Feb 4 (edited) • Wisdom Library🌿
The Three Obstacles to Clear Awareness
Vikshepa, Mala, and Avarana: The Three Obstacles to Clear Awareness
In the stillness of the Self, awareness is luminous and steady. Yet three veils obscure this clarity:
Mala – the impurity
Vikshepa – the scattering of the mind
Avarana – the veil of ignorance
These veils arise within the body, mind, and consciousness, and their removal is the purpose of Yoga.
Vikshepa – The Scattering of the Mind
Vikshepa is the mind thrown outward, scattered in many directions.
It draws attention to thoughts, sensations, memories, and reactions. It is restless motion, born of Rajo Guna.
Vikshepa describes a very specific movement of consciousness: The mind is being thrown outward, away from itself. (Vikṣhepa means to scatter in many directions.)This is the restless motion that pulls attention into thoughts, sensations, memories, plans, and reactions. It is the reason attention fragments and inner stillness feels distant.
Examples:
This is the force that makes us:
-reach for your phone when you intended to meditate
-think about five things while doing one
-replay conversations
-worry about the future
-feel unable to sit still
-feel mentally “noisy” even in a quiet room
Manifestation:
Attention moves from task to task
Conversations and events are replayed within
Worries of the future arise unbidden
The body cannot rest, the mind cannot settle
Observation: Vikshepa is first seen in the breath, then in the mind.
Remedy – Ekāgratā One-Pointedness Steady practices draw the mind inward:
→Mantra repetition (Japa)
→Pranayama
→Meditation (Dhyana)
→Devotion (Bhakti)
→Trataka (candle gazing)
→Daily rhythm and consistent routine
Each practice gathers the scattered attention, training the mind to dwell with one object.
Mala — The Impurity
Mala is the accumulation of physical, emotional, and energetic toxins. It shows up as heaviness, dullness, lethargy, brain fog, emotional residue, and poor digestion. Mala is the accumulation of toxins in the body, mind, and energy.
Examples:
-Heaviness of body and mind
-Sluggish digestion
-Emotional residue
-Lethargy or dullness
Remedies – Shodhana (Purification)
→Nasal cleansing (Neti)
→Oil pulling
→Abhyanga (oil massage)
→Clean, simple diet
→Movement and asana
→Breath practices that move stagnation (Kapalabhati, Bhastrika)
Purification prepares the mind to receive steadiness.
Avarana – The Veil of Ignorance
Avarana is the deepest obstacle. It is the forgetting of who you truly are. Identification with the body, the thoughts, the roles, the story. Avarana is the forgetting of the Self, the identification with body, mind, and roles.
Examples:
-Separation from life
-Fear of loss and death
-Attachment to identity and story
-Seeking fulfilment outward
Remedies – Jnana (Knowledge) and Bhakti (Devotion)
→Self-inquiry: Who am I?
→Meditation (Dhyana)
→Study of sacred texts (Svadhyaya)
→Satsang (truthful company)
→Silence
→Devotion (Bhakti)
These practices remove the veil, revealing the Self that is ever-present.
The Order of Practice Yoga teaches the path:
- Purify the body – remove Mala
- Stabilise the mind – calm Vikshepa
- Realise the Self – lift Avarana
Each stage prepares for the next. The veils dissolve, and awareness shines forth.
Daily Practice
Through cleansing, breath, mantra, movement, and meditation, the mind and body become instruments of clarity.
Please if you want me to explain any of the practices, comment below 🪷🙏😊
For instructions or more, check in the resource centre, which is unlocked at level 4. If there is something you want to know more about, let me know
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The Three Obstacles to Clear Awareness
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