Klesha Pattern Interruption

Patanjali identifies five kleshas or afflictions: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/I-ness), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death/clinging to survival). These map directly onto attachment insecurity. Avidya operates as the false belief "I need external validation to be worthy"—the root of anxious attachment. Asmita manifests as rigid self-definitions incompatible with intimacy; dvesha as the avoidant recoil from vulnerability; abhinivesha as desperate clinging to relationships as survival. The Yoga Sutras teach that these aren't problems to eliminate but patterns to recognize and interrupt through deliberate practice. Attachment therapy operates identically: naming the pattern ("I pursue when anxious"), understanding its origin (protective survival strategy), and practicing alternatives. Patanjali's framework reframes kleshas not as personal failures but as universal human conditioning that all people can address. This reduces shame—critical for attachment healing. By targeting klesha interruption through yoga practices, people disentangle from compulsive attachment patterns, replacing them with conscious choice and authentic relating.