It’s October! Along with changing colors that are a feast for the eye, days cooling down, and the urge for more warmth both inside and out, it ends with Halloween! What do goblins, ghosts and ghouls have to do with Yoga? It is a holiday that is a wonderful reminder of the Panch Kleshas, or 5 obstacles. These obstacles, according to Patanjali Yoga Sutras, are the root cause of our suffering.
When we get to put on another identity with a costume, we know that that costume isn’t truly who we are. We get to pretend, play and have fun with this temporary identity. And then we take it off with no attachment.
This is exactly what the path of Yoga encourages us to practice with all of our roles and identities. It asks us to recognize that these roles aren’t ultimately our True Self, though to participate in this life we must put on those roles to play the part. The practice is detaching from the role while being in it, since it is not truly who we are. What would it be like to step into the role of employee and then step out? Role of parent? Role of caretaker…of spouse…
Suffering happens when we attach ourselves to our roles as ‘Who I Am.’ We all do it, thinking that 
this physical world is the ‘truth.’ Yoga, a spiritual path, recognizes this attachment as part of human conditioning. The path of Yoga is to discern that we are not our roles in order to find our true Self. It’s a practice and a process.
So, keep this in mind as you see costumes in the store, help your child plan their costume, or as you create your own. Use this month to practice detaching from your roles as ‘Who I Am’ and start creating space to be more fully present to what might actually be who you are. Getting to know who you aren’t will eventually lead to ‘Who I Am.’
This is the perfect time to dive more deeply into the Panch Kleshas and see how you can use these obstacles as a way to self-discovery. My “Identify the Root Cause of Suffering” online course is now available at any time! Create more curiosity, enjoyment, and confidence in your life! Learn more about the course: https://samyayogahealing.com/traditional-yoga/.
NAMASTE.