Kleshas & Rhythm: Why You Feel Out of Sync (and How to Find Your Way Back)
updated March 2026
Yoga philosophy for everyday life.
TL;DR
If your day feels slightly out of sync — even when things look fine on the surface — it’s often not a lack of effort.
It’s a loss of rhythm.
In yoga philosophy, this is described through patterns (kleshas)
that shape what we repeat, what we avoid,
and why familiar habits can keep us stuck.
The way back isn’t doing more — but gradually returning to small, steady anchors your body already understands.
Prefer to listen?
You can press play below to hear this episode of Rooted in the Seasons, or scroll down to read it as a blog post.
A quiet misunderstanding
In yoga philosophy, there is a way of understanding the patterns that quietly shape how we live.
They are called kleshas — often described as obstacles on the spiritual path.
But they don’t only appear in meditation
or in the bigger questions of life.
They show up in much simpler ways.
In how your day unfolds.
In the choices you make without thinking.
In the patterns you repeat — even when they don’t quite work.
And often, they show up in something very familiar:
That feeling of being slightly out of rhythm.
You wake up a little tired or heavy.
The day feels full before it even begins.
And even when you try to reset…
it doesn’t quite stick.
These patterns tend to follow a certain loop —
one that is very human, and something we all move through.
The first of these is called Avidya.
Often translated as ignorance, but better understood as misunderstanding.
A quiet losing sight of something that is already there.
Your body is not random.
It follows a rhythm — the same rhythm we see in nature.
🌱 Feeling Heavy, Foggy or Scattered?
You can download my free guide:
My5 Quick Ayurvedic Fixes to Move from Scattered to Steady.
If you wonder where to start, this is a good place.
Doing it our way
From there, something subtle happens.
We begin to trust our own way more than nature’s rhythm.
“I’ll eat when I have time.”
“I’ll go to bed when I feel tired.”
“I’ll fit things in where they work for me.”
It feels like flexibility.
It feels like freedom.
But slowly, we move further away from what actually supports us.
When preference takes over
And over time, the day becomes less about rhythm… and more about preference.
What feels good.
What suits us in the moment.
Maybe it’s staying up late when the house is quiet.
Or pushing through the afternoon dip to get more done.
Or eating when it’s convenient rather than when digestion is strongest.
These things don’t feel wrong.
In fact, they often feel very right —
because they are familiar.
And so, we repeat them.
What started as something that works… slowly becomes something we rely on.
A way of getting through the day.
A way of keeping things moving.
And because it feels familiar, it begins to feel necessary.
What we start to avoid
And at the same time, we begin to move away from what doesn’t feel as good, although it would help us.
For example,
Going to bed earlier.
Slowing down when energy dips.
Pausing instead of pushing through.
But now, they feel unfamiliar… or uncomfortable.
So without really noticing,
we started shaping our day around
what we prefer and what we want to avoid.
And this is where something important shifts.
We are no longer responding to rhythm —
but to habit.
Even if it doesn’t actually leave us feeling better.
The quiet sense that something is off
Which is why, even when things feel “fine”… there is often a sense that something is slightly off.
Not quite settled.
Not quite satisfied.
Because what feels familiar isn’t always what is supportive.
When change feels difficult
I see this often in consultations as well or during cleanses.
Even small, supportive changes can feel surprisingly difficult —
simply because they ask us to step away from something familiar.
There can be an immediate reaction:
“But this works for me.”
“This is what I need.”
“I can’t change that.”
The change itself isn’t unreasonable… but because what we’re doing has started to feel essential.
And so anything that moves us away from it
can feel uncomfortable — even if it might actually support us more, like going to bed earlier, or eating at different times.
In those moments, it’s not that we don’t want change —
more often, there’s a part of us that hesitates, questions, or pulls away.
The kleshas give us a way to understand that inner resistance.
The fear underneath
And underneath all of this, there is often a subtle fear.
That if we change things, something might be lost.
