Kleshas & summer: Why rejection (dvesha) often becomes stronger in the hot season

"The Kleshas are not our enemies - they are teachers on the path back to ourselves."
inspiriert von Patanjali

Summer brings light, lightness – and sometimes irritability. While the world longs for sunshine, many of us realize: I’m exhausted, thin-skinned, easily annoyed. Maybe I don’t like myself right now, my body or people. Perhaps there is an inner rejection that goes deeper.

In yoga philosophy, there is an old word for this:
Dvesha– rejection.
One of the five kleshas, or mental veils, that separate us from clarity, compassion and inner peace.

What is Dvesha?

Dvesha means rejection or aversion. It is the unconscious aversion to what once caused us pain – physically, emotionally or energetically.
It manifests itself in sentences such as:

– “I hate sweating like this.“
– “Why does summer always have to be so loud and garish?“
– “My body just isn’t nice right now.“
– “I don’t want these crowds, I need peace and quiet.”

This form of rejection is not a failure – it is a natural protective mechanism. But when it becomes chronic, it separates us from vitality and connectedness.

Why especially in summer?

In summer there is much more:

– More heat

– More stimuli

– More skin

– More expectations

– More comparisons

Outer abundance can make our inner shadows visible. Especially when our nervous system is already exhausted or overwhelmed. Dvesha then becomes the voice of overload – not of malice.

3 ways to meet Dvesha in summer

1. body-friendly instead of body-critical

If you reject your body in summer: touch it. Slowly. With oil. With a soft cloth. With hot stones or cool water.
Yoga impulse: Lie in Supta Baddha Konasana with soft stones on your heart and belly. Feel: I am here. And that is enough.

2. do not avoid heat – balance it

Some yogis retreat in summer – too hot, too much. But how about gentle cooling yoga, pranayama like Sheetali or a walk in the shade? Dvesha gets smaller if you can withstand some of it, but don’t overexert yourself.

3. look at what you really dislike

Is it the sun – or your feeling of “not being able to keep up”? Is it the music by the lake – or your longing for peace and quiet? If you can name Dvesha, it loses its harshness.

Rejection is not a weakness - it is a gateway to healing

Perhaps you can be gentle with yourself this summer. Perhaps you can respond to rejection not with harshness, but with a loving look. And perhaps that is exactly the yogic way through this season.

🕊️ Would you like to learn how to guide your nervous system through the summer?
I show you ways in my yoga classes & trainings – with breath, touch, presence and love.

🧘‍♀️ Come by – you are welcome just as you are.

Tags: Yoga

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Kleshas & summer: Why rejection (dvesha) often becomes stronger in the hot season

Summer brings light, lightness – and sometimes irritability. While the world longs for sunshine, many of us realize: I’m exhausted, thin-skinned, easily annoyed. Maybe I don’t like myself right now, my body or people. Perhaps there is an inner rejection that goes deeper.

In yoga philosophy, there is an old word for this:
Dvesha– rejection.
One of the five kleshas, or mental veils, that separate us from clarity, compassion and inner peace.

What is Dvesha?

Dvesha means rejection or aversion. It is the unconscious aversion to what once caused us pain – physically, emotionally or energetically.
It manifests itself in sentences such as:

– “I hate sweating like this.“
– “Why does summer always have to be so loud and garish?“
– “My body just isn’t nice right now.“
– “I don’t want these crowds, I need peace and quiet.”

This form of rejection is not a failure – it is a natural protective mechanism. But when it becomes chronic, it separates us from vitality and connectedness.

Why especially in summer?

In summer there is much more:

– More heat

– More stimuli

– More skin

– More expectations

– More comparisons

Outer abundance can make our inner shadows visible. Especially when our nervous system is already exhausted or overwhelmed. Dvesha then becomes the voice of overload – not of malice.

3 ways to meet Dvesha in summer

1. body-friendly instead of body-critical

If you reject your body in summer: touch it. Slowly. With oil. With a soft cloth. With hot stones or cool water.
Yoga impulse: Lie in Supta Baddha Konasana with soft stones on your heart and belly. Feel: I am here. And that is enough.

