The Antarayas are nine mental obstacles outlined in the Yoga Sutras (Pada 1, Sutra 30) that are hindrances to yoga practice. Patanjali wasn't talking about vinyasa flow class, but I think these obstacles will be familiar whether in relation to a physical asana practice or to meditation, or to capital-Y Yoga. Let's explore them, with a few notes on how not to let them win.
1. Illness (Vyādhi)
Of course you’re going to want to take it easy when you’re sick. Understandable and smart. But when the habit of taking it easy extends longer than the actual illness, that’s when it can become not just a physical obstacle but a mental one. In general, if you have a fever, it’s best not to do any sort of physical asana practice, especially one that heats the body like the Ashtanga series. Once the fever passes (or if there’s no fever at all), some movement and breath will likely not only feel good but will help get the illness out of your system as it can boost circulation and clear the sinuses. Don’t feel pressure to do EVERYTHING you normally do; instead, do what you can and observe if and how it changes the way you feel.
2. Apathy (Styāna)
Styāna is related to the Sanskrit word sthira, which means stable or unmoving. Sometimes translated as mental lethargy, this obstacle refers to not being able to maintain enthusiasm for practice– you are literally unmoved to act. You might love the way you feel after a practice and have the best intentions for the next day, but the feeling fades and before you know it, it’s been a month of no practice. This is one place where planning and discipline can really help. When you feel the spark, any hint of motivation, hop on it right away. Get a class on your calendar, tell three friends you’re going (positive peer pressure!), let the teacher know you will be there. Lay out your clothes the night before. Make it as easy as possible for yourself. The more often you experience the benefits of practice, the easier it will be to get moving.
3. Doubt (Saṁśaya)
I am all for questioning authority and having critical thinking skills. When it comes to spiritual practice, though, faith is an undeniable part of the equation. I think this is why the old quote by Pattabhi Jois, “Practice and all is coming,” held weight for a generation of practitioners. If we give in to doubt– What is coming? What if it doesn’t come? What if there’s another sequence that will get me there faster? – we will lose the connection. Here is where it can be beneficial to have a “spiritual friend,” to borrow a phrase from Tibetan Buddhism– whether this is a teacher, mentor, or fellow practitioner– who has been walking the path longer than you have, and who can help you navigate questions without getting derailed.
4. Carelessness (Pramāda)
Carelessness is the opposite of mindfulness. You go through the motions, doing your practice even daily but without close attention, thinking of other things (“so-and-so was so rude to me yesterday”). This is a recipe for a) getting injured and b) giving up because you see no progress. Mindfulness is an overused buzzword, but it is also the special sauce of yoga practice and what sets yoga apart from exercise. If you feel this looseness of attention happening, dig in. Focus on the sound of your breath, your drishti, a specific physical sensation. Create a new habit of attention.
5. Laziness (Ālasya)
Ālasya can look very similar to Styāna, as you are unmoved to practice– but with ālasya, there is a general sense of heaviness and lethargy, physical and mental, that permeates other areas of your life as well. The Tamas guna (darkness, inertia, heaviness) is at play here. It’s hard to get anything done, and you might start having thoughts about yourself such as “I don’t have any self-discipline.” “I’m not the kind of person who can do a demanding practice.” To move out of the state of Tamas, it’s necessary to engage the Rajas guna (activity, movement, heat). Ayurveda has lots of tips here. A diet that is stimulating and light (think spicy spices, warm, cooked, easily digestible, nothing heavy or cold), pranayama that increases heat and movement like kapalabhati, and a vigorous physical yoga practice.
6. Distraction (Avirati)
Avirati happens when we are overly attached to our sense organs and the pleasure that comes from indulging them. Eating too much, eating too late, drinking too much, staying out late, not maintaining a regular schedule, all of these directly work against creating a sustainable routine of daily practice. Do you need to be a total ascetic? No, of course not. The way you engage with your yoga practice is entirely up to you– we all live in the world and the world is full of pleasure to experience. But if overindulgence is causing you to miss your practice frequently and if you want to change that, the direction to move towards is aparigraha, or non-attachment to the experiences of the sense organs. A period of abstinence (from alcohol, from going out late, from eating past 8, etc) can be helpful to bring you back into a healthier relationship with indulgence.
7. Delusion (Bhrāntidarśana)
Bhrāntidarśana happens when you experience something exciting in your practice and mistake it for true enlightenment. Maybe it was a glimpse of pure calm, or an experience of unimpeded concentration. One would think this would spur you on to keep practicing, but in this case either it makes you feel like you’re done, like you’ve won the game and don’t need to practice anymore, or it becomes such a high bar for what practice *should* feel like that future practices can’t live up and you quit. Either way, the cure for delusion is radical honesty. Getting real with yourself about what you are actually experiencing, moment-to-moment, acknowledging the pleasant and unpleasant and understanding that both are an integral part of growth.
8. Inability to attain stages (Alabdha bhūmikatva)
Alabdha bhumikatva is basically a plateau in your practice (again, we could be talking about physical or spiritual progress). Maybe a very long lasting plateau. You progressed for a while, but now you feel stuck, like the next step is light years away. This is related to the next obstacle:
9. Instability in progress (Anavasthitatvāni)
Here, you have achieved some stage but failed to hold on to it. In both of these obstacles (8 & 9), I find it important and helpful to remember your practice is (ideally, hopefully) life-long. ZOOM OUT. You have sixty years to practice. Maybe more! Maybe future lives! In any long-term yoga practice, both of these obstacles (or all 9) will surely show up. Progress is not linear. Growth happens, but maybe your mind needs to catch up with your body or vice versa. Maybe there’s some benefit in learning a skill or stage twice. Ultimately you do your practice and let go of the result, or the speed of the results. If the practice is beneficial to you, if your intuition tells you it’s something you want to pursue, then do so fully.
If you read farther into the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines a number of additional tips ‘n tricks (he does not call them that) for overcoming these obstacles. Perhaps I will write about those next month!