The nine main obstacles of yoga are:

1. Vyadhi - disease, physical or mental. It is difficult to practice if you are physically sick. 2. Styana - lack of discipline., procrastinating or creating excuses to stay away from the yoga practice. 3. Sanshaya - doubting ones capability or the result of yoga. We can only come to know Reality, declares the 4. Pramada - carelessness, lack of persistence. 5. Alasya - Inertia of mind or body, laziness. Yoga requires discipline and will-power. 6. Avirati - Overindulgence, attachment to pleasure. If we overindulge, the mind and body become tired and compascent. 7. Bhrantidarshan - False vision. False notion about the practice of yoga can create harm and later disappointment. It may turn you off yoga completely. 8. Alabdha-bhumikatva - Non-attainment of the next yogic stage or accomplishment. Poor practice makes you feel “stuck." 9. Anawasthitatwa - Instability. You mediate for an hour today and then forget to mediate tomorrow. Then you mediate for fifteen minutes the next day and the following day you mediate for an hour, again. One day you overeat, the next day you diet. This way there is no progress being made.

Four minor obstacles to yoga:

1. Duhkha - Pain or sorrow 2. Daurmanasya - depression, pain caused by non-fulfilment of desires. 3. Angamejayatwa - the shivering of parts of the body. 4. Shvâsa-prashvâsa - disturbances in breath retention . These cause the irregular breathing pattern that comes with worry or stress.

The key to the removal of the obstacles is single-pointed concentration. By focusing all of your attention on a single object, a single thought, a single problem, a single spot the obstacles begin to lose their importance. Single pointedness is achieved with the help of controlled breathing, pranayama, meditation and dristi (gaze.)

Try a simple exercise: Take your hands in prayer pose in front of the spiritual heart center right in the middle of your chest. Slowly in hale on the count of four, then slowly exhale on the count of four. Repeat five times. The exercise has an immediate calming and centering effect.

....................................... Anastasia Dorohova is a writer, a certified and Yoga Alliance-registered yoga teacher and a certified holistic health counselor, fully registered with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. www.steadybliss.com