Kleshas: Five Roots of Distress and Ancestral Trauma

The Yoga Sutras identify five fundamental kleshas (afflictions): avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). These psychological roots underlie all suffering. In African contexts experiencing colonialism, displacement, and systemic oppression, these kleshas operate across generations, embedded in collective consciousness and nervous systems. A healer working with distressed individuals can recognize how avidya manifests as internalized oppression, asmita as fragmented identity, and abhinivesha as ancestral trauma about survival. Patanjali's framework provides language and diagnostic clarity for what African healers intuitively address through ancestor work, identity restoration, and community healing. By naming the five roots, healers help patients distinguish between personal psychological patterns and inherited collective wounds, enabling targeted healing interventions that address both individual and ancestral dimensions of distress.