2. do not avoid heat – balance it

Some yogis retreat in summer – too hot, too much. But how about gentle cooling yoga, pranayama like Sheetali or a walk in the shade? Dvesha gets smaller if you can withstand some of it, but don’t overexert yourself.

3. look at what you really dislike

Is it the sun – or your feeling of “not being able to keep up”? Is it the music by the lake – or your longing for peace and quiet? If you can name Dvesha, it loses its harshness.

Rejection is not a weakness - it is a gateway to healing

Perhaps you can be gentle with yourself this summer. Perhaps you can respond to rejection not with harshness, but with a loving look. And perhaps that is exactly the yogic way through this season.

🕊️ Would you like to learn how to guide your nervous system through the summer?
I show you ways in my yoga classes & trainings – with breath, touch, presence and love.

🧘‍♀️ Come by – you are welcome just as you are.

Follow Taj Shabad

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Kleshas & summer: Why rejection (dvesha) often becomes stronger in the hot season

Summer brings light, lightness – and sometimes irritability. While the world longs for sunshine, many of us realize: I’m exhausted, thin-skinned, easily annoyed. Maybe I don’t like myself right now, my body or people. Perhaps there is an inner rejection that goes deeper.

In yoga philosophy, there is an old word for this: Dvesha– rejection.One of the five kleshas, or mental veils, that separate us from clarity, compassion and inner peace.

What is Dvesha?

Dvesha means rejection or aversion. It is the unconscious aversion to what once caused us pain – physically, emotionally or energetically.It manifests itself in sentences such as:

– “I hate sweating like this.“– “Why does summer always have to be so loud and garish?“– “My body just isn’t nice right now.“– “I don’t want these crowds, I need peace and quiet.”

This form of rejection is not a failure – it is a natural protective mechanism. But when it becomes chronic, it separates us from vitality and connectedness.

Why especially in summer?

In summer there is much more:

– More heat

– More stimuli

– More skin

– More expectations

– More comparisons

Outer abundance can make our inner shadows visible. Especially when our nervous system is already exhausted or overwhelmed. Dvesha then becomes the voice of overload – not of malice.

3 ways to meet Dvesha in summer

1. body-friendly instead of body-critical

If you reject your body in summer: touch it. Slowly. With oil. With a soft cloth. With hot stones or cool water.Yoga impulse: Lie in Supta Baddha Konasana with soft stones on your heart and belly. Feel: I am here. And that is enough.

2. do not avoid heat – balance it

Some yogis retreat in summer – too hot, too much. But how about gentle cooling yoga, pranayama like Sheetali or a walk in the shade? Dvesha gets smaller if you can withstand some of it, but don’t overexert yourself.

3. look at what you really dislike

Is it the sun – or your feeling of “not being able to keep up”? Is it the music by the lake – or your longing for peace and quiet? If you can name Dvesha, it loses its harshness.

Rejection is not a weakness - it is a gateway to healing

Perhaps you can be gentle with yourself this summer. Perhaps you can respond to rejection not with harshness, but with a loving look. And perhaps that is exactly the yogic way through this season.

🕊️ Would you like to learn how to guide your nervous system through the summer?I show you ways in my yoga classes & trainings – with breath, touch, presence and love.

🧘‍♀️ Come by – you are welcome just as you are.

Follow Taj Shabad

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Stay in Touch

Stay In Touch

In yoga philosophy, there is an old word for this:
Dvesha– rejection.
One of the five kleshas, or mental veils, that separate us from clarity, compassion and inner peace.

Dvesha means rejection or aversion. It is the unconscious aversion to what once caused us pain – physically, emotionally or energetically.
It manifests itself in sentences such as:

– “I hate sweating like this.“
– “Why does summer always have to be so loud and garish?“
– “My body just isn’t nice right now.“
– “I don’t want these crowds, I need peace and quiet.”

If you reject your body in summer: touch it. Slowly. With oil. With a soft cloth. With hot stones or cool water.
Yoga impulse: Lie in Supta Baddha Konasana with soft stones on your heart and belly. Feel: I am here. And that is enough.

🕊️ Would you like to learn how to guide your nervous system through the summer?
I show you ways in my yoga classes & trainings – with breath, touch, presence and love.