Living The Yoga Sutras 1.5: Don't Trust "Every" Thought

00:30

26:22

Living The Yoga Sutras 1.5: Don't Trust "Every" Thought

by Leslie DMello

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

1

In this video from the Living the Yoga Sutras series, we explore Yoga Sutra 1.5: Vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ The movements of the mind are fivefold, and they may be painful or non-painful. Patanjali reminds us that not every thought is the same. Some thoughts create fear, shame, confusion, attachment, and suffering. Others support clarity, wisdom, healing, and freedom. In this teaching, we look at how to recognise the movements of the mind more clearly, especially in everyday moments of overthinking, emotional reaction, self-judgment, and old inner stories. This session will help you pause before believing every thought and gently ask: What kind of movement is this? Is this leading me toward suffering or clarity? Can I respond from awareness? Name the movement. Loosen the grip. Return to awareness.

Yoga Mindfulness Thought Observation Self Inquiry Self Compassion Short Pause Emotional Reactivity

Meet your Teacher

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Meet your Teacher

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Transcript

Namaste. Have you ever had one thought? Completely change your mood. One thought completely change your mood. Maybe your day was going fine. You are doing your work, Drinking your tea or coffee. Answering messages. Going to life normally. And then one thought appeared. What if I am falling behind? Why didn't they reply? I should have been doing more by now. What if this goes wrong? And suddenly, The body changes. The chest tightens, The stomach contracts. The breath becomes shallow. You may be sitting in the same room, On the same chair, In the same life. But inside. You are in a completely different world. Nothing outside may have changed. But one movement of the mind has changed everything. This is why Patanjali's teaching is so practical. He is not giving us philosophy only for meditation halls or ancient forests. He is showing us something we can recognize in the middle of an ordinary day. The mind moves. And when we don't understand these movements, We become carried away by them. In Yoga Sutra 1. 5. Patanjali says, Vittaya Panchataya Klista Klista A simple translation. The movements of the mind are fivefold. And they may be painful or non-painful. This may sound simple at first. But it is one of the most useful teachings in daily life. Because Patanjali is telling us two important things. First, The mind does not move only in one way. There are different kinds of mental movements. And second, These movements can create either suffering or they can support freedom. Some thoughts tighten us. Some thoughts clarify us. Some memories keep us stuck. Some memories teach us. Some imagined futures fill us with fear. Some imagined possibilities inspire wise action. So the question is not simply am I thinking or not thinking. The deeper question. Is what kind of movement is happening in the mind right now. And even more importantly, Where is this movement leading? Is it leading me toward fear, Shame, Confusion, Attachment, And reactivity? Or is it leading me toward clarity, Honesty, Responsibility, Compassion, And freedom? This is the heart of Yoga Sutra 1. 5. Patanjali begins to give us a map of the bike. Let's start with the first word. The first word in the Sutra is Vrittaya. This comes from the word vritti and you may have already been familiar with this word from the previous sutras. Avdhiti is a movement, A modification, A fluctuation, A wave, A pattern in the mind. It can be a thought, It can be an emotion, It can be a memory, It can be an image, It can be an interpretation, Or it can be an inner story. It can also be a belief that rises up automatically. Avritthi is not only a sentence in the mind. If there is any movement, Any movement that colors our inner experience. For example, Someone looks at you in a certain way. And immediately the mind moves. Did I do something wrong? That is a vip. You remember something embarrassing from years ago and suddenly you feel shame again. That too is a VIP. You imagine a future conversation. And begin defending yourself in your mind before it even happens. That's a vritti. You compare yourself with someone online and feel that your life is not enough. That is update. Or you hear the kind word and the mind becomes calm and open. That too is aviditthi. So a vritti is not automatically bad. It is simply a movement of the mind. Yoga does not say the mind is the enemy. Yoga says, Understand the mind. Because when the mind is not understood, It becomes a place where we suffer. But when the mind is understood, It can become an instrument of clarity. The next word. Panchataya. This means fivefold or of five kinds. Patanjali is telling us that the movements of the mind fall into five categories. In the next Sutra, Yoga Sutra 1. 6, He will name them. These are correct knowledge, Misperception, Imagination, Sleep and memory. But before he names them in the next sutra, He tells us something very very important about them. He said these movements may be klishta or aklishta. Painful or non-painful, Afflicted or non-afflicted, Leading to suffering or not leading to suffering. This is very important because it stops us from making the practice too simplistic. The goal is not to say all thoughts are bad, Or I must have no thoughts, Or if I were really spiritual, My mind would always be empty. This is not what Patanjali is saying. The mind will move. The question. The question is. Is this movement creating bondage or is it supporting freedom? Is it creating confusion or is it bringing clarity? Is it strengthening fear or is it opening understanding? Is it making me more reactive or is it making me more conscious? That is the real inquiry. The word Kleshta means painful or afflicted, Troublesome or colored by suffering. At least stop with