We are back, continuing our exploration of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, now focusing on Sūtra 2.9, which introduces the concept of abhiniveśa (अभिनिवेशः). This term is often translated as "clinging to life" or "fear of death." The sūtra states:

स्वरसवाही विदुषोऽपि तथारूढोऽभिनिवेशः ॥९॥
svarasavāhī viduṣo’pi tathārūḍho’bhiniveśaḥ

"The fear of death is inherent in all beings, even in the wise."

Unlike other kleśas, which are shaped by personal experience, abhiniveśa is said to be innate, existing beyond logic, education, or past conditioning. No matter one's level of academic training, career success, or family background, no one is immune to this deep-rooted fear of death.

In the previous kleśas—rāga (रागः), attachment, and dveśa (द्वेषः), aversion—there is a component of memory. We attach to what once brought pleasure, and we avoid what once caused pain. But abhiniveśa is different—it is not based on personal experience. Vyāsa, one of the earliest commentators on the Yoga Sūtras, suggests that our fear of death is an indicator of past deaths and evidence of reincarnation. This belief is a central tenet in Hinduism and Buddhism, yet it was considered and later rejected in early Christianity.

Discussing abhiniveśa inevitably leads to a broader conversation about karma. If fear of death is rooted in past lives, then how we live today is deeply intertwined with the cycle of cause and effect. However, taking a non-literal view of this teaching can also be helpful. Even if one does not believe in reincarnation, the fear of change, the fear of losing identity, and the fear of the unknown are still very real and present forces in our lives.

If we look closely, fear is everywhere—not just in the fear of physical death but in our deep attachments to comfort, identity, and the way things are. A practical example of this can be seen in the trade tariff war between the USA and Canada. The economic shifts and uncertainties created anxiety, resistance, and a desire to cling to familiar ways of doing business. This is abhiniveśa in action—a refusal to accept impermanence and an attempt to preserve stability at all costs.

Fear activates the fight, flight, or freeze response, and often, it traps us in inaction. But what if, instead of being paralyzed by fear, we could learn to see opportunity within it? What if, rather than resisting change, we could lean into it with curiosity?

As Pattabhi Jois, the founder of modern Ashtanga Yoga, reminded his students:
"You breathe."

That, in the end, is our practice. Whatever fear arises—whether fear of death, fear of change, or fear of uncertainty—we breathe through it.