“In this Sūtra,
Patañjali lists the nine kinds of obstacles
that are confronted by those who,
though fit and able to meditate on Īśvara,
neglect to do so.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“The use of Āsana and Prāṇāyāma is
an investigation of all the 9 obstacles
in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30.
Those things that come between how
we are and how we would like to be.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in what
choices we make in relation to the nine interventions
elegantly presented in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30.
In other words what ploys do we deploy and employ
with regard to at least living intelligently within,
even if unable to transform at this point in time,
with what appears as if a distraction between how
we feel we are and how we feel we would like to be.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“The Antarāya are presented
as a guide through life’s distractions,
rather than a rationale for life’s obstacles.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“There is also an obstacle that is from the nature of the mind itself.
We get moods — sometimes we are all right, we can go on,
but sometimes we feel heavy, we feel dull, we don’t feel like proceeding.
This mental heaviness could be due to food, it could be due to cold weather,
it could be just the nature of the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Antarāyāḥ, Obstacles to progress, Techniques to Overcome them’
Chapter Fourteen Page 208

“Another obstacle is when our senses seem to take over.
They reassert themselves as masters,
sometimes without our knowing it.
This is not surprising since we are trained from birth
to look here, see there, hear this, touch that, etc.
So sometimes, because of their habitual action of always looking for things, etc.,
The senses take over and our direction slowly shifts in the wrong way.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Antarāyāḥ, Obstacles to progress, Techniques to Overcome them’
Chapter Fourteen Page 209

“The obstacle is also called Kuṇḍalinī because it looks like an earring
worn by women in the olden days and Kuṇḍali means ‘earring’.
It is also called Śakti because its power is so great that
it is able to block the flow of Prāṇa into the Suṣumṇā.
We must note that it is Prāṇa that is eventually
supposed to go into the Suṣumṇā.
Many books describe that which goes up as Kuṇḍalinī.
Kuṇḍalinī does not go up.
Suṣumṇā is like a conductor through which energy flows.
This energy is the same energy that is always present, Prāṇa.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Various Approaches to Yoga’
Chapter Seventeen Page 243-244

“Another way the mind functions is called Vikṣipta.
We act but we have doubts;
distractions come about,
there are obstacles.
The set direction does not look right
and we don’t know what to do about it.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’
Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“Patañjali does not mention this once.
He also says that if a person thinks about Īśvara and its presence and omnipotence
he will avoid problems and not get sick.
It sounds odd that such a practice will make you avoid sickness.
It means you will not suffer like others with the Antarāya.
You will reduce the obstacles, the suffering that accompany sickness.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

Question: What is the greatest obstacle to meditation?
“The biggest obstacle to obstacle is Vikalpa,
the ability of the mind to fabricate in spite of reality.
Through Vikalpa, the mind fabricates thoughts of no essence,
no substance; and since meditation is, for most of us,
the play of the mind, Vikalpa is the greatest obstacle.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988

“Is the primary obstacle to
experiencing Prāṇāyāma as a
developmental process, coming
from what arises within the mind,
rather than from within the breath?”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Cultivating a home Yoga practice
presents a solution to an obstacle.
Maintaining a home Yoga practice
presents an obstacle to a solution.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Amongst the Antarāya that
relegate Prāṇāyāma to the wish list
is the choice of a long relaxation as
a substitute ending to Āsana practice.”
– 108 Teaching Path Pointers

“Explain and develop the context of Antarāya in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 29 and verse 30.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet”

Links to Related Posts:

• When encountering a student wanting to explore how to engage with Yoga practice…
• Yoga Practice is about a re-turning towards our inner life……
• Yoga Sūtra on Stress – An interview with TKV Desikachar