Kleshas: Root Afflictions of Attachment

The Yoga Sutras identify five kleshas (afflictions) at the root of suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego/false self), raga (craving/attachment), dvesha (aversion/rejection), and abhinivesha (fear of death/abandonment). These directly map to attachment insecurity. Avidya keeps us unconscious of our patterns. Asmita creates a defended ego-self that can't truly be known. Raga manifests as anxious clinging and desperate pursuit. Dvesha emerges as avoidant withdrawal and emotional shutdown. Abhinivesha—the deepest klesha—is the primal terror of abandonment and annihilation driving much attachment anxiety. Patanjali teaches that these afflictions are natural but not inevitable; they can be witnessed and gradually dissolved through practice. Attachment healing requires recognizing these five root patterns operating beneath surface behaviors, then systematically addressing each through yoga's transformative disciplines.