Chitta Vritti Nirodhah: Mental Pattern Control

Patanjali defines yoga as "chitta vritti nirodhah"—the stilling of mental modifications. This foundational concept maps precisely onto DBT's distress tolerance and mindfulness skills, where emotional dysregulation stems from chaotic mental patterns rather than emotions themselves. Through Patanjali's lens, emotional dysregulation is a disorder of the mind's natural oscillations, not a character flaw. DBT practitioners can use this Yogic framework to understand that observing emotional patterns without identification—a core DBT practice—is the direct application of Patanjali's ancient wisdom. By systematically noticing how emotions arise, persist, and dissolve as mental modifications, clients learn they are not their dysregulation. This reframes emotional work from fighting feelings to understanding their mechanical nature, creating psychological distance and choice in response.