July 2024 Newsletter
The Five Hindrances
How to Skillfully Work with Difficult Energies
Part One of Six

“Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back,
and choose the path that leads to wisdom."
-The Buddha

Hello, Everyone! 

I hope that you’re all enjoying a wonderful summer and finding some time to engage in unscripted, imaginative play! If you missed last month’s newsletter and are curious about how you can bring more fun, play and presence into your life, I encourage you to take a look at last month’s blog post, Have More Fun & Develop A Practice of Playfulness. 

This month, and for the subsequent five, the focus will be on the Five Hindrances as taught by the Buddha. We will delve into these five in this newsletter and in the biweekly online meditation classes that will resume in September (more info here if you’re interested in joining us!). Placing our attention on these energies will take us through to the end of 2024. And, there will be a surprise for what our focus will be for 2025, so stay tuned!

The Five Hindrances 

The teachings of the Buddha offer us advice on how to work with the negative mental states that move us into unwholesome thoughts and actions. These difficult energies that we encounter—both in mediation and in everyday life—are known as the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa), and include:

1. Sensual desire (kāmacchanda)

2. Ill will (vyāpāda)

3. Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha)

4. Restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca)

5. Skeptical doubt (vicikicchā)

As humans, we all experience these hindrances, which the Buddha identified more than 2500 years ago. At their most basic essence, they are the obstacles that keep us from deepening our mindful, present-moment experience and our meditative concentration.

The hindrances occur because our minds can tell stories and we lose ourselves in the fantasies that we create, catastrophizing on the one hand, and glorifying visions of grandeur on the other. While it’s easy to get caught up in preoccupations, these energies block us from seeing clearly, taking risks of any kind and reaching our goals. Like defenses that don’t really work, the hindrances can keep us stuck in an entangled state of “groundhog day,” even if we do not want to stay where we are.

However, when we become aware of the hindrances and how they are getting in our way and then skillfully engage with each, we become more able to be who we inherently are and truly want to be. And, we may be able to transform what feels frustrating or stagnant into an insightful and even nourishing experience.

Water Helps Us Understand The Hindrances

The Buddha is said to have explained the hindrances through a metaphor of a person looking into a big bowl of water. With no hindrance at play, the person would be able to see their reflection clearly, and clear water is a metaphor for a still and quiet mind. However, with any of the hindrances in the way, the water would be compromised and a person is unable to see clearly. 

Sensual Desire: With this hindrance, imagine that the water is colored with red dye. Red colors our world with excitement and desire, want and greed. When in this state of desire, we cannot see our reflection clearly. Rather than experiencing contentment with what is already here, we want more and more, which can lead to a habit of want and even into addiction. The moment we are longing for something, or to be somewhere other than where we are, we are in the hindrance of sensual desire.

Ill Will: This second hindrance, associated with anger, aversion, hostility and resentment, can be understood through imagining a bowl of boiling water. With boiling water, we can’t see our own reflection in the water. We are filled with anger, blame, or self-blame; a recoiling from taking steps forward; a hostility toward ourselves or others; or resentment. We are stuck in a past moment, unable to get ourselves to be in the moment that is right here, right now.

Sloth and Torpor: In this hindrance, the water is filled with algae and seaweed, so thick that no reflection is possible. We are lethargic and in stupor. With tired minds and bodies, we are blocked and without the energy to see clearly.

Restlessness and Worry: The fourth hindrance is that of water with wind. When water is churning, no reflection is possible. This is the water of restlessness, regrets and anxiety. When our mind is restless, it jumps from thought-to-thought, scattered, and unable to be calm and be present. This anxious loop can propel us into an unknown future with doom, gloom and fearfulness, and we spin round and round. We aren’t seeing clearly—ourselves or the circumstances around us.

Skeptical Doubt: In this final hindrance, the water is muddied. With the water so unclear, we cannot see ourselves clearly. We don’t trust ourselves or the divine path. We may stop taking any action for fear that it is not the right action to take and therefore become stuck and stagnant. We are protecting ourselves from the possibility of risk, of failure, of shame or blame, unable to move forward.