Aklishta vritti is a movement of the mind that pulls us into suffering. It make the it feel. Shame, Attachment, Confusion, Anger, A false identity. It may make us believe something that is not fully true. Let's make this practical. You send someone a message. They do not reply. That is the fact. But what does the mind do? What does the mind say? The mind says, They are ignoring me. Then it says, I must have done something wrong. Or they don't care about me. Or this always happen. Or it may say something like I am not important. Now notice what happened. A simple event. It became a story. The story became an emotion. The emotion became an identity. This is a painful movement of the mind. This is Glista. It is klishta. Not because you are bad for thinking it. Not because you should be ashamed of it. But because the movement is creating suffering. And in that moment, The suffering may not be coming only from the unanswered message. It may be coming from the meaning the mind has added to the message. And this is why self-awareness matters. Without awareness, We may spend hours suffering from an interpretation. But with awareness. We can pause. We can ask. What do I actually know? What am I assuming? What story is being created? Is this thought helping me see clearly? Or is it pulling me into suffering? And that pause is powerful. That pause. Is yoga. Now let's look at a few common painful movements of the mind. One painful movement. I have to control everything. At first, This may feel useful. It may feel responsible. It may feel like preparation. But if the thought creates anxiety, Tension, Mistrust, Exhaustion, Then it's a painful movement. It's Glister. Another one. Everyone must approve of me. This thought may make us polite, Agreeable, Pleasing on the outside. But inside it creates fear. Fear of disappointing people, Of being judged, Fear of saying no, Fear of being misunderstood. This is also a painful movement. Another common one. If I make a mistake, I am a failure. This thought returns one event into an identity. A mistake is something that happened, But failure becomes who I am. And that movement creates shame. It creates shame. Another painful movement and a very common one. I am behind in life. And this thought often appears when we compare ourselves with others. Someone else seems to be further ahead. Someone else has achieved more. Someone else seems more successful, More spiritual, More disciplined, More settled. And the mind says, I am behind. But behind according to what timeline. According to whose life. According to what standard? This movement may feel true. But it often creates suffering. Another one. No one understands me. Sometimes this may point to a real need for communication or support. But if the thought becomes absolute, It can close the heart. It can make us withdraw. It can make us stop reaching out. It can turn loneliness into identity. So when Patanjali speaks of painful movement. He is not only talking about the obviously negative thoughts. He is speaking about any mental movement that binds us. Any movement that makes us less free, Less clear, Less loving, Less present. The other word, The last word of the Sutra, AKLISHTA. Aklishta is the opposite of klishta. It means non-painful, Non-afflicted or not leading to suffering. And these are movements of the mind that support clarity, That support wisdom, Support compassion, Support responsibility, Support freedom. For example. This is difficult. But I can take one step. This is the movement of the mind. But it is not pulling you into despair. It's helping you respond. I made a mistake and I can correct it. Now that thought may not feel pleasant at first. But it is clear It is responsible. It does not turn the mistake into an identity. Another non-painful movement. Anxiety is present. But it is not the whole of it. Now that thought creates space. It helps you relate to the emotion without becoming completely identified with it. Another one, Another one. I do not know the full story yet. This is such a powerful thought. The mind often wants certainty. It wants to decide quickly. It wants to fill in the gaps. But when we say, I do not know the full story yet. We create space, Space for humility. Another non-painful movement and a very helpful one. I can pause before the acting. This simple thought can change an entire conversation. It can interrupt an old pattern, Soften conflict, Protect a relationship, Prevent regret. So again, The goal is not to eliminate every thought. Some thoughts guide us. Some reflections help us. Some memories teach us. Some ideas inspire us. Some inner movements bring us closer to truth. Yoga is not anti-mind. Yoga is not against the mind. Yoga is anti-confusion. Yoga is not against thinking. But yoga is against being unconsciously ruled by your thoughts. Now listen to this phrase. Pleasant does not always mean helpful. Pleasant does not always mean helpful. Here's where the Sutra becomes even more subtle. We may think, If a thought feels good, It must be a cluster. And if a thought feels bad, It must be clustered. But it is not always that simple. A pleasant thought can still bind us. A pleasant thought can still bind us. Someone praises you. And the mind says, Now I am worthy. Now this may feel good. But if your worth depends on praise, You are trapped. Because tomorrow if praise does not come or criticism comes instead, Your sense of self collapses. So even a pleasant thought can create attachment. Another example. I am better than them. I am better than somebody else. This thought may give a temporary feeling of superiority. But it strengthens the ego, It strengthens comparison, It strengthens separation. It may feel pleasant, But it is still a painful movement because it leads to bondage. Now let's look at the opposite. An uncomfortable thought can sometimes support freedom. Let that register. An uncomfortable thought can sometimes support freedom. For example. I need to apologize. This may not feel pleasant. It may be