212. Bhāvanā & the snip the snippet challenge.

Some days, the nuggets of wisdom don’t come easily. It’s like trying to grab onto smoke—just when you think you have something profound, it slips through your fingers. So today, let’s start the “Snip the Snippet Challenge.” If you can suggest a better word than “snippet,” I’ll send you some My Daily Thread swag. After all, language shapes our experience, and finding the right words can be its own practice in mindfulness.

Today, we return to Yoga Sūtra 2:2, where Patañjali reminds us of the purpose of yoga:
"Samādhi-bhāvanārthaḥ kleśa-tanūkaraṇārthaś ca"
(The purpose of practice is to cultivate samādhi and weaken the kleśas.)

Two key ideas stand out here—first, that yoga is a practice of cultivation (bhāvanā, भावना), and second, that it helps to diminish obstacles (kleśas, क्लेशाः).

A beautiful Sanskrit word, bhāvanā, means to bring into being, to cultivate, or to nurture with intention. Unlike fleeting thoughts or unconscious habits, bhāvanā is the practice of deliberately directing our energy toward what we want to create.

So, what are you bringing into your week with purpose (arthaḥ, अर्थः)?
Are you cultivating patience? Focus? Gratitude? Strength? Every small action—whether it's stepping onto the yoga mat, taking a deep breath before reacting, or showing up for yourself in some way—is an act of bhāvanā.

All of this cultivation leads toward an experience of samādhi (समाधि)—a deep state of absorption and clarity. In modern terms, we might call this "flow state"—those moments when we are so immersed in an activity that time disappears, effort dissolves, and we feel completely in sync with the moment.

Yoga, both on and off the mat, helps us align our inner state so we can experience more of these moments. Instead of being pulled in different directions by distractions, worries, or restless thoughts, we learn to move into deeper awareness, stillness, and ease.

Of course, because we are human, there are always obstacles. The kleśas (क्लेशाः)—the deeply embedded afflictions that shape our perception and responses—can pull us away from our center. They are so deeply woven into human nature that they feel encoded into our being.

We might experience doubt when we try something new, frustration when things don’t go our way, or clinging to comfort while avoiding discomfort.

These kleśas are what keep us cycling through suffering (duḥkha), creating struggle where there could be peace.

Tomorrow, we’ll dive deeper into what these kleśas are, how they show up in daily life, and how we can begin to loosen their grip. But for today, let’s reflect on this:

What are you cultivating?
What kind of energy are you bringing into this moment, this day, this week?

The path of yoga isn't just about removing obstacles—it’s about planting something better in their place