Day 32: Cravings & Kindness: Sutra 1.33 and Sutra 4.11
Understanding the Craving Mind Through Yoga and Dharma
Today is the first day of February, and I finally started reading the second book my teacher Rolf recommended to me: The Craving Mind by Judson Brewer.
I am only halfway through, but I was surprised by how much it focuses on technology addiction. Technology addiction is rarely discussed in depth, yet it aligns with the classic definition of addiction from the DSM: “continued use, despite adverse consequences.”
Brewer offers a checklist for cellphone addiction, and I checked every single box, indicating a severe addiction. This doesn’t shock me. I built a very successful business entirely through Facebook and Instagram. One has to be addicted to make that happen.
He describes how, when we feel anxious, bored, or lonely, we post an update—a callout for attention. The likes and comments we receive assure us that we are connected, relevant, and seen. He also points out the darker side of this behaviour: what is rewarding for one person can be a source of sadness for another.
This made me reflect on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, particularly Sutra 1.33:
maitri karuna mudito upeksana sukha duhkha punya apunya visayanam bhavantah citta prasadanam
Patanjali teaches that the way to purify and calm the mind is through four attitudes:
Friendliness toward the happy (maitri)
Compassion toward the suffering (karuna)
Joy for the virtuous (mudita)
Equanimity toward the evil (upeksha)
Rather than reacting with jealousy, judgment, or resentment, we cultivate qualities that bring peace. The Bhagavad Gita reinforces this idea in Chapter 2, Verse 70: “A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still—can achieve peace.”
Upcoming Online Yoga Philosophy Courses
If you’re struggling with your obsessive thought patterns or addiction to anything (technology, thoughts, people, etc) the best thing I think you can do for yourself is join one of my upcoming online Yoga Philosophy classes to rewire your brain.
This week I start my online Bhavagad Gita course. There’s only ten spots in the class. Save your spot here. I’m also doing another Sutra Study in March.
The Addiction to Thinking
Brewer also discusses addiction to thinking—how we get trapped in repetitive thought loops that perpetuate depression. Research shows that experienced meditators get caught up in mind-wandering far less than novices.
This resonates deeply with the Buddha Dharma. The Dhammapada teaches that our suffering arises from attachment to thoughts: “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.”
Meditation helps us notice our experiences without getting entangled in them. We train ourselves to see thoughts as passing clouds, neither clinging to nor identifying with them.
Breaking the Pattern: Karma, Vasanas, and Samskaras
Last night, one of my Yoga Sutra study groups explored Sutra 4.11:
hetu-phala-asraya-alambanaih-samgrhitatvat-esam-abhave-tad-abhavah.
Patterns persist because they have a cause (hetu), an effect (phala), and support (asraya). Whether it’s the pattern of eating too much sugar, the pattern of having five coffees a day, the pattern of gossiping, etc.
When Anvita taught me this sutra, she used the image of a three-legged stool. To eliminate a deep-seated pattern (vasana) or emotional imprint (samskara), we must remove at least one of its supports:
The cause (hetu): our deep-rooted conditioning to seek validation through social media, for example.
The effect (phala): the dopamine rush we receive from engagement from posts.
The support (asraya): placing ourselves in environments that reinforce the addiction, such as amongst friends who are also in addiction to social media.
Another example would be a tendency to gossip.
The cause (hetu): our deep-rooted conditioning to socially bond via talking about other people’s pain or drama, or get attention through sharing someone’s secret.
The effect (phala): the dopamine rush we get from having these conversations makes us repeatedly do them. Rather than us being vulnerable about ourselves, we build connection through getting “high” on other people’s pain.
The support (asraya): placing ourselves in environments that reinforce the addiction, such as amongst friends who will also engage in gossip with us.
Applying this to my life, I see that I have played the victim role in the drama triangle in the very recent past. I retold my stories for validation, receiving reinforcement from listeners. To break this pattern, I must remove one of the three supports—either by changing my perception of myself, altering my response to validation, or stepping away from environments that trigger the cycle.
Practicing Metta and Closing Old Chapters
Brewer emphasizes the power of Metta (loving-kindness) meditation. When I notice my mind spiraling into negativity, I pivot toward Metta: May they be happy. May they be healthy. May they be free.
I’ve even practiced this toward the man who gave me unwanted advice the other day. I notice that when I practice Metta, I think about him in a much lighter heart.
In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle describes how we can become addicted to activating our pain body. Through the writing, editing, and publishing of the book Sober Yoga Girl, I relived my past over and over, reactivating my pain body and lighting up the memories that I’d so deeply pushed aside from my two years in Kuwait. But the book is finished. It’s time to close that chapter and step into the present.
The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that we must act, but without attachment to the fruits of our actions. The Buddha taught that liberation comes from breaking our habitual reactivity. Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are not just practices; they are the tools that free us from these cycles.
So my practice today is simple:
Observe my mind.
Cultivate positive thought patterns.
Step away from cycles that no longer serve me.
And most importantly, keep showing up—for my meditation practice, for my asana practice, for my bhakti practice (devotional chanting) and for my jnana practice (wisdom studies).
Bahasa Indonesia Phrase of the Day:
Today at the coffee shop, the staff taught me how to say "Sampai jumpa besok" which means “see you tomorrow.”
It made me think of something that I used to sing to my grade one students,
“I’ll see you tomorrow same time and same place.
Oh I’ll see your face tomorrow, same time and same place.
Though this moment has ended, I just have to say:
I can’t wait for tomorrow, make tomorrow today.”
Upcoming Online Courses
Bhagavad Gita Studies
The Bhagavad Gita offers timeless wisdom for navigating life’s challenges with grace and purpose. This program is designed to make the Gita’s teachings accessible, relatable, and transformative.
*Two timings, one for North America and one for Europe*
Dates and Details: Link
Module 1:
Group A: (North America): Sunday February 2, February 9 and February 16 at 6:00pm EST (Bali): Monday February 3, February 10 and February 17 at 7:00am AWST
Group B: (Bali) Tuesday February 4, February 11 and February 18 at 6:00pm AWST (London) Tuesday February 4, February 11 and February 18 at 10:00am BST
Module 2: March 30/31, April 13/14, April 27/28
Module 3: June 1/2, June 8/9, June 15/16
Pranayama & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
This 100-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training focuses on pranayama and meditation techniques, particularly for mental health. By the end of the training, you’ll have a solid foundation to lead these practices with confidence.
*New Timing Offered*
Dates and Details: Link
Starts Feb 10th
6:00pm-7:30pm AWST (Bali Time) on Mondays
10:00am London
2:00pm Dubai
Upcoming Retreat
One spot in a shared room left on the Adventure to India March 9 - 19, 2025.
One room left on the United Arab Emirates Retreat February 21 - 23.