Time.
Space.
Control.
“If I go to bed earlier, I lose my only quiet time.”
“If I slow down, I fall behind.”
“If I don’t keep going, things pile up.”
So, we stay with what we know.
Even if it’s not quite working and a subtle change might solve it.
The loop
And so the loop continues:
a day shaped less by rhythm —
and more by preference, avoidance, and habit.
Only because it’s very easy to lose sight of what was quietly supporting you all along.
Where many women get stuck
And this is often the point where many women get stuck.
Because even when you start to notice these patterns…
and even when you try to rest more, slow down, or take a step back — it doesn’t always lead to the shift you’re hoping for.
Simply because rest on its own isn’t always enough.
What your body is really asking for is rhythm.
Something it can recognise.
Something it can rely on.
Something that gently guides your day — instead of you having to push through it.
This is exactly what I focus on in the live workshops ‘When Rest Isn’t Enough’.
Not adding more to your day —
but helping you rebuild a rhythm that works with your body, not against it.
So that things start to feel a little lighter…
a little clearer…
and a lot more sustainable.
Patanjali points to a simple way back —
steady practice, awareness, and returning to what supports us, again and again.
Final Thoughts
If you recognise yourself in this, that’s wonderful, you are on the right track.
You noticed that you’ve simply moved a little out of rhythm.
And the way back is often much simpler than it seems.
You don’t need to change everything at once.
Small, steady signals.
It’s often enough to choose one small anchor and stay with it for a while.
A regular mealtime.
Going to bed a little earlier.
Pausing when your energy dips.
And letting that one thing settle over a couple of weeks.
Because rhythm builds quietly — through what we repeat.
Rhythm doesn’t come from effort.
It comes from repetition.
And over time, those small anchors begin to settle the day again.
Make it feel clearer.
More steady.
More like something you can move with —
instead of something you have to manage.
Explore This Further
If you’d like to go a little deeper into these ideas, you might enjoy the following:
Self-Doubt and the Mind: A Yogic Map Through Uncertainty— How steadiness and resilience are built through repetition and rhythm, so that when familiar patterns return, we’re more prepared to respond rather than starting from scratch.
The Yogic Secret to Work-Life Balance (That Also Supports Your Mental Health) - How steady effort and letting go help you create a more sustainable rhythm in your daily life.
Feel Like You're Always in Your Head? Here’s What Yoga Was Actually Meant to Do— if you’re new to Patañjali’s work, this gives you the bigger picture of where these ideas fit.
A small pause
If this reflection stirred something for you, you might like to notice where your day feels slightly out of rhythm —
and which small shift could support you most right now.
If you feel like sharing, you’re very welcome to leave a comment below
or send me a message. I always enjoy hearing how these ideas land.
Katja x
P.S. A steady yoga practice is supported not only by what we do on the mat,
but by how we nourish ourselves off it — especially through simple, consistent habits.
FAQs
What are the kleshas in simple terms?
They are patterns described in yoga philosophy that influence how we think, act, and respond — often without us realising. In everyday life, they show up as habits, preferences, and reactions that can pull us away from what actually supports us.
Why do I feel out of rhythm even when I’m doing everything “right”?
Because effort alone isn’t always the issue. When your day isn’t supported by a steady rhythm — regular meals, rest, and pauses — the body can feel unsettled, even if everything looks fine on the surface.
Is this about having a strict routine?
No. Rhythm isn’t about rigid rules. It’s about giving your body something it can recognise and rely on — small, consistent signals that support steadiness.
Where do I start if everything feels a bit off?
Start small. Choose one simple anchor — like a regular mealtime or going to bed slightly earlier — and stay with it for a while. Rhythm builds through repetition, not effort.
How is this connected to yoga?
Yoga, in its traditional sense, is about creating steadiness in the mind and body. These patterns — and the way out of them — are described in the Yoga Sutras, but they show up very clearly in everyday life.
