This source of acceptance exists in me and everyone and everything in the universe. When I surrender my perceived failures to it, and am receptive to learning the value of these experiences, I tap into an infinitely abundant source of creativity flowing to the highest good.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of consciousness where I am at peace with everything I’ve experienced.
Anavasthitatva (अनवस्थितत्व) is backsliding, relapse or regression. It’s the “one step forward, two steps backward” phenomena where breakthroughs and progress are followed by slippage. The process of removing obstacles is not linear.
Affirmation: I am committed to my practice of growth through self-awareness. I remain resolute, meeting each new or reoccurring obstacle with the same fortitude. I am kind to myself, asking for progress not perfection. I am patient with myself, facing setbacks with encouragement not frustration.
Practice: When anavasthitatva is an obstacle, I breathe in “So” and exhale “Hum,” “I am that,” to dissolve into Īśvara, the source of manifestation. I give up the idea of myself as an individual who can be limited by anavasthitatva and know that I am a channel of infinitely abundant perseverance flowing to the highest good.
When anavasthitatva is an obstacle, what makes manifestation possible? Everything has a source. The source of everything is Īśvara. I breathe in “So” and exhale “Hum,” “I am that,” to dissolve into Īśvara and stop thinking about myself as an individual who can be limited by anavasthitatva. When I do, I find an ever-present field of consciousness where everything I need to realize my highest self is available. These resources exist in me and everyone and everything in the universe. When I surrender my perceived setbacks to it, and am receptive to learning the value of these bumps in the road, I tap into an infinitely abundant source of perseverance.
So Hum Īśvara, the ever-present field of consciousness where manifestation is certain, not because obstacles have been removed, but because they have been overcome.
Patanjali's yoga sutras 
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