Cat Tales…
What Pearl teaches us about skillfully working with the hindrances 

I realize I haven’t given Pearl a lot of focus in Cat Tales. This is likely due to the way Eve and even Max—the two greys—seem to dominate the day-to-day experiences in our home, if for no reason other than how they treat Pearl, who we think is probably the youngest of the sibling trio and may have a different father, and who has sometimes had a bit of a difficult time with her siblings.

Eve, particularly, finds Pearl to be a threat at meal times, and will definitely take swats at her. At bedtime, Eve makes it known that the bed is for her and Max. Try as we humans do to insist otherwise, Pearl knows that should she want to come onto the bed, she must wait until everyone is asleep and then stealthily approach and settle in. But Pearl, and Eve, are ever-forgiving. One minute, Eve is swatting at her, and the next, the two of them are side-by-side at the sliding windows looking out at the world or even sleeping next to each other for one of their many cat naps.

Pearl also knows to find times when Eve is not around to get her cuddles and lap time with me or my husband. Meditation time is one of her favorites. First thing in the morning, she looks for when I’ll be settling in for a 30-45 minutes of non-movement. Also, whenever I’m on the computer, she comes to me—first by vocalizing her request and then jumping into my lap. She also hangs around Max a lot of the time, as he really enjoys and loves her company. They spend the day together, with Eve intermittently coming by to check on things.

How does this fit into hindrances? In a few ways, actually.

First, Pearl is aware of Eve’s issues and will carefully get what she wants by watching and waiting, planning for when she can have the lap she’s looking for or the buddy she wants, without triggering Eve. Second, recently Pearl has started pawing back when Eve strikes at her before a meal. She has decided that rather than accept Eve’s treatment of her (ill will), she will effectively defend herself. She never strikes first, but she will now respond, which seems to end things. The Buddha talked about self-defense as a viable reality and, with one calculated paw strike, Pearl takes matters into her own paws. Not to harm Eve, but to respond in a judicious and firm way. Pearl also doesn’t seem to have an internal narrative of self-doubt that she is never allowed to do what she wants. Instead, this smart feline has found viable and sustaining workarounds.

Over the course of the next five months, we’ll be going into more detail on each of the five hindrances, building awareness about how they each arise in our own lives and prevent us from seeing clearly, as well as how, like our dear Pearl, we can skillfully work with each to steady our minds and calm our hearts. And, we’ll keep playing with the theme and metaphor of water, as, like us, water is always changing and often predictably unpredictable! 

As we begin working with the five hindrances, the invitation this month is to familiarize yourself with each (the READ, LISTEN & WATCH resources below can help with this) and to begin to identify how each hindrance may be showing up in your life, and perhaps journal about it (for journal prompts, please see the practice section below).

What are you covering up—how is the “water” in your life compromised— so that you cannot see clearly what is really there?

As you delve into this, please note that all of these hindrances are very common! They are human defenses designed to protect and block us from pain, self-discovery and risk. But, with awareness and a willingness to work with them skillfully, we can offer ourselves kindness, compassion and the understanding that these hindrances happen within all of us, and begin to inquire about the what, why and how we are covering up.

Thank you for your presence—I’m so happy that you are here! 

May you be filled with warmth and kindness. 

May you be healthy and safe. 

May your heart know peace. 

Wishing you all an extra dose of peace and love during the holidays and these turbulent times.

In kindness,

Karen 

P.S.: In other exciting news: In 2025, I'll be offering an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program!

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Workshop 
A Nurturing Exploration of Your Heart, Body & Mind 
with Psychotherapist and Meditation Teacher Dr. Karen Walant 

This 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) workshop is designed to help you tap into your heart, body and mind; learn how to really listen to your inner experience; and explore and utilize mindfulness tools to reduce suffering, better manage anxiety and depression, and experience greater ease and joy in life.

In a safe space with professional, compassionate support, you can begin to turn toward that which you have the tendency to avoid. You’ll learn specifically designed meditations and cognitive behavioral strategies, which we’ll practice over the course of the program, to help access inner wisdom and connect with and cultivate your inner nurturer. As you become friendly with your mind and kinder with your inner self, you’ll gain invaluable resources to navigate life’s inevitable challenges and become a trusted partner to your Self.

