01/01/2026
Happy New Year!
Let this year begin with contemplation—
of what we are doing and how we get caught up in what we do.
Awareness of this slipping into involvement is the first step beyond abhiniveśa.
Abhiniveśa means becoming passionately absorbed—
losing oneself in what we do, say, or perform.
It can happen in the roles we take up,
in the conversations we are caught in,
or in the actions we repeatedly perform.
Whenever awareness is lost and we become fully identified with an activity,
a role, or a narrative, abhiniveśa is at play.
The roles we assume become the garb we wear—
the garb of a yoga teacher,
a partner, a parent, a professional,
a social identity, or even a gender identity.
These garbs help us function in the world,
but when mistaken as who we are,
they limit our vision and narrow our perception of reality.
From this limited seeing, judgments arise naturally—
about ourselves, about others, and about life.
The wider perspective is lost,
and life is experienced through a small, conditioned lens.
At its root, abhiniveśa does not stand alone.
*It is born from avidyā (ignorance of reality),
driven by asmitā (identity),
and regulated by rāga and dveṣa (attachment and aversion),
until it finally manifests as abhiniveśa.*
It is important for us to live life fully and face its challenges.
But in that process, we need not lose ourselves in roles, reactions, and outcomes.
Ultimately, nothing external truly defines us.
Let prakṛti do its dance—
with all its movements and changes—
and let everything this year help us establish ourselves more deeply
in Puruṣa / Śiva.
With abhiniveśa, we lose touch with the deeper journey of who we truly are.
*Wishing you a conscious, contemplative, and inwardly free New Year!*
Regeesh Vattakandy
Aayana Yoga Academy
