The root of suffering, dopamine and the kleshas The obstacles to enlightment.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get hooked on something that feels good—but leaves you feeling empty later?

A scroll through your phone, a sweet treat, a compliment, a quick win… For a moment, everything feels lighter. But then it fades. And you’re left looking for the next thing.

That’s not weakness. It’s how we’re wired.

The brain is designed to seek pleasure and avoid pain. It’s part of our survival. Dopamine, the “reward” chemical, gives us a burst of satisfaction when we get what we want. But it’s fleeting. Over time, too much stimulation kills neurons and suppresses serotonin—the chemical that gives us steadiness, contentment, and a sense of peace.

So we chase the next hit. And the next. Without realizing it, we become trapped in a cycle that leads us further away from the very peace we crave.

The Kleshas: Why We Keep Getting Stuck

Yoga calls this cycle klesha—mental and emotional afflictions that cloud our clarity and keep us bound to suffering. And every single one of them is amplified by how our brain reacts to pleasure and pain:

Avidya (Ignorance)

This is the root of all suffering—the mistaken belief that temporary things can give us lasting peace. We confuse pleasure with fulfillment. We forget that we are eternal, and cling to what is fleeting. We lose sight of the deeper self, and chase sensations that keep us distracted. The dopamine system thrives in this confusion—rewarding us for everything that feels good but leaves us empty.

Asmita (Egoism)

Our ego forms around these dopamine-driven identities: “I am successful,” “I am admired,” “I am better.” We cling to the version of ourselves that brings rewards, even when it costs us authenticity or peace. The ego doesn’t want truth—it wants control and comfort.

Raga (Attachment)

We become addicted to the things that once made us feel good. But attachment isn’t love—it’s fear of loss. When dopamine is low, we feel uncomfortable, so we reach for what once gave us that high. Yoga helps us see this not as weakness, but as a moment to pause and return to ourselves.

Dvesha (Aversion)

Just as we cling to pleasure, we reject pain. Not just physical pain, but discomfort, boredom, failure, silence. But pain has wisdom. Avoiding it keeps us shallow. Sitting with it makes us grow.

Abhinivesha (Fear of Death)

This is the most subtle and stubborn of all the kleshas. Patanjali says it exists even in the wisest of beings. Why? Because it is the raw instinct of survival. It’s the brain saying: stay safe, avoid risk, cling to what feels good. It’s not just fear of physical death—it’s fear of letting go of control, of surrender, of the unknown. And yet, yoga teaches that the very freedom we seek lies through that surrender.

Yoga: Rewiring the Mind Toward Peace

Yoga meets us where we are—not by rejecting the mind, but by gently retraining it. Through asana, pranayama, and meditation, we begin to shift our inner chemistry and open a new path:

• Asana reconnects us to our body—not as an object to shape, but as a home to feel. Through the physical practice, we become present, steady, and resilient. We build strength not by escaping discomfort, but by staying with it.

• Pranayama shifts our energy. The breath quiets the nervous system, calms the dopamine-driven chase, and lifts serotonin gently. It teaches us that we don’t need more—we just need to breathe.

• Meditation is the art of being. Of observing the rise and fall of cravings, fears, and thoughts—and realizing that we are not them. We are the awareness behind it all. And that awareness doesn’t need fixing. It just needs remembering.

A Different Kind of Happiness

The world rewards us for doing, achieving, accumulating.

Yoga invites us to unlearn that path. To sit in the simplicity of our being. To watch the mind’s cravings with compassion, and still choose peace.

In time, the kleshas lose their grip. Not because life becomes perfect, but because we stop needing it to be.

And in that space, joy returns—not as a high, but as a quiet knowing:

I am already whole.

I am already home.

And if this path speaks to you—if you feel the call to go deeper, not just in your practice but in your understanding of the mind, body, and heart—we’re here to walk it with you.

At Yoga InTent, you’ll find more than just classes. You’ll find a space to come back to yourself, to move with awareness, to breathe, and to be.

You’re welcome to join us for our daily yoga classes, designed to support your body and nourish your inner world:

👉 https://www.yogaintent.com/free-first-class

Or take a deeper step through our teacher trainings and online programs, where we explore practice, philosophy, and the process of becoming whole:

👉 https://www.yogaintent.com/teacher-trainings

Each offering is an invitation to reconnect and remember what truly matter