Integrating current developments in neuroplasticity with ancient wisdom, this workshop offers powerful mind-heart-body tools and techniques to break free from prolonged periods of suffering and turn your mind into a skilled ally that supports you in both long-term health and healing and managing the ups and downs of everyday life.

More information about the course can be found on the 8-Week MBCT Course page of my website.

For those interested in taking this class, enrollment is now open. Please contact me directly at kwalant@gmail.com for more information and pricing.

Practice...

Journal Prompts to Help You Identify & Better Understand the Hindrances at Play in Your Life Today

This month’s invitation is to begin to identify how each hindrance may be showing up in your life. As mentioned earlier, the hindrances are VERY common and each will likely affect all of us at various times throughout our lives. After you’ve spent some time familiarizing yourself with the hindrances, this month’s practice is to go through each hindrance one-by-one and journal about the following questions. As you do such, I encourage you to keep in mind what it is that you truly want and who it is that you truly want to be. 

With each hindrances, ask yourself:

What am I covering up—how is the “water” in my life compromised—so that I may not be seeing clearly what is really there? 

How is this “defense” a benefit to me?

How is this hindrance preventing me from seeing clearly?

How is this “defense” of benefit to the people around me and the circumstances of my life? 

How is this hindrance preventing me from taking the right action that I know is in alignment with my values, greatest purpose and what I truly want in life? 

Take as much time as you need over the next month to write about each hindrance and how it is (or maybe is not) showing up in your mind, heart and life. There will be an invitation in December at the close of the series for you to revisit these responses to see if anything has shifted. :)

Read...
The Five Hindrances. In this Spirt Rock article, author Sean Oakes takes us through the five hindrances, which is a common theme and teaching at Spirit Rock retreats. Oakes aptly writes that "the hindrances are the painful but natural expressions of the heart and mind when it is suffering, and working with them is how we deepen our path." This informative article offers descriptions of each hindrance and its antidote so that we might practice moving through each hindrance, gradually shifting into a more wholesome and productive way of thinking, loving and being.

Watch...
Master Shi Heng Yi — 5 hindrances to self-mastery |Shi Heng VI | Tedx Vitosha. In his serene yet powerful talk, Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi talks about self-discovery and uses the metaphor of a mountain to explain the hindrances, insisting that every step is part of the journey to our highest peak. He shares how we can align our lives in a way to prevent the hindrances from arising, and offers techniques, such as the RAIN practice, to help us move through and remove them. He says that with clarity, we see more clearly, know the proper direction to take, and aspirations start to take shape.

Listen...
States Of Enlightenment: Working With The Hindrances. In this Spirit Rock talk, international meditation teacher, author and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein talks about the hindrances as the forces within the mind that obscure wisdom and keep us from seeing the true nature of things. And, that the sources of both suffering and freedom are within us, not outside of us, which is the entirety of the spiritual path. Humorous and insightful, Joseph takes us through each hindrance, noting that we can shift into fresh, wholesome states of mind.

In case you’re unaware and interested, I offer an online, donation-based meditation class/guided practice every other Monday night 8-9pm EST in a relaxed and warm setting on Zoom. The only requirement is an interest in increasing mindful awareness and skills through practice and growing your inner wisdom. If you’re interested in beginning, reconnecting with or deepening your meditation practice in community, we’d love for you to join us! Get more details and register here.

Also, if you know of anyone interested in deepening their mindfulness and meditation practices, please forward this email along and invite them to join as well! All are welcome and can sign up for the newsletter on my website.

Dr. Karen Walant has been a practicing psychotherapist for almost three decades and holds a MSW and PhD in Clinical Social Work from New York University. Karen supervises other clinicians in private practice and has given lectures around the country on issues related to attachment, mindfulness, meditation, addiction and recovery, deepening the therapeutic relationship, parenting with kindness, and fostering compassionate relationships. She is the author of Creating the Capacity for Attachment: Treating Addictions and the Alienated Self. A long-time meditator and teacher, Karen is a 2021 graduate of the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program (taught by meditation experts Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield), is certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Mentor, and is certified as a Level I Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Teacher through Brown University, and completed her Certificate in Mindfulness and Psychotherapy from the Institute for Mindfulness and Psychotherapy in 2022.