uncomfortable. But it can be a cluster, It can be non-painful if it leads to honesty, If it leads to healing or responsibility. Or I need to change this habit. This may be difficult to face, But It may be a movement toward freedom. So Patanjali is not asking us to judge thoughts by whether they feel nice. He's asking us to look deeper. Where does this movement lead? Does it lead to more bondage or does it lead to more clarity? Another way to understand this. Is to imagine the mind as an inbox. Throughout the day, Messages arrive. Some are useful, Some are spam, Some are old messages, Some are urgent, Some only look urgent. Some are fear of pretending to be wisdom. Sama Wisdom speaking quietly. If you believe every message in your inbox, Your life becomes chaotic. You do not open an email saying congratulations, You have won $10 million and you immediately resign from your job. You question, You edify. But when the mind sends a message like you are not enough. We often believe it immediately. When the mind says everything will go wrong, We believe it. When the mind says they are judging you. We believe it. Yoga Sutra 1. 5 invites us to treat the mind with more discernment. Not with hostility. Not with suppression. But with wise attention. A thought arrives. You do not have to open it immediately. You do not have to reply to it. You do not have to build your identity around it. You can ask. What kind of message is this? Is it useful? Is it accurate? Is it painful? Is it freeing? That is practice. And there's also another important point. Spiritual thought. Ashtal Prithvi. A thought like I am becoming very spiritual is still a movement of the mind. A thought like, I am more aware than other people is also a movement of the mind. A thought like, I should never feel anger because I practice yoga. It may sound spiritual but it can create suppression, It can create shame. Sometimes spiritual language can become another form of identification. The mind can turn anything into ego. Even practice, Even meditation, Even knowledge. So we do not ask only, Is this thought spiritual? We ask? Is this thought leading to freedom. Is it making me more humble, More honest, More compassionate, More aware? Or is it making me rigid, Superior, Ashamed, Disconnected? That is the test. A simple practice from this sutra is to name the movement. Simply name the movement and you loosen the grip. When Vadi is present, Name it, Vadi is present. When memory is present name it memory is present when imagination is present name it imagination is present Do the same with any thought that comes up. Judgment, Clarity, Whichever thought comes up. It sounds simple. It is simple. It creates space. That's the beauty of it. It creates. Instead of saying, I am anxious. You could say anxiety is present. Instead of I am a failure. You could say. A painful thought is present. Instead of my life is falling apart. You might say fear is creating a story about the future. Can you feel the difference? One statement is. Fusing you with the movement. The other, It creates space around it. And in that space, A vein is written. Away in this little. Here's a simple three-step practice you can use in daily life. When a strong thought, An emotion, A memory or the story appears. To spawn. Force analysis. What kind of movement is this? Is it a fact? Is it an interpretation? Is it a memory? Is it some imagined future? Or is it a fear? Or is it a useful insight? Or maybe an old pattern. The second step. Is this klishta or aklishta? Is it creating suffering, Fear, Shame, Attachment? Or is it creating clarity, Honesty, Responsibility, Compassion, Freedom? Third, What is the visor this for? Do I need to believe this thought? Question it. Let it pass. Gather more information. Have a conversation. Apologize. What is the vice of this? These questions help us move from automatic reaction to conscious response. And that movement from reaction to response. Is one of the most practical gifts of yoga. This Sutra is not an invitation to judge the mind. It is not, Oh I had a painful thought, I am failing at yoga. The fact that you notice the thought is already awareness. The practice is not to have only perfect thoughts. The practice is to recognize what is moving and recognize that with compassion, With honesty, With patience. The mind has been shaped by experience, By memory, By fear, By culture, By family, By old wounds, By habits, By repetition. So when painful moments arise, We do not attack ourselves. We do not attack ourselves. We simply say this is a movement of the mind. This movement is creating suffering. Can I meet it with awareness? And that is enough. Awareness is already the beginning of the journey. So as you sit with this sutra, You might ask yourself. Which movements of my mind often create suffering. Which thoughts seem to be helpful but actually create pressure, Attachment or fear. Which thoughts help me become clearer, Kinder, Steadier, Free? When a strong thought appears, Do I know how to pause before believing it? And perhaps the most important question. Wet. Is this movement leading me. Where is this movement leading me? Not every thought deserves your trust. Not every emotion needs to become your identity and not every memory needs to define the present. Some movements of the mind bind us. Some movements guide us. Some confuse us. Some clarify us. Yoga is the practice of seeing the difference. So Yoga Sutra 1. 5 says, The movements of the mind are fivefold. They may be painful or non-painful. The Sutra is a powerful reminder that the mind is not one single problem to be defeated. It is a field to be understood. Some movements create suffering. Some movements support freedom. And when we learn to recognize the difference. We no longer have to believe every thought simply because it appears. In the next video, We will explore Yoga Sutra 1. 6. Where Patanjali names the five movements of the mind. Ghatak knowledge, Misperception, Imagination, Sleep and Memory. Thank you for watching. Namaste.