Why We Get Stuck, Yoga’s Take On Human Habits

One of yoga’s strengths is that it gives us language for things we’ve always felt but couldn’t quite name. The kleshas are a perfect example—five core mental emotional human patterns said to cloud perception and drive suffering into cycles and behaviour habits.

You don’t need to remember the Sanskrit, but the insight? That’s worth hanging onto.

The kleshas aren’t about diagnosing people or fixing flaws. They’re simply a framework for noticing, observing the thoughts and actions that pull us off centre, again and again. Yoga doesn’t shame us for these patterns or ask us to change at all, it simply invites us to observe them with curiosity, not criticism.

Let’s take a closer look:

   •   Avidyā – misunderstanding reality

The stories we tell ourselves: “I’m not good enough” or “This will never change.”

   •   Asmitā – false identification

When we mistake what we’re feeling or doing for who we are: “I’m anxious, therefore I’m weak.”

   •   Rāgaḥ – attachment

Clinging to what feels good, even when it’s no longer serving us: “I just want things to go back to how they were.”

   •   Dveṣaḥ – aversion

Avoiding discomfort at all costs: “If I ignore it, maybe it’ll go away.”

   •   Abhiniveśaḥ – fear of change or loss

The deep instinct to stick to what we know—even when we’re ready for change.

You don’t need to be on a yoga mat to feel these patterns show up. They surface in conversations, relationships, late-night scrolling, decision-making and every time we reach for the familiar over the unfamiliar. And that’s normal. These are deeply human experiences. The point in yoga isn’t to eliminate them—it’s to learn to spot them when they arise, to gently acknowledge and anticipate rather than react and feel at a loss as to why.

What yoga offers us is a pause. A moment to ask: “Is this thought true?” or “Is this reaction helpful?” Over time, we begin to separate the pattern from the person. We soften. We become less tangled.

If you’ve ever noticed yourself thinking the same thoughts, reacting the same way, or spiralling through the same cycle and then wondering why—you’re not broken. You’re just human. The kleshas remind us that suffering can have a recognisable shape and more importantly, that awareness is the first step in shifting it.

Yoga doesn’t give us all the answers but it does offer us a better